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All Forums > The Porn Pool > The Porn Pool Forum Page 405 > A question for producers: Porn Insurance?
AuthorPost
ettin
Deactivated User

14 Posts
3/09
Posted - Mar 2 2009 : 3:27PM
I was looking to create a small adult production company on the east coast and was at a loss for what types of insurance one needs for a production consisting of two crew and 1-3 actors, shooting randomly on different rental properties throughout the year for 1-3 days at a time. Im also concerned about how i should approach insurance companies on the topic of what i produce, should i be upfront and tell them i do adult films or should i say i produce small independent shorts?
Im still a bit hazy on the tax issue as well, are my actors considered subcontractors, where i have to give them a 1099 and make them set up their own LLC, or can i just pay them out of pocket?
ettin
Deactivated User

14 Posts
3/09
Posted - Mar 3 2009 : 4:48PM
Oh, my mistake, i thought this was a serious forum with actual industry professionals.
xxaru
Member

128 Posts
6/07
Posted - Mar 3 2009 : 6:37PM
Insurance for what? You need to do some research on the state laws where you intend to be producing this stuff.
customer20983
Member

77 Posts
2/08
Posted - Mar 3 2009 : 9:02PM
It is for a large part as many industry professionals both in front and behind the lens populate the
but seriously your questions indicate that you have very little to no real experience in this area and have no real money to get PROPER legal support. Quick answer is if you do not have enough money to have a RELIABLE lawyer on retainer to advise you should NOT be in this BUSINESS.
No offense but the days of a guy with limited resources saying "I do not need a lawyer" are OVER as this is NOT a hobby but a VERY compllicated. The best place to get serious legal and structural information is the PROFESSIONAL conferences that several of the industry professionals attend to share serious info such as The Phoenix Forum for the webmasters or Xbiz Summer Forum where a LOT of serious movers and shakers go.
Do NOT go to the overhyped conventions as they are for the "civilians" to gawk and leer at and to generate money for the established producers. Unless of course you are there to scout out the major competition and how well they appear to be doing and what level of talent they are able to recruit for their operations. And that takes me to the next reason you will get little help on open boards like this
Those who DO have the experience you are seeking, MOST of them are NOT going to help you for another simple business reality.
YOU would become THE COMPETITION
and they do NOT want you taking marketshare away from them.
ESPECIALLY in this money tight era.
So again talk to an experiences lawyer in your locale state and city area where you will be producing to get the legal requirements and attend the specific conferences that will address your particular areas.
ettin
Deactivated User

14 Posts
3/09
Posted - Mar 3 2009 : 10:07PM
oh, the pro's are afraid of a little competition? Well, its good to know that theres as much pussy behind the camera as there is in front of it.
And they think that not helping people out is somehow going to give them the edge, oh, like ill never figure it out myself. lol, i guess they have a very good reason to be afraid.
 
betamale
Member

93 Posts
3/09
Posted - Mar 3 2009 : 10:09PM
I think I know who you are.
customer20983
Member

77 Posts
2/08
Posted - Mar 4 2009 : 2:45AM
Afraid? no. But why would someone who pays their lawyer say on average US$65/hour to learn all the legal hassles to keep the police off their doors give you that same information free of charge?
It would be a different matter if you wanted clarification on say something you read on Mead legal service (legal pay service of all relevant case decisions and pending law changes) and how it applied to your situation. But you are asking for information taht most are making their living off of and most ain't going to do that especially in an open forum where again you are looking to compete with them on the same marketshare.
Helping out would be asking for a recommendation for an experienced lawyer who is specifically knowledgable about your situation in your intended state of operations. General information is helping out. Asking people to analyze your potential hirees for tax purposes is asking for legal consultation as in regards to your question of
>Im still a bit hazy on the tax issue as well,
>are my actors considered subcontractors,
>where i have to give them a 1099 and make
>them set up their own LLC, or can i just
>pay them out of pocket?
This matter differs regarding state versus federal income and again should be SPECIFICALLY discussed with a CURRENTLY APPLICABLE lawyer of the state you are planning to operate in.
>oh, like ill never figure it out myself.
Sure that is why I recommended the specific foums such as the upcoming Phoenix forum as it is one of the BEST places to meet and learn from those who are in the business and get SOLID recommendations from the battle hardened.
But if you have all the time to do that type of reseach ON YOUR OWN such as read through all of the existing laws AND case decisions AND PENDING APPLICABLE cases in JUST THAT ONE STATE for ALL applicable areas including existing applicable zoning requirements as requirements differ from township to township, applicable health code settings, film production company incorporation and operation within the area you intend, limitation of film production within their state, distribition of film products created for commenrcial distribution, hiring restrictions on freelancers versus part timers, and a whole host of other legal requirements that we can go on and on about involving the LEGAL creation and operation of a film production company
You notice that I have NOT even gone to the obvious areas of pandering and prostitution as some states are FAR more subtle in their restrictions than say the 20 or so obvious ones like Texas which specifically outright ban adult film production and classify it as prostitution and thus illegal to do within the entire state.
SERIOUSLY If you are going to be doing all the research on these matters on your own, you are in the wrong business and should be looking at doing law clerking and paralegal work instead.
>lol, i guess they have a very good reason to be afraid.
No again it just makes no business sense to give away information that they pay for from their lawyers and usually several DIFFERENT lawyers (tax, business, operations, criminal) especially when said info will NOT only be read by you but everyone else who reads this board. Again why would someone want to give away all of their info for free especially when it going to help take away their business?
It is a completely different matter if you were asking about a good lawyer who will give you all the legal assistance you are looking for in whatever state you are operating in to create your business, as oppsed to saying "I want people who have gone through the legal headaches to give me all their info that they paid their lawyers for".
loveporn
Member

