FEATURE FILM INSURANCE / STUNT & PYROTECHNICS COVERAGE

HARD-TO-PLACE SPECIALTY COVERAGE

STUNT AND PYROTECHNICS
FILM INSURANCE FOR HIGH-RISK PRODUCTIONS

Coverage for the productions other brokers decline. Stunt sequences, pyrotechnics, weapons, fire effects, fight scenes, vehicle action, and special effects placed through specialty markets that actually want this risk class — when the credentials, planning, and crew justify it.

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RISK CLASSES WE PLACE

STUNTS & FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
PYROTECHNICS & FIRE EFFECTS
WEAPONS & FIREARMS ON SET
VEHICLE ACTION & CAR STUNTS
HIGH FALLS & WIREWORK
EXPLOSIVE SPECIAL EFFECTS
HAZARDOUS LOCATION FILMING
DECLINED OR HARD-TO-PLACE RISKS

SPECIALTY RISK, SPECIALTY MARKETS

STANDARD CARRIERS DON'T WRITE THIS. SPECIALTY ONES DO.

Stunts, pyro, weapons, and fire effects are routinely declined by generalist film carriers. Specialty markets place this business every day — when the production is structured to be insurable.

Stunt and pyrotechnics film insurance is its own underwriting discipline. Standard film production package policies typically exclude or significantly limit coverage for high-risk activities. To get bound coverage that actually responds when something goes wrong on a stunt or pyro day, the production needs to be placed with specialty carriers who underwrite this class of risk regularly.

Those carriers want to see specifics: who's coordinating the stunts, what credentials the pyrotechnicians hold, how the weapons are being handled, what the fight choreography plan looks like, where the safety perimeters are. The more detail the production provides, the better the placement — and the better the premium. Insufficient detail typically means declination.

We work with productions across every budget tier on this — from low-budget indie features incorporating limited stunts through studio-tier action productions with full SFX departments. Including projects that have already been declined by other brokers.

STUNT AND PYROTECHNICS FILM INSURANCE FOR HIGH-RISK PRODUCTIONS

SPECIALTY RISK PLACEMENT

SPECIALTY RISK CATEGORIES

WHAT "STUNT & PYRO" ACTUALLY COVERS

"Stunt and pyrotechnics" is shorthand for a wide range of high-risk production activities. Each category has its own underwriting expectations and required credentials.

CATEGORY 01

CHOREOGRAPHED STUNTS

Performed stunts including falls, ratchet pulls, wirework, body-impact gags, and choreographed action sequences. Credentialed stunt coordinator typically required.

STUNT COORDINATOR-LED

CATEGORY 02

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY

Hand-to-hand combat, weapons fight choreography, edged weapon scenes, and physical altercations. Fight coordinator credentials and rehearsal documentation expected.

FIGHT COORDINATOR

CATEGORY 03

PYROTECHNICS

Controlled explosive effects, squibs, mortars, flash pots, and pyrotechnic gags. Licensed pyrotechnician and proper permits required by every carrier.

LICENSED OPERATOR

CATEGORY 04

FIRE EFFECTS

Burning sets, fire stunts, flame effects, gas-fed fire, and full-body burns. Specialty fire coordinator and detailed safety plan are standard requirements.

FIRE COORDINATOR

CATEGORY 05

WEAPONS & FIREARMS

Prop firearms, blank rounds, edged weapons, and weapons handling on set. Credentialed weapons handler / armorer required by carriers and increasingly by law.

ARMORER REQUIRED

CATEGORY 06

VEHICLE ACTION

Car chases, vehicle rollovers, vehicle stunts, ramps and jumps, motorcycle stunts, and picture car action. Stunt drivers and coordinated vehicle plans expected.

STUNT DRIVERS

CATEGORY 07

HIGH FALLS & WIREWORK

Air rams, high-fall rigs, wirework gags, descender systems, and flying performer rigs. Rigging credentials and engineered safety plans required.

RIGGING-INTENSIVE

CATEGORY 08

EXPLOSIVE SFX

Larger-scale special effects involving controlled detonations, explosive squibs, building demos for camera, and engineered explosive gags.

SFX COORDINATOR

CATEGORY 09

HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS

Filming in inherently hazardous environments — heights, water, confined spaces, industrial sites — with corresponding safety planning requirements.

