You face risks that could negatively impact your career and business every day.
Your model twists their ankle and needs medical care. Your lighting setup falls, damaging a venue’s wall and flooring. You forgot to have a client sign your waiver, and now they’re upset that you used their wedding video to promote your services. Any one of these common scenarios could end up with you, center frame, getting sued.
The solution? Videographer insurance. It’s designed to cover you for those “oh shoot!” moments that might otherwise hurt your career, reputation, and finances.
What Videographer Insurance Is (+ Claim Examples)
Videographer insurance is a set of coverage options designed to protect your career, gear, and finances in the event that a covered claim arises out of your business operations.
The base coverage all videographers need is general liability. Full Frame Insurance (FFI) includes five different types of coverage in your general liability policy:
- General liability for third-party property damage or injury claims
- Personal and advertising injury for slander, libel, defamation, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement claims (and more)
- Products-completed operations for completed service- or product-related claims
- Damage to premises rented to you, also known as fire legal liability coverage, for fire-related property damage claims for a space you rent (like a studio or office)
- Medical expense limit for third-party injury claims (a no-fault limit)
You can expand on the base plan with three coverages that, while optional, are highly recommended:
- Camera equipment coverage (aka Inland Marine) protects your business gear in the case of damage or theft
- Failure to deliver (aka Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions/ E&O) covers mishaps that create “failure to deliver” scenarios
- Data theft protection (aka Cyber Liability) for cyber attacks, data breaches, malware, and other cyber threats
Our policies are designed to grow with your business. For example, there are multiple coverage tiers for insuring your cameras and other business equipment, and you have options to increase the limits of your base policy.
Let’s take a closer look at what videographer insurance is and what it covers, including real-world scenarios that make it easy to understand.
General Liability
General liability insurance protects you from third-party claims of property damage, medical injuries, libel, slander, defamation, false arrest, trespassing, and more.
- While filming a family documentary in your client’s home, you accidentally knock over and break an urn with their great-grandfather’s remains. They sue you for property damage and pain and suffering.
- You use a recent wedding video to promote your business without asking the couple you recorded for their permission. They then sue you for invasion of privacy.
- A couple buys expensive canvas prints from you after the wedding, but when they arrive, damaged frames led to ripped canvases. They sue you to replace or refund the purchase.
- While taking down your lighting at a shoot, your setup falls, gashes the drywall, and scrapes up the flooring. The venue sues you to pay for the cost of repairs.
General liability insurance is designed to pay for legal costs and settlement fees in cases like these — so your profit doesn’t go up in smoke. Plus, whether you’re shooting at a state or national park or a wedding venue, you’ll usually be required to show proof of general liability insurance.
Camera Equipment Coverage
Your camera and equipment are just as essential to you as Harry Potter’s wand, Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, or Wonder Woman’s truth-telling lasso. You need camera equipment coverage to ensure that theft or damage doesn’t put you and your business out of commission.
For example, you’re filming a fashion show. Your laptop’s on a nearby table for editing after the shoot. Suddenly, one of the stylists accidentally elbows your PC off the table and breaks it.
Or, while driving to a session across town, someone rear-ends your car. Half of your gear sustained massive damage — something most auto insurance policies won’t cover.
Camera equipment coverage (sometimes called “inland marine”) can cover your repair or replacement fees, so you don’t have to shell out thousands of dollars or shutter your operation.
Professional Liability (Failure to Deliver)
Sometimes video sessions go differently than you or your clients planned. Mistakes you make (errors) or things you fail to do (omissions) can result in problems that make it impossible to deliver on client expectations or fulfill contracts.
For example, you’re set to film a couple’s wedding renewal ceremony, but you get food poisoning the night before and have to cancel at the last minute. The couple sues you for a breach of contract.
Or, you filmed a quinceañera celebration, but when you sit down to start editing, you realize your memory card was faulty and didn’t capture any footage. The clients sue you for not delivering on your promise and missing critical moments. After all, a girl only turns 15 once.
