What’s New: In Brief (June 07, 2007)

The curtain has lifted on FOCUS Entertainment Insurance Brokers Inc., British Columbias first locally owned and operated insurance brokerage firm exclusively servicing the film industry.

Launched by business partners David Hamilton, a senior film insurance broker in Western Canada, and his long-time associate Bob Adams, FOCUS Entertainments primary goal is to service the Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton film industries. The brokerage arranges insurance for feature films, television series, documentaries, commercials and movies-of-the-week, among other productions.

Film production insurance includes coverage for the cast; special effects and stunts; props, sets and wardrobes; rented filming equipment and vehicles; locations; and the negative; as well as errors and omissions coverage while the production is in distribution or broadcast.

The Boeing Corp. has signed an agreement to develop a risk management assessment tool for U.S. commercial aviation.

According to an American government newsletter, Boeing is using a mathematical technique used in airframe design to evaluate the risk of component failure, sometimes referred to as The Monte Carlo method.

Boeing would use this simulation model to identify U.S. commercial aviation system vulnerabilities against a variety of attack scenarios.

The deal will allow Boeing to continue work it has been doing since 2004 to help the Transportation Security Administration and the aviation industry to evaluate the costs and benefits of proposed security measures, reported the government newsletter.

Update, October 2020: In 2009, FOCUS Entertainment Insurance Brokers Inc. merged with the entertainment division of Jones Brown Inc. to create a new privately owned insurance broker, Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc.