THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S

BUSINESS GUIDE
Money

FOR VIDEOGRAPHERS
BY VIDEOGRAPHERS
 THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE

01. Pricing
Pages 4-10 I get fired up when we sit down with other creators and we start talking about ‘the boring stuff,’
like contracts and taxes. Weird, I know.

My name is Kelly Zlatic, wife of an extremely creative shooter & editor. If you ask any of our
friends, they’ll tell you Zac is the creative one. But where Zac is creative, I run the business and
get sh!t done. I have a marketing degree from the University of San Diego and have spent the
02. Money last 10 years helping businesses grow or starting businesses of my own.
Pages 11-13
After we got married, I came on full-time to help Zac run Double Z Productions. Six months later,
we doubled his income, with way less stress when it came to dealing with client communication
and paperwork. I finally decided to tackle the goal of putting our systems down on paper, so
I did some research to see what was already out there. When I googled “How to start a video
03. Personal business,” I didn’t find much. A few samples from the results included: A very vague blog post
Pages 14-15 that walks you through basic steps of starting any business, an article from 1996, and “10
reasons you should never start a video business.” Cool cool cool....

I wanted to create this business guide because we get asked all the time how we support 2
people financially, running a super lean (i.e. efficient) production company. The second question
08. Gear & Hyperlinks we get asked the most: “HOW DO I GET MORE CLIENTS??” If I had a penny for every click bait
Glossary article I’ve seen selling you how to get more clients, I wouldn’t need to be working. For us, it
Pages 16-18 starts with running a legitimate business and having systems in place for everything we do. We
created a guide to help other videographers build a successful business that naturally attracts
more clients, builds relationships, and makes more money.

The main point of this business guide is that it is specifically designed FOR VIDEOGRAPHERS.
Anyone can google how to start a business, but what about charging sales tax AS A
VIDEOGRAPHER. Billing, invoicing, negotiating and managing finances AS A VIDEOGRAPHER. Are
you paying yourself legitimately? Have you ever filed for franchise tax? Do you even know what
it is? Does your contract protect you AS A VIDEOGRAPHER? Or did you just download it off the
internet? Do you know what “work for hire” actually means or are they just some fancy words in
your contract?

I made sure this guide is packed full of content and templates actually focused on running your
video business. So many of the business guides that I did find spent 2-3 (picture-filled) pages
covering business fundamentals, while the rest was focused on how to adjust your camera
settings for different types of lighting. If you’re here, I hope you already know how to do that, or
you’re in the process of learning that from a valued source.

Lastly, all of the content in this guide comes from the perspective of a videographer.

FOR VIDEOGRAPHERS BY VIDEOGRAPHERS.

—Kelly and Zac

We appreciate your support of our small business and ask that you respect that this ebook is
protected by copyright law. Sending this file to family, friends & strangers, posting it to your blog,
Facebook or other social networking page is against the law.

The material found in this business guide has been prepared for informational purposes only,
and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice.
Double Z Productions, LLC does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice and is not liable for
any decisions you make for your business. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting
advisors before engaging in any transaction.

Double Z Productions Business Guide © 2021 Double Z Productions LLC

 THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE

TIPS & TRICKS HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

The left column The right column is the main topic of

has various conversation
tips & tricks for
what’s on the
right side
*With a few exceptions

• This ebook is only a portion of our full business guide. It covers setting up your
base pricing rate, making money, budgeting and personal finances
• This is an interactive PDF
• Anything underlined and in blue is CLICKABLE
• Links take you to webpages, blogs, videos, or another page in the guide
• Disclosure: Links may also be referral or affiliate links. We may receive a
commision for purchases made through links in this guide but these are all
products we highly recommend. If you sign up for certain subscriptions we
may get a referral bonus, you may get a bonus or we both get one
• All the links used throughout can also be found in the glossary on page 17
• Inter activity may not work when opening the PDF on some mobile apps
• You can copy and paste or print pages as needed
• Some pages include (+) Advantages, (-) Disadvantages and information that (V)
varies by state
• Use “Command/Control F” to search for any text you need to reference

Remember to treat this as a guide, it’s full of recommendations...not absolutes.

