This text provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the day-to-day financial management of film and television productions.
The book begins by exploring the essential facets of film accounting, before examining the best methods and practices for setting up as a film accountant in today’s industry. This leads into in-depth analyses of the role accountants play in helping film and television budgets and schedules run smoothly, anticipating common problems along the way.
The text examines the practices behind recording, organizing, and reporting financial transactions specific to different film and television productions. This is all supplemented with real-world schedules and budgets from film sets, along with contracts, payroll and processing paperwork, and various other transactions and processes not yet published in an academic text.
This book is useful for an aspiring film accountant, the film producing novice, the film student wishing to pursue producing as a career, and film production companies looking to train incoming film accounting staff for their productions.
This text provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the day-to-day financial management of film and television productions. Itexamines the practices behind recording, organizing, and reporting financial transactions specific to different film and television productions.
Preface
1. What is Film Accounting?
2. Setting Up the Film Accounting Office
3. Roles in the Film Accounting Office
4. Setting Up the Filing System
5. Above the Line and Below the Line Considerations for Film Accounting
6. Budgets, Schedules, and Production Office Considerations for Film
Accounting
7. Hot Costs and Creative Practices in Film Accounting
8. Setting Up Vendors
9. Setting Up Purchase Orders
10. Setting Up Accounts Payable
11. Setting Up Accounts Receivable
12. Setting Up and Controlling Petty Cash
13. Setting Up and Executing Payroll
14. Tax Considerations for Film Accounting
15. Union Considerations for Film Accounting
16. Legal Issues in Film Accounting
Marie Barnas has earned two M.F.A. degrees, first in Film Production from Ohio University and then in Creative Writing from Georgia College and State University. She teaches courses in video and film production and is an internationally recognized, award-winning documentary writer, producer, and director. Her accolades include Emmy, the Telly Awards and recognition from PBS. Her professional interests include online education, study abroad and documentary production.
Frank Barnas is a four-time Fulbright recipient who has authored nine textbooks, seven screenplays, and has worked on documentaries in locations ranging from Antarctica to Moldova. His academic history includes teaching in Bulgaria, India and Lithuania, delivering seminars in Russia and developing online coursework in Germany.