LOCATION-DRIVEN

WHAT UNDERWRITERS NEED

HOW HIGH-RISK COVERAGE ACTUALLY GETS BOUND

Specialty carriers don't bind stunt and pyro coverage from a one-line request. Here are the elements underwriters typically require to evaluate and price the risk.

STUNT COORDINATOR CREDENTIALS

Coordinator name, prior credits, experience with the specific stunt category, and resume documentation submitted with the application.

PYROTECHNICIAN LICENSING

State and federal licensing for the licensed pyrotechnician supervising any pyro work — including ATF and applicable state fire marshal credentials.

SCENE BREAKDOWNS

Specific scene-by-scene breakdown of every stunt, fight, pyro, weapon, or hazardous activity in the script — with detail on action and safety.

WEAPONS HANDLER / ARMORER

Credentialed weapons handler responsible for all firearms, prop weapons, and blank rounds on set — increasingly required by both carriers and law.

SAFETY PLAN & PERIMETER

Documented safety plans covering rehearsal protocols, perimeters, fire suppression, medic on standby, and crew safety briefings.

PERMITS & LOCAL APPROVALS

Documentation of fire marshal sign-off, ATF permits where applicable, and local jurisdiction approvals for the specific stunt or pyro activity.

REHEARSAL DOCUMENTATION

Records of stunt rehearsals, walk-throughs, dry runs, and choreography sessions completed before camera-ready execution.

ON-SET MEDICAL & FIRE

Set medic and on-standby fire safety personnel where the activity warrants — typically required for any pyro, fire effect, or significant stunt.

HARD-TO-PLACE & DECLINED RISKS

WHEN OTHER BROKERS HAVE SAID NO

HARD-TO-PLACE STUNT AND PYRO FILM INSURANCE

WE WORK THE MARKETS THAT WRITE WHAT GENERALISTS DECLINE

Productions land at our door already declined. Generalist agencies don't have the carrier appetite or specialty market access to place high-risk film business — so they decline, undercover, or quote at numbers that effectively price the project out.

That doesn't mean the production isn't insurable. It usually means the broker didn't have the right markets. We routinely place coverage that other brokers have walked away from — for productions with stunts, pyro, weapons, fire effects, complex SFX, foreign filming, and combinations of all of the above.

PREVIOUSLY DECLINED PROJECTS Productions turned down by another broker or carrier — often placeable with the right specialty market.
FIRST-TIME ACTION PRODUCERS Producers tackling stunts or pyro for the first time. Coverage placed when the credentialed crew supports it.
COMBINED HAZARD CLASSES Productions involving multiple high-risk categories — stunts plus pyro plus weapons in the same project.
FOREIGN-LOCATION ACTION Action productions shooting outside the United States with corresponding territorial and credential complexities.
NON-UNION ACTION PRODUCTIONS Action productions outside SAG-AFTRA, DGA, or IATSE jurisdiction — coverage that doesn't depend on union framework.

WHAT THE COVERAGE INCLUDES

COVERAGE COMPONENTS FOR HIGH-RISK PRODUCTION

Stunt and pyro coverage is layered into the broader production insurance program. Here are the components that come up most often when high-risk activity is in the script.

PRODUCTION GENERAL LIABILITY

Third-party bodily injury and property damage — extended to cover the heightened exposure from stunt and pyro activity.

STUNT PERFORMER COVERAGE

Coverage extensions covering stunt performers, fight performers, and stunt doubles working on the production.

PYRO LIABILITY

Liability coverage specifically tied to controlled pyrotechnic effects, gas-fed fire, and explosive gags supervised by licensed operators.

WEAPONS HANDLING

Liability tied to weapons on set — prop firearms, blank rounds, edged weapons — under a credentialed armorer's supervision.

VEHICLE STUNT COVERAGE

Coverage extensions for picture car stunts, choreographed vehicle action, rolls, jumps, and chase sequences.

FIRE EFFECTS COVERAGE

Liability for burning sets, full-body burns, fire stunts, and gas-fed flame effects executed under qualified supervision.

WORKERS COMPENSATION

Statutory coverage for stunt performers, SFX crew, and pyrotechnicians — coordinated with the rest of the production. See film production workers comp.

EQUIPMENT COVERAGE

Production equipment in proximity to stunts and pyro — coordinated with broader film equipment insurance.

UMBRELLA / EXCESS

Higher excess limits often required by locations, distributors, or financiers when stunts or pyro are in the script.

SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

WHAT TO HAVE READY WHEN YOU CALL

A faster submission is a better submission. The more of the following the production has documented up front, the faster underwriters can quote — and the more competitive the placement.

