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Daniela Bailes is a working film and television writer whose work travels across genres. A proud alumnus of the Yale Writer’s Conference in New Haven, she was mentored by literary luminaries before being selected for the National Hispanic Media Coalition TV Writer’s Program, a feature writer on the Latinx Black List, and as a participant in the Sundance Episodic Lab. Her most recent work was staffing on the upcoming Paramount science-fiction series, The Shift, also selling a feature script to A+E Networks.
At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances.
Setup That Scales: The Smarter Way to Set Up Your Production Payroll & Accounting
The landscape of film and television production is rapidly evolving, and with it, the way finance teams operate. Remote work, once a niche concept, has become increasingly prevalent in production accounting, from episodic series and independent films to major studio projects.
This shift offers flexibility and access to a wider talent pool, but also necessitates a fresh approach to managing financial operations remotely. Navigating this environment successfully hinges on establishing efficient systems, maintaining clear and consistent communication, and ensuring unwavering compliance.
Throughout this article, we'll explore best practices for remote film and TV accounting, with a particular focus on how modern tools, such as Wrapbook's completely digital concierge service model platform, can eliminate friction in remote work and foster seamless collaboration.
Remote accounting in TV and film requires a strategic approach to technology, team collaboration, and process management. This guide will walk you through the essential components for building a robust and efficient remote finance operation, from tech fundamentals to seamless wrap processes.
Transitioning to remote production accounting necessitates a well-defined tech stack that facilitates seamless collaboration and efficient workflows. At the core of this setup are cloud-based accounting platforms.
Here, Wrapbook stands out as a purpose-built solution. Its completely digital platform centralizes payroll, invoicing, and document management, inherently supporting remote teams by being a force multiplier accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
Embracing such a platform minimizes the need for manual processes and physical paperwork, which are significant hurdles in a remote setting.
Beyond core accounting, effective budgeting tools are crucial for remote collaboration. While traditional spreadsheets can work, solutions designed for collaborative environments, often cloud-based, enhance transparency and real-time updates.
These tools allow distributed teams to contribute to budget creation, track expenses against projections, and generate reports without the limitations of physical proximity. Integrating these budgeting tools with your cloud accounting platform, such as Wrapbook, further streamlines financial oversight.
Finally, secure file sharing is paramount when dealing with sensitive financial and production documents. Platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox, when properly configured with access controls, enable teams to share digital purchase orders (POs), invoices, and other essential paperwork securely.
The move to digital POs, as opposed to physical ones, is a key element in remote efficiency, allowing for quicker approvals and easier tracking.
Establishing clear protocols for file naming, organization, and access rights within these platforms is essential to maintain order and security across your remote accounting operations.
In a remote production accounting environment, clearly defined permissions and robust access controls are vital for maintaining financial integrity and security. Granting appropriate access levels ensures that team members can efficiently perform their duties without compromising sensitive information.
For instance, a cost accountant might require detailed access to cost reports and POs, while payroll leads need comprehensive access to payroll data. Similarly, those managing petty cash need access to relevant logs, but not necessarily the entirety of the financial system.
Implementing granular permissions within your chosen platforms—via a friction-free digital platform such as Wrapbook or your file-sharing services—is key to this controlled access.
Furthermore, establishing stringent access controls directly contributes to data security. By limiting access to only necessary personnel, you reduce the risk of unauthorized modifications or data breaches.
This is particularly important when dealing with confidential payroll information and budget details. The ability to define user roles with specific privileges ensures that only authorized individuals can view or edit certain financial documents and records.
Beyond security, well-defined permissions also support the creation of clear audit trails. When access and modifications are logged and tied to specific users, it becomes easier to track changes, identify errors, and maintain accountability.
This level of transparency is crucial for internal oversight and external audits alike, reinforcing the importance of leveraging the permission settings available within your accounting software and file-sharing systems to build a secure and auditable remote financial operation.
Successfully integrating new finance team members in a remote setting requires a structured onboarding process. This includes production accountants, payroll clerks, and even production managers who will be working closely with the finance team.
Remote onboarding should clearly outline workflows, timelines for tasks, and expected deliverables. Utilizing video conferencing for initial introductions and team overviews can help new hires feel connected despite the distance. Providing easily accessible digital documentation of processes and responsibilities is also crucial for a smooth transition.
Setting clear expectations extends to project-specific terminology and coding structures. Creating a shared glossary of these terms and codes ensures everyone is on the same page, minimizing confusion and errors in financial reporting.
This central resource should be readily available on a shared platform. Furthermore, the onboarding process must cover remote startwork systems and payroll compliance tracking.
New team members need to be trained on how digital startwork is managed. This can be easily handled with intuitive platforms such as Wrapbook. Also, onboarded team members need to understand the importance of adhering to payroll regulations, even in a remote context.
By proactively addressing these aspects during remote onboarding, productions can build a cohesive and efficient remote finance team from the outset. Ensuring new hires have the necessary tools, knowledge, and understanding of expectations will contribute significantly to the overall success of remote financial operations.
When working with remote film and TV production teams, especially those spread across different time zones, intentional strategies for collaboration are essential.
Effective scheduling requires awareness of these time differences. Tools that display team members' local times can be invaluable when arranging meetings and setting deadlines.
Clear handoff procedures are also crucial, ensuring that tasks can be seamlessly continued by colleagues in different time zones. Documenting progress and any relevant context is key for smooth transitions.
