Entertainment Production
Every production is its own P&L. We track costs by project and manage payroll for your crew so you know which productions actually make money.
The Industry
A production company is not one business. It is a series of projects, each with its own budget, timeline, and margin. Money arrives in chunks that don’t align with when expenses hit. A deposit lands at contract signing, payments trickle in during production, and the final balance might not clear until weeks after delivery. Meanwhile, you are covering equipment rentals, location fees, and crew costs out of pocket.
Without tracking costs by production, you have no way of knowing which projects actually make money. A commercial shoot might gross $80,000 but the overtime, gear rentals, and last-minute location changes ate up more than expected. You cannot improve your bidding or your operations if you cannot see where the money went.
Who This Covers
Who This Covers
Film and video production companies, commercial production houses, music studios, recording studios, talent agencies, and post-production facilities. Any business in LA where revenue comes project by project and the crew changes with each job.
What Makes It Complex
What Makes It Complex
Multiple productions overlap on the calendar. The workforce shifts between W-2 employees and 1099 contractors depending on the project. Equipment gets rented per job. Union rules apply to some work but not all. The accounting has to flex with the work.
What We Handle
We tag every expense to the specific production it belongs to. Equipment rentals, location permits, crew costs, catering, travel, and post-production fees all get assigned to the right job. This creates a clear picture of what each project actually cost compared to what you budgeted. You see overages before the project wraps instead of discovering them months later.
Payroll gets handled with the realities of production work in mind. Some crew members are on your payroll for the duration of a shoot. Others are independent contractors brought on for specific roles. We process both correctly and make sure the paperwork is in place for each. This includes W-9 collection, proper classification, and year-end 1099 filing.
Production Cost Tracking
Production Cost Tracking
We reconcile actual costs against your production budget throughout the project. You can see in real time whether you are on track or bleeding money. When the project wraps, you have a complete cost report that informs your next bid.
Contractor Compliance
Contractor Compliance
California scrutinizes worker classification heavily. We help you document contractor relationships properly, collect the necessary forms before payments go out, and file accurate 1099s at year end. The paperwork protects you if questions come up later.
Common Problems
Production companies often rob Peter to pay Paul. A deposit comes in for the next project while the current one still needs finishing. The cash gets shuffled around and suddenly nobody knows which production is profitable and which one is underwater. This works until it doesn’t. One delayed payment from a client and the whole system breaks down.
Worker classification errors are another constant risk. The line between employee and contractor is not always obvious in production. A director of photography who works exclusively for you might legally be an employee. Getting this wrong means back taxes, penalties, and potential lawsuits under California law. The cost of fixing it later far exceeds the cost of doing it right from the start.
Hidden Project Losses
Hidden Project Losses
Without job costing, profitable-looking productions hide real losses. That music video might have seemed like a $12,000 profit until you count the editor’s overtime, the equipment that got damaged on set, and the meals that went over budget. You bid the next one at the same rate and lose again.
Year-End Scramble
Year-End Scramble
Receipts disappear. Contractor payments are scattered across different accounts. Come tax time, deductions get missed because nobody can find the documentation. 1099s go out late or incorrect. The scramble happens every January until the systems are fixed.
What Changes
You learn which types of work make money. The data might show that corporate videos consistently hit healthy margins while passion projects drain resources. Music video clients might pay late while commercial clients pay on time. This informs which projects you pursue and what you charge for them.
Your financials become organized enough to bring on investors or partners. If you want to scale the production company or eventually sell it, clean books tell a clear story. Banks trust verified numbers when you need financing for new equipment. Potential buyers trust them when they evaluate an acquisition.
Confident Pricing
Confident Pricing
Historical cost data shows what similar productions actually ran. You stop guessing on bids. The next time a client asks for a quote on a commercial shoot, you have numbers from the last five commercial shoots to back up your price.
Growth Ready
Growth Ready
Clean P&L statements by production. An organized balance sheet. Documented revenue streams from licensing, production fees, and talent commissions. Whether you are seeking investment or preparing to sell, the financials support the conversation.
LA's Small Business Bookkeeper
The Next Step:
A Short Conversation
Tell us about your business and what you're dealing with. We'll listen, ask a few questions, and give you a clear price for the work.