"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is the riskiest film of 2011

Based on the best-selling book by Stieg Larson, the movie stars Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig as computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist as they work together to solve a mystery.

"‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' featured a wide range of risky elements, including motorcycle, skateboarding, fight and torture scenes, and filming in foreign locations, which all contributed appreciably to its overall risk," said Lauren Bailey, vice president of entertainment at Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. "When underwriting films, Fireman's Fund works closely with the movie studios to manage risks and liabilities, and ensure the safety of all participants, while still achieving the director's artistic vision."

Some action scenes in the film, including a key motorcycle scene from the book, had to be changed due to insurance concerns. "Part of my role as a risk services consultant is to collaborate with movie studios to analyze action and stunt scenes, understand all of the safety measures in place, and ensure the safety of the cast and crew," said Paul Holehouse, entertainment risk consultant at Fireman's Fund.

Filming in international locations, like Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," also poses a variety of challenges, including the set, transportation of film equipment and costumes, and the potential for dealing with illness in a foreign location.

Delays can cost a production millions of dollars if a cast member becomes injured, which can cost up to 250,000 US-dollars a day for a big budget film

"Delays can cost a production millions of dollars if a cast member becomes injured and is unable to work, which can cost up to 250,000 US-dollars a day for a big budget film," said Wendy Diaz, entertainment underwriting director at Fireman's Fund.

From independent films to blockbusters, Fireman's Fund insures 80 percent of all US films. Fireman's Fund offers the following types of insurance coverages to protect movie studios from a variety of insurance risks and liabilities to their cast members, crew and the production process during the filming process:

  • Cast coverage pays for the costs incurred by the production company in the event of the unavailability of a declared artist due to illness, injury or death. Essentially business interruption coverage for the production company in the event of an artist's unavailability due to covered perils.
  • Props, sets and wardrobe coverage pays for the losses, damages and destruction related to the property, sets, wardrobes and equipment of the insured. Generally, it is related to items "in front of the camera."
  • Extra expense coverage pays for the production company's losses incurred by "things," including sets, equipment, and location.
  • Third party property damage coverage pays for the insured's legal liability for real property (filming locations).
  • Miscellaneous equipment coverage pays for losses or damages related to items "behind the camera" including cameras, sound equipment, lighting, etc..
  • Faulty stock coverage pays for the cost to reshoot or correct unacceptable footage due to the inadvertent use of faulty raw stock, faulty equipment (including cameras, sound, etc.), faulty processing by the lab, and faulty editing by way of damage accidentally caused by the editor's handling of the negative.
  • Negative coverage includes all risk coverage that excludes the perils named above in the faulty stock coverage, with other limitations.

Mara is nominated for an Oscar® in the lead actress category, while "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" also received nominations for cinematography, film editing, sound editing, and sound mixing. Fireman's Fund also insured four of the movies nominated for best picture, including "The Artist," "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," "Hugo," and "Moneyball."

 
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Suzanne Meraz

Fireman's Fund
Phone +1.415.899-3647

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