Establishing regular communication rhythms helps bridge the distance. Daily or weekly check-ins, even if brief, can keep everyone aligned on priorities and address any immediate questions.
Furthermore, leveraging asynchronous communication tools like Slack, Notion, and well-structured email templates allows team members to stay informed and contribute without the need for constant real-time interaction.
Finally, setting clear expectations for response times is important for managing workflows. While immediate responses might not always be feasible, defining reasonable timeframes for acknowledging and addressing communications helps maintain productivity and avoids unnecessary delays.
Effectively managing finances remotely requires a shift towards digital processes for cost tracking and approvals. Building out digital workflows for these tasks enhances transparency and efficiency.
This includes utilizing digital approval chains for purchase orders and check requests, allowing for routing, review, and authorization to occur electronically, regardless of physical location. This eliminates the delays associated with paper-based systems and provides a clear audit trail of approvals.
Furthermore, remote reconciliation of petty cash and credit card receipts becomes streamlined with digital tools. Team members can submit photos or scans of receipts, which can then be matched against digital logs and statements.
This reduces the need for physical submissions and simplifies the reconciliation process for the accounting team.
Finally, leveraging tools that offer real-time budget-to-actual tracking is crucial for maintaining financial control in a remote environment. These tools provide up-to-date visibility into spending against the budget, enabling proactive identification of potential overruns and facilitating timely decision-making across the distributed production team.
Managing payroll and union obligations remotely demands meticulous attention to detail and the adoption of digital solutions. Submitting timecards and startwork digitally is a cornerstone of efficient remote payroll processing.
Platforms like Wrapbook streamline this by allowing crew members to submit their information electronically, reducing paperwork and the potential for manual errors. This digital approach also facilitates the collection of necessary documentation for union compliance and tax withholding.
Ensuring adherence to union rules and tax regulations across different state lines is a significant aspect of remote production. This often involves understanding varying state labor laws and union agreements that may apply to crew members working in different locations.
Collaborating with remote paymasters or payroll providers who specialize in the entertainment industry and understand these complexities can be invaluable in navigating these requirements accurately.
However, remote payroll management comes with potential pitfalls. Common issues include the misclassification of local hires, which can lead to compliance problems, and errors arising from time zone differences affecting overtime calculations.
Being vigilant about these potential challenges and leveraging the expertise of payroll professionals and the capabilities of digital platforms is crucial for smooth and compliant remote payroll operations.
In a remote film and TV production accounting setting, proactive and clear communication is paramount. Overcommunicating key financial dates, such as payroll deadlines, wrap report due dates, and vendor payment timelines, ensures that all stakeholders are aware and can plan accordingly.
Utilizing shared calendars and regular reminders can help prevent missed deadlines and potential disruptions.
Establishing clear documentation protocols is equally important for seamless collaboration. As stated earlier; this includes defining consistent naming conventions for files and creating logical folder structures within shared drives.
When everyone adheres to these guidelines, it becomes much easier to locate information quickly and efficiently, reducing time spent searching for documents.
Finally, effective communication involves keeping producers and department heads informed about relevant financial matters without resorting to micromanagement. This can be achieved through regular summary reports, highlighting key performance indicators and potential issues.
Providing timely and relevant financial updates empowers production leadership while respecting the autonomy of individual departments.
Wrapping a film or TV production with a remote accounting team requires a well-defined set of end-of-show procedures. This includes the remote completion and submission of final cost reports and the assembly of digital wrap binders.
These digital binders should contain all pertinent financial documentation, easily accessible to relevant parties without the need for physical collation and distribution.
Managing final tax incentive documentation and preparing for potential audits also takes on a remote dimension. Secure digital channels are essential for sharing sensitive financial records and collaborating on any necessary responses or clarifications. Maintaining organized digital files throughout the production significantly simplifies this final stage.
Ultimately, the remote wrap process culminates in digital archiving of all financial records and a secure handoff to corporate or studio finance teams. Establishing clear protocols for this digital transfer ensures that all necessary information is readily available for future reference and compliance requirements.
Equipping your remote film and TV accounting team with the right tools and templates can significantly enhance efficiency.
A recommended remote accounting toolkit often includes cloud-based accounting software such as Wrapbook, collaborative budgeting platforms, secure file-sharing services (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox), and communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams.
To get started, having access to sample templates can be incredibly helpful. A sample cost tracker, for instance, provides a framework for monitoring expenditures remotely. Similarly, a sample onboarding checklist ensures that all necessary steps are covered when bringing new finance team members on board remotely.
Visual aids like a timecard and PO approval flowchart can also streamline remote workflows. These flowcharts clearly outline the process for submitting and approving these crucial documents, reducing confusion and ensuring compliance across the distributed team.
Remote accounting offers significant advantages for today's dynamic film and TV productions, providing access to a wider talent pool and increased flexibility. Realizing these benefits hinges on establishing proactive systems, maintaining crystal-clear communication, and embracing this modern approach without ever sacrificing accuracy or compliance.
Wrapbook serves as a force multiplier in this endeavor, empowering production finance and accounting teams to achieve success faster through confident, collaborative decision-making backed by entertainment payroll and labor expertise.
To further explore best practices for production accountants and to ensure your projects are set up for financial success from the start, we encourage you to check out our guides ”5 Best Practices for Production Accountants” and “Accounting Prep Steps for Projects.” Embrace the future of production finance!
