Looking for a production/entertainment accountant in L.A.
August 7, 2013 8:26 PM
I'm making a feature film and I need an accountant to maybe handle payroll, but mainly to advise on tax matters for my LLC and me personally.
This is the first time I've ever had an LLC or an investor, or done a project this large, and I want to do the right things tax-wise. Additional there is payroll to worry about, especially for the actors where it will have to go through SAG.
I previously posted looking for an entertainment lawyer and was told about California Lawyers for the Arts, which referred me to exactly the entertainment lawyer I needed. Ideally there would be a similar organization that refers accountants.
The project is very small (100k budget at most) so I'm sure a big firm wouldn't be interested or affordable. On the other hand, I can't trust my personal financial well-being and that of my project to someone who doesn't know what they're doing.
So, I need an accountant who has entertainment experience, is affordable but also highly trustworthy. I'm looking for either personal referrals, or places where I might get a referral. Most of the hiring for the film thusfar has been done via craigslist or mandy.com, but I'd really prefer not to go that route for an accountant if I can help it. I'd strongly prefer someone local to L.A. who I can meet with in person.
thanks!
This is the first time I've ever had an LLC or an investor, or done a project this large, and I want to do the right things tax-wise. Additional there is payroll to worry about, especially for the actors where it will have to go through SAG.
I previously posted looking for an entertainment lawyer and was told about California Lawyers for the Arts, which referred me to exactly the entertainment lawyer I needed. Ideally there would be a similar organization that refers accountants.
The project is very small (100k budget at most) so I'm sure a big firm wouldn't be interested or affordable. On the other hand, I can't trust my personal financial well-being and that of my project to someone who doesn't know what they're doing.
So, I need an accountant who has entertainment experience, is affordable but also highly trustworthy. I'm looking for either personal referrals, or places where I might get a referral. Most of the hiring for the film thusfar has been done via craigslist or mandy.com, but I'd really prefer not to go that route for an accountant if I can help it. I'd strongly prefer someone local to L.A. who I can meet with in person.
thanks!
This is a job for your production manager and/or line producer. If you are working with someone in either of those roles who is even vaguely experienced, they'll have ideas for who to hire.
If you're a union show, you could also call up local 871 if you really have no idea where to begin on this. They should have an available list of some kind.
Re "affordable", keep in mind that the production accountant is an actual job on the crew, not, like, your CPA who does your taxes every year and who gets paid in a one time fee.
posted by Sara C. at 9:18 PM on August 7, 2013
If you're a union show, you could also call up local 871 if you really have no idea where to begin on this. They should have an available list of some kind.
Re "affordable", keep in mind that the production accountant is an actual job on the crew, not, like, your CPA who does your taxes every year and who gets paid in a one time fee.
posted by Sara C. at 9:18 PM on August 7, 2013
Also, be prepared for raised eyebrows when you inform prospective accountants that you have investors before you hired an accountant. There may be some clean-up work to do to get everything lined up properly.
Low budget movie making is the wild west, so this is (probably) not an issue. But Sara C. and I are right - you need to get a referral from someone else in the industry, and that person is your line producer or UPM, or someone on Coordinators 911, or someone at Local 871.
Or as this production accountant says in response to the question "How do you find a good production accountant?"
The way you find all good crew people in this industry: referrals. Best sources are other line producers, production managers or bond companies.
posted by ablazingsaddle at 11:56 PM on August 7, 2013
Low budget movie making is the wild west, so this is (probably) not an issue. But Sara C. and I are right - you need to get a referral from someone else in the industry, and that person is your line producer or UPM, or someone on Coordinators 911, or someone at Local 871.
Or as this production accountant says in response to the question "How do you find a good production accountant?"
The way you find all good crew people in this industry: referrals. Best sources are other line producers, production managers or bond companies.
posted by ablazingsaddle at 11:56 PM on August 7, 2013
Also, while your lawyer might know someone, they might not, and that's definitely not the first tree I'd bark up. Again, think of this more like hiring someone to be on your crew and less like finding someone to help you at tax time.
posted by Sara C. at 7:14 AM on August 8, 2013
posted by Sara C. at 7:14 AM on August 8, 2013
Also, be prepared for raised eyebrows when you inform prospective accountants that you have investors before you hired an accountant. There may be some clean-up work to do to get everything lined up properly.
Anyone who wants to "raise eyebrows" can fuck right off, I have no interest in working with them.
Already asked our lawyer (who is handling the investor issues quite nicely, thanks); she doesn't know anyone.
This is a job for your production manager and/or line producer.
I can't emphasize how much it is not that kind of project with a huge three-level-deep crew. Obviously I already asked my producers, who are quite competent, thanks, and they don't know anyone.
Again, here to inquire about finding an accountant, not for general comments on how to make a movie and certainly not for judgments on my crew who are working their asses off. Thanks.
posted by drjimmy11 at 6:10 PM on August 8, 2013
Anyone who wants to "raise eyebrows" can fuck right off, I have no interest in working with them.
Already asked our lawyer (who is handling the investor issues quite nicely, thanks); she doesn't know anyone.
This is a job for your production manager and/or line producer.
I can't emphasize how much it is not that kind of project with a huge three-level-deep crew. Obviously I already asked my producers, who are quite competent, thanks, and they don't know anyone.
Again, here to inquire about finding an accountant, not for general comments on how to make a movie and certainly not for judgments on my crew who are working their asses off. Thanks.
posted by drjimmy11 at 6:10 PM on August 8, 2013
Re "affordable", keep in mind that the production accountant is an actual job on the crew, not, like, your CPA who does your taxes every year and who gets paid in a one time fee.
I am actually looking for someone who can do both. I understand the difference between the two roles on a Hollywood movie but I am not blowing huge percentages of my tiny budget on two accountants.
posted by drjimmy11 at 6:12 PM on August 8, 2013
I am actually looking for someone who can do both. I understand the difference between the two roles on a Hollywood movie but I am not blowing huge percentages of my tiny budget on two accountants.
posted by drjimmy11 at 6:12 PM on August 8, 2013
Are you part of coordinators 911 (google group) or production yak? I'm not sure if there are any requirements for joining production yak, but I know that you need to be a coordinator, prod secretary, or apoc to joint coordinator's 911.
Thank you; I sent you a message.
posted by drjimmy11 at 6:22 PM on August 8, 2013
Thank you; I sent you a message.
posted by drjimmy11 at 6:22 PM on August 8, 2013
I can't emphasize how much it is not that kind of project with a huge three-level-deep crew.
Whoever is in charge of hiring your crew should know someone, is what I'm saying.
If your producers have never produced a feature or anything big enough to have a staff accountant before, they should ask more senior/experienced people who they've worked with in the past.
This is how you find an accountant. This is the chain of word of mouth you're looking for.
posted by Sara C. at 6:51 PM on August 8, 2013
Whoever is in charge of hiring your crew should know someone, is what I'm saying.
If your producers have never produced a feature or anything big enough to have a staff accountant before, they should ask more senior/experienced people who they've worked with in the past.
This is how you find an accountant. This is the chain of word of mouth you're looking for.
posted by Sara C. at 6:51 PM on August 8, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
That's a legit, easy way to crew up. I see a lot of posts looking for accountants.
posted by ablazingsaddle at 9:00 PM on August 7, 2013