186 Posts
5/07
Posted - Mar 4 2009 : 9:50AM
ettin i will put this as nicely as i can and hope i dont get banned by the mods but you are coming across as a jerk in your post. you only wait one day then say the things you say.
JoshD
Member

43 Posts
10/03
Posted - Mar 4 2009 : 6:27PM
Where are you paying $65/hr for a lawyer?
I'm sure your advice is sound, but I can't believe 90% of such a business is any different from any other small or web business, or from shooting an independent film, and there is a ton of free, reliable info out there. Of course, the other 10% could put you in jail, so it seems that's where the money for advice should go.
pornlaw
Member

578 Posts
10/05
Posted - Mar 6 2009 : 10:26PM
Here are the facts...
(1) Unless your production company is in NH or CA, producing porn is illegal in your state.
(2) Since it is illegal (unless you are in NH) it is unlikely you can get insurance for an illegal activity. If you lie and file a claim they can and will deny it as though you never had insurance.
(3) If you do get insurance you will need;
(a) workers compensation - actors have been determined to be employees and not ICs in California and more than likely that argument would prevail in other states.
(b) production insurance - to cover what could happen to your equipment or locations that you rent
(c) E&O insurance (optional) but necessary to cover any mistakes you may make in regard to IP issues.
Before you buy your equipment or shoot a single picture. Get a lawyer. There probably isnt one in your area that will know the first thing about adult entertainment, so you will probably need to retain one of us from NY/NJ, Florida, California, Chicago, Atlanta or Arizona.
Good luck...
Michael
www.AdultBizLaw.com
customer20983
Member

77 Posts
2/08
Posted - Mar 7 2009 : 4:42AM
Not all lawyers are charging US$65 per hour for their services but you should be expecting that level of cost for the knowledgeable. While price is not the determining factor, do not expect the small scale part timer to be running Mead services doing pro bono as their basis.
There is VERY little reliable information out specifically refers to adult film creation as it IS a very different set of legal restrictions beyond mere independent film making. Forget about the often confused law of obscenity. Just stick to creating sexually explicit content and you will find MANY states that do NOT specifically say No it is outright banned in our state though there are about 20 who do. The other 30 do NOT list laws that say outright "Porn hiring is pandering and prostitution." They make the creation of such films so difficult and costly that it is practically illegal except for those whose pockets are so deep that would not reliably want to make adult films (non sex adult only films such as BDSM) in those states such as Nevada.
Again there is FAR TOO MUCH legal restrictions and ordinances that most who do not do continual research will NOT be aware of and will end up putting them in jail for several years without proper legal counsel. Again that is the SPECIFIC reason that you MUST have an EXPERIENCED lawyer on retainer at the very least for this business unless you are expecting only to be illegal and do it for a quick cash out.
The laws are SPECIFICALLY intentionally vague and disembled so that people can be easily targetted and arrested in indirect manners. For example in New York the decision from the State Supreme Court came down that HIRING a FILM ACTOR/ACTRESS for a sexually explcit content is NOT immediately considerd pandering and prostitution but how many filmers are legit film producers who would make such films with the cost of film company operations in one of the MOST EXPENSIVE filming locales. And with the TIGHTEST zoning restrictions namely 2000 ft from any locale whereby minor habitate or congregate there is literally almost NOWHERE in the ENTIRE state whereby you can film as the restriction does NOT limit itself places whereby minor congregate RELIABLY (for several hours duration such as a school and would include say an open park or a flat land where you see two kids riding bikes by) NOR a directional limitation either so that 2000 ft restriction would not only include horizontal but VERTICAL as well so no filming inside a tall office building that has open access to the public. Again these types of assine restrictions are basically effective bannings of adult content despite statements of no it is not outright banned as not too many have the money to buy say 30 acres in a state to have a place to operate within and THEN regard the locale limits of each township that may specifically forbid such filming within their township.
Again unless you are a lawyer (yes I agree there are SOME paralegals that ALMOST as good as some lawyers but you want someone who has actually passed the bar and prefereably has a JD to be safe) it is just TOO time consuming and too linearly confusing for the non legal professional to try to do it on their own. Don't try to do it on your own. Being cheap and operating without a lawyer in this industry will end up costing you a LOT more in the long run.
customer20983
Member