Sometimes called errors and omissions, or E&O, professional liability can save you from costly mishaps, whether they are your mistakes or something outside your control. We’ve all heard horror stories of unhappy clients, and this coverage is key for protecting your career and reputation.
Data Theft Coverage
Data theft coverage, also known as cyber liability insurance, can help you recoup recovery, legal, and settlement fees if someone compromises your client or business information. Think of all the vital customer and business data you store on internet-connected computers, smartphones, point-of-sale apps, and so on:
- Names
- Payment information
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses — and more
Hackers who steal this information can commit identity theft, make fraudulent charges, or even sell the data on the Dark Web. You’re stuck paying for the damages yourself without this coverage.
If you’re wondering: “Why would cybercriminals hack me? I’m a small business.” But hackers don’t care who they steal from. They might even target small businesses as easier marks vs. big companies that have more security measures in place. In fact, cybercriminals breached 422.61 million accounts as of September 2024.
Videographer Insurance Costs and Plan Options
Videographer insurance is a safety net for your business if unexpected risks turn into claims. Check out our plans and coverages chart below to see which best suits your needs.
Key:
✅=included
➕=add on
| Coverages | Annual+ | Annual | 1-3 Day Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $23.83/month or $271/year | $12/month or $129/year | $59 |
| General liability | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Camera equipment coverage | ✅ | ➕ | ❌ |
| Data theft protection | ➕ | ➕ | ❌ |
| Professional liability | ➕ | ➕ | ❌ |
Here’s a brief overview of business insurance costs for videographers via Full Frame Insurance:
Annual+ | $23.83 per month or $271 per year
- General liability (personal and advertising injury, medical expense limit, and more)
- Camera equipment coverage
- Damage to rented premises
- Options to add professional liability, data theft protection, increase your limits, or add additional insureds
Annual | $12 per month or $129 per year
- General liability (personal and advertising injury, medical expenses, and more)
- Damage to rented premises
- Options to add professional liability, data theft protection, camera equipment coverage, increase your limits, or add additional insureds
Event | $59 per 1-3 day events
- General liability (personal and advertising injury, medical expense limit, and more)
- Option to add Additional Insureds
Many venues, event planners, and organizations will require you to add them to your policy as an additional insured. We’ve made this easy and affordable, too. You can add additional insureds for a one-time $5 fee under any policy — either during checkout or from your dashboard.
Who Needs Videographer Insurance?
Every videographer needs liability insurance, and for most, camera and professional liability are must-have coverage add-ons, not just nice-to-haves. Here are some examples of videographer insurance tailored to specialties, such as:
- Freelance videographers: No matter where or what you shoot – from corporate promotional videos to real estate, music videos, or kids’ parties
- Documentary videographers: For peace of mind while you create films about inspirational individuals or historical events
- Wedding and event videographers: To cover mishaps at weddings, corporate parties, charity galas, and other events
- Travel videographers: When every new destination comes with its own set of risks
- Commercial videographers: For mistakes filming marketing and social media videos, corporate event videos, and so on
- Nature videographers: For the unique risks that go along with filming animals, vistas, pastures, oceans, mountains, and more in natural habitats
Frequently Asked Questions About Videographers Insurance
How Much Does Videographer Insurance Cost?
The cost of videographer insurance starts at $12/month or $129 annually. A short-term 1-3 day event plan costs $59.
What Insurance Do Videographers Need?
All videographers need general liability, professional liability, and camera insurance. This offers protection from a wide range of common claims (including unhappy clients) as well as a way to recoup financial losses for stolen or damaged equipment.
Is It Worth Getting Insurance for a Camera?
Yes! Buying camera equipment insurance is definitely worth it vs. the cost of replacement or repair fees since the price of a good, professional camera can be well into the thousands.
Why Do Videographers Need Insurance?
Videographers need insurance because risks are everywhere — weddings, birthday parties, corporate events — even in your studio. Someone could trip over your tripod and break a wrist or your lighting could take a tumble and destroy a table full of expensive china and crystal tableware. Insurance can keep you from paying for bills and legal fees out of pocket.