ITEM 01

SCRIPT WITH SCENES MARKED

Working draft of the script with stunt, pyro, fight, and weapon scenes flagged for underwriter review.

ITEM 02

STUNT BREAKDOWN

Scene-by-scene breakdown of every stunt and high-risk activity with action description, performer, and safety approach.

ITEM 03

COORDINATOR RESUMES

Resumes and prior credits for the stunt coordinator, fight coordinator, pyrotechnician, and weapons handler.

ITEM 04

SAFETY PLAN

Documented safety plan covering perimeters, fire safety, on-standby medical, and crew briefing protocols.

ITEM 05

SHOOT SCHEDULE

Shooting schedule identifying which days carry stunt, pyro, fight, or weapons activity — including prep and rehearsal.

ITEM 06

LOCATION DETAILS

Locations where high-risk activity will occur, including any soundstage, studio, or specialty stunt facility involvement.

ITEM 07

PERMIT STATUS

Status of fire marshal sign-off, ATF approvals, and local jurisdiction permits required for the activity.

ITEM 08

PRIOR DECLINATIONS

If the project has been declined elsewhere — what was said and why. Helps us go directly to the right specialty market.

STUNT & PYRO INSURANCE FAQ

QUESTIONS ACTION PRODUCERS ASK

CAN YOU GET INSURANCE FOR A FILM WITH STUNTS?

Yes — when the production is structured to be insurable. That generally means a credentialed stunt coordinator, scene-by-scene breakdowns, documented safety planning, and rehearsal protocols. Specialty carriers write this class of risk every day. Productions that lack the underlying structure (no coordinator, no safety plan, no documentation) get declined regardless of the broker.

WHY DOES STUNT INSURANCE COST MORE?

Higher exposure carries higher premium. Stunts, pyro, weapons, and fire effects all introduce risks that don't exist on a typical drama or interview-based production. Premium reflects the carrier's underwriting of those specific risks based on the credentials, planning, and execution standards. Submit the intake form with project details for a real number on your specific risk.

WHAT IS A STUNT COORDINATOR AND WHY DO CARRIERS REQUIRE ONE?

A stunt coordinator is the credentialed professional who designs, rehearses, supervises, and executes stunts on a production. Specialty carriers require one because the coordinator's experience and prior credits are what make the activity insurable. Productions trying to execute stunts without a coordinator generally cannot be placed.

DO I NEED A LICENSED PYROTECHNICIAN FOR PYRO EFFECTS?

In nearly every case — yes, both for insurance placement and to comply with applicable state and federal law. Pyrotechnic effects involving controlled explosions, squibs, mortars, or flash devices typically require a licensed operator with state fire marshal credentials and ATF licensing depending on the specific effect. Productions without a licensed operator generally cannot place pyro coverage.

WHAT IF MY PROJECT WAS ALREADY DECLINED BY ANOTHER BROKER?

Send us the project details — including what was previously said about the declination if you know it. Generalist brokers often decline projects that specialty carriers will write because the generalist doesn't have access to the right markets. A prior declination doesn't automatically mean the risk isn't placeable.

DOES MY PRODUCTION POLICY ALREADY COVER STUNTS?

Standard production package policies typically exclude or significantly limit stunt and pyro coverage. To get bound coverage that responds for high-risk activity, the policy needs to be either placed with a specialty carrier from the start or endorsed with specific stunt/pyro coverage language — which itself requires the underwriting documentation described above.

HOW DO WEAPONS ON SET GET INSURED?

Through specific underwriting tied to a credentialed weapons handler or armorer who's responsible for all firearms, blank rounds, and prop weapons. The weapons handler's credentials, experience, and on-set protocols are central to placing the coverage. Carriers and many jurisdictions are increasingly requiring this regardless of weapon type.

CAN YOU INSURE A LOW-BUDGET PRODUCTION WITH STUNTS?

Often yes — provided the production has a credentialed coordinator and the proper documentation. Budget tier alone doesn't determine insurability for stunt or pyro work. A low-budget feature with a real stunt coordinator and a clean safety plan is often more placeable than a higher-budget production without those structural pieces.

YOUR ACTION SHOOT IS REAL. YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS TO BE TOO.

Stunts, pyro, weapons, fire effects, vehicle action — placed through specialty markets that actually want this risk class when the production is structured to be insurable. Including projects that have already been declined by other brokers.