Broker-backed 'mountains': brokers and insurers backed the making of such Golden Globe winners as Brokeback Mountain.

From insuring the horses and carriages of Pride & Prejudice to covering the special risks associated with shooting a film in Kenya, insurers helped support movies and television shows nominated for the 2006 Gold en Globe awards.

While policies are often customized for different filming requirements, most involve the same basic types of coverage, said Brian Kingman, senior vice president of Aon/Albert G. Ruben. Aon/Ruben brokered the insurance for 101 of the 123 Golden Globe nominees.

Those basic insurance elements include:

* Cast insurance, which can be expanded to include animal actors and covers the production if an actor is sick, injured or killed, causing the production schedule to be changed or scrapped altogether;

* Business property insurance, which covers props, sets and wardrobes; and

* Equipment insurance to cover cameras, lighting and film.

All of those typically include extra expense coverage, which pays for additional filming if there's a claim related to an injured actor or damaged property or equipment, said Kingman.

In addition, films and television shows usually carry insurance typical of any business operation, such as errors and omissions related to filmmaking, including copyright infringement, defamation-of-character claims, breaches of contract and trademark infringement; liability insurance to cover bodily injury and property damage to third parties; auto liability; umbrella liability; workers' compensation; and political risk insurance, including-terrorism coverage, if filming is done in a high-risk country.

While film and television insurance policies can be similar, films usually carry more insurance. An average feature film costs about $55 million to produce, compared with $2 million to $3 million per episode for a television series, Kingman said.

"The same risks are present with television, but it's not the same potential for catastrophic loss as there is with a feature film," Kingman said.

Special Coverages

Films often require insurance coverage tailored to unusual risks. Here are a few examples:

* Munich (Nominee--Best Director, Best Screenplay): Special coverage for risks and hazards associated with filming in Hungary and Malta.

* King Kong (Nominee--Best Director, Best Original Score): Reciprocal agreements between countries that provide their citizens with health-care benefits so international crew members were covered while working in another country.

* The Constant Gardener (Winner--Best Supporting Actress, Nominee--Best Picture): Special coverage for risks and hazards associated with filming in Kenya.

* Brokeback Mountain (Winner--Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Original Song; Nominee--Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Score): Animal mortality coverage for the many horses used during production.

* Pride & Prejudice (Nominee--Best Picture, Best Actress): Special coverage for horses and carriages.

Source: Aon/Albert G. Ruben