High-Risk Activities

Overview

The Nicholson School’s general liability insurance policy does not provide coverage for all conceivable circumstances. For example, the policy excludes circumstances that the insurance company deems especially hazardous labeled as High-Risk. High-Risk items & activities must be vetted by Risk Management Panel to determine if they require disclosure to the policy underwriter for the procurement of an additional rider to properly insure.

Student creative projects that explicitly or indirectly portray high-risk items or activities must be vetted by the Risk Management Review Panel. The purpose of this is to ensure that the depiction of high-risk items and activities is done in a safe and professional manner. Students are not permitted to include the portrayal or depiction of high-risk items or activities unless they have obtained written approval to proceed from the school’s Risk Management Panel and, if deemed necessary, have procured the appropriate insurance rider.

Uninsured Items & Activities

Below is a list of items and activities that are NOT covered by our general liability policy:

• Aerial Scenes / Aircraft / Helicopters
• Animal Scenes
• Boats
• Chase Scenes / Precision Driving
• Drones
• Drugs and Alcohol (props are permitted)
• Motorbikes*
• Racecourses or Tracks
• Railroads and Trains
• Roadways – filmming on or along the shoulder
• Rooftop Filming / Working on Unprotected or Open Heights of 15 Feet or Higher
• Snowmobiles / ATV’s / Or Any Other Type of Recreational Vehicles*
• Stunts / Falls / Fight Scenes
• Vehicles* – scenes operating a motor vehicle of any kind (e.g., cars, trucks, vans, etc.); using a camera truck, process trailer, or picture car; as well as the rigging of a side mount, aka “hostess tray,” or hood mount to a vehicle.
• Water Scenes – taking place in or around bodies of water.
• Rental of Any Single Piece of Equipment Above $350,000 in Value
• Productions Outside the United States, the District of Columbia, Canada and Puerto Rico

* Scenes using a stationary vehicle, that is not running or being operated, are permitted; however, the vehicle is not covered under UCF’s auto liability, compressive or collision insurance policies. All vehicles used must be properly insured by the owner. UCF does not cover any damage or incidents caused by or to vehicles and the student proceeds at their own risk.

Please see the Vehicle Protocols section of this handbook for further instructions regarding the use of stationary vehicles.

Prohibited Items & Activities

Below is a list of high-risk items or activities that are NOT permitted on student productions nor insured by our general liability policy:

• Explosives
• Expressways and Highways – filming on or along the shoulder
• Pyrotechnics / Flashboxes / Flashpods – fireworks**, demolition, explosions, and other pyrotechnic
  effects
• Squibs / Blanks – Including techniques using hydrolics or compressed air.
• Vehicle Collisions / Explosions
• Weapons** – edged or heavy blunt force weapons of any kind; firearms, pellet, metal / plastic BB’s (including Airsoft), air rifles, or “blank” firing guns of any kind **

** Legal novelties such as snaps, sparklers and party poppers are permitted if used safely as intended by the manufacture; however, they are not covered under our general liability policy. Each use must be approved by the Risk Management Review Panel.

Please see the Vehicles Protocols section of this handbook for further details regarding the use of legal novelties.

*** The use of prop weaponry is usually permitted without additional insurance. However, each use must be reviewed and approved by the instructor-of-record and the Risk Management Panel.

Please see the Weapons Protocols section of this handbook for further details regarding the use of prop weapons.