77 Posts
2/08
Posted - Mar 7 2009 : 5:00AM
Not necessarily. If you have enough money for a million dollar insurance for each and every member on your set you can make adult films in Nevada. If you own a Central Park sized land space in New York state you pass the zoning restrictions in that state. Same in several other states as well. As far as I know only 20 states or so specifically state like Texas adult film creation is forbidden as adult film creation is not different to the state laws of prostitution or presents an absolute health risk that can not be disproven by its very nature.
I find that Errors and Omissions, which covers the producers for contract disputes, the costs of reshooting if something goes terribly wrong, and legal defense when the dispute goes to court is NOT an option for any serious or reliable production company as TOO MANY people try to weasel on costs with the old "we will give you residuals or offer you co producer level status as compensation problems." And let's NOT even go there on mistakes in music clearance for videographers
headaches are starting up already....
Agreed 100% GET AN EXPERIENCED and KNOWLEDGEABLE LAWYER who you can work with.
There are a few Again I recommend attending the professional forums as those are the best locales where you will get introduced to the EXPERIENCED people and have a chance to talk to them to see if they will directly help the emerging adult film producer or at the very least direct them to lawyers who may be better suited to help them navigate the 30 or so sets of laws that currently exist that allow porn production but only under the weirdest sets of restrictions that usually have nothing to do with sex film hiring.
pornlaw
Member

578 Posts
10/05
Posted - Mar 7 2009 : 6:24AM
Actually, you should expect rates at least 4-5 times that -- $250 per hour to $500 per hour for adult entertainment and First Amendment attorneys.
Be careful with citing that case. That part of the decision was dicta and has absolutely no relevance to anyone else other than the madame (defendant) involved in that case. I have seen people make the claim that the Judge's remarks in that case make porn production legal in NY. It doesnt. That was a lower court ruling. It was never officially "published" nor was it appealed.
You can make adult films anywhere, but its the getting caught part that sucks. The only 2 places where hardcore content production has been declared a protected First Amendment right is New Hampshire and California. No other state has statutory and or case law stating that it is not illegal. Everywhere else it is quasi-legal at best and you can be prosecuted... please do not give "legal" advice indicating that it is legal. Ray Guhn was prosecuted for operating COHF.com in Florida, where for Reality Kings has had production operations for several years.
One other legal aspect to be wary of is that contracts for sex are illegal everywhere, except CA, NH and several counties in Nevada in regards to prostitution. The model release a performer signs is basically a contract for sex and can be challenged. Creating content outside CA and NH creates a potential problem for the producer if Susie Bigtits and John Longcock can come back and challenge the validity of the contract (model release). Also in Florida there is a little know statute that allows a prostitute to sue her pimp for profits and within that law, pornography is defined as a form of prostitution. So in Florida, a smart and enterprising model could change her mind and sue the content producer for profits made from her content.
Overall, my advice is to hire an experienced director/producer that will shoot the content for you in California. Its legal, the releases will be valid and you will sleep well at night.
Michael
www.AdultBizLaw.com
www.2257Safe.com

Edited by - pornlaw on 3/7/2009 6:25:12 AM

mharris127
Senior Member

1844 Posts
8/09
Posted - Aug 21 2009 : 12:20AM
This is a very interesting thread. I have one thing to add -- that the act of sex outside of marriage itself is a felony in Michigan (four years in prison) and Utah (IIRC life in prison). Prostitution is also a felony in Michigan, but whether filming is included is probably not covered in the law -- but with fornication (and adultery) a felony all by itself (films are not discussed but the definition is so simple that it makes sex films illegal) I would suggest not filming here in Michigan or in Utah! In MI sex is any penetration of the vagina or use of the penis for anything other than using the toilet (masturbation is not covered, that may be legal if single -- I am not sure). I have discussed this issue several times with a former ADA, she was confirming what I had read earlier (other than discussing filming).



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