We know you may have a different opinion on how to do things and that’s ok!
We’d love to hear your feedback or if you have any questions, please contact us
on our website!
 THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE

SECTION 3

SECTION DETAILS

• Pricing Questions
PRICING • Pricing Structures
• Developing a Base Rate
• How We Charge
• Pricing Tips & Tricks
• Job Filter
• Saying No
• Charity
• Discounts & Trade

The material found in this business guide has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide,
and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. Double Z Productions, LLC does not provide tax, legal or
accounting advice and is not liable for any decisions you make for your business. You should consult your own tax, legal and
accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

Double Z Productions Business Guide © 2021 Double Z Productions LLC 4


BASE RATE
TIPS AND TRICKS
How to determine your base rate
*See the template on page 6 for a more detailed
worksheet
Take the average of your last three months of
spending for the following categories:
Personal:
• Fixed monthly expenses
• Variable expenses
• Lump expenses
• Discretionary spending
Business:
• Fixed monthly business expenses
• Variable expenses
• Lump Expenses
• Taxes
Using an app like Mint (see page 15) will help you
keep track of all of this
Your client doesn’t need to see the specifics of how
you create your pricing, this is for you to use as a
starting point when pricing out projects
Think about how you like to pay people you hire
non-video related projects:
• Do you hesitate to communicate if you’re being
billed hourly?
• Do you want to save on jobs you know will be
quick?
• Do you like to have a list of things you can
choose from to meet your budget?
• Do you unknowingly cut back on quality when
you can pick and choose?
• Do you like knowing up front how much you
will pay?
• Do you not want to pay for potentially unused
‘hours’?
No matter which pricing structure you choose to
use, always reference your base rate to make sure
you’re making enough to pay the bills
THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE
PRICING QUESTIONS
Develop a base rate so you have a general idea of what your projects cost, AND remember that it is
completely valid to charge different clients different prices. Below are important questions to ask to
determine what you may need to charge in addition to your base rate:
1. What is their budget? Knowing their budget, or budget range, helps
determine if the project will meet your minimum or
what deliverables you can give them
2. What is the end use of their video, what You may need to charge a % of their advertising
type of advertising will it be used for and spend if the end use will live beyond their website or
how big is their reach? Instagram
3. Are you storyboarding the idea, writing All of these will add hours to your project or require
a voiceover script or splicing together you to hire out
interview answers?
4. How much editing will be involved? Are All of these will add hours to your project or require
visual effects/motion graphics needed? you to hire out
5. Are you setting up for interviews, filming Increase pricing accordingly if you need to hire
an event or going to various locations? additional shooters, rent extra equipment or travel to
additional or far locations
6. How quickly will they need the edit? Take your schedule into account and set a price that
makes it worthwhile if the client needs an expedited
turnaround
PRICING STRUCTURES
STRUCTURE PROS & CONS
• (+) You’re guaranteed to get paid for every hour you work
• (-) You can only give the client an estimate
• (-) If you take more or less time on an edit-your estimate
changes, which could upset the client or hurt your monthly
projected income
HOURLY • (-) If you offer a package with a certain # of hours, you could end
up wasting time trying to fill those hours
• (-) Clients could unrealistically expect the same amount of hours
for every project
• (-) To meet their budget, clients may expect the same quality &
deliverables in a shorter time frame. “Can’t you just do it faster?”
• (+) The client knows exactly what they’re paying for
• (+) Client can customize the project to fit their budget
ITEMIZING
• (-) The client can take away important elements of the project
• (-) They see everything about how you choose to charge
• (+) Quickly and easily give an estimate to a client
• (+) No surprises for your or your client’s budget
• (-) It may take making a lot of videos to get to a point where you
FLAT RATE
know how long an edit will take you
• (-) If the first draft takes forever, you don’t get to charge the
client more than the originally quoted rate
• (+) If you know you’re going to need to learn a new editing
technique for the project, you can build that into the price
(+) Advantage (-) Disadvantage 5
 How to determine your base rate

Step 1: Budget
Take the average of your last 3-6 months of spending for both personal and business expenses

Personal:

Fixed monthly expenses: Expenses that stay the same every month Variable expenses: Think of these as semi-fixed. You need them to live but
their cost varies month to month. Take the average of the last 3-6 months

-rent or mortgage: _____________ -gas: _____________

-renter’s or homeowner’s insurance: _____________ -groceries: _____________

-utilities (internet, cable, cell phone): _____________ -utilities (gas, electric): _____________

-health insurance: _____________ -medical: _____________

-life insurance: _____________ -other: _____________

-gym or other membership: _____________ -other: _____________

-car payment: _____________ -other: _____________

-car insurance: _____________

-student loans: _____________

-retirement contribution: _____________

-other: _____________

-other: _____________

TOTAL: _____________ TOTAL: _____________

Lump expenses: Anything you purchase for the year in full or buy every Discretionary Spending: Be realistic with this spending, if you have a lot of
year at a certain time. Take the average from the last 3 years if debt because of personal spending, you shouldn’t be charging your client
possible. Divide by 12 more to continue this spending. Take the average of the last 3-6 months

-clothing: _____________
-credit card annual fees/12: _____________
-dining out: _____________
-memberships paid in full/12: _____________
-transportation: _____________
-property taxes (if not in mortgage)/12: _____________
-vacation: _____________
-holiday gift giving/12: _____________
-other: _____________
-other/12: _____________
-other: _____________
-other/12: _____________

TOTAL: _____________ TOTAL: _____________

6
 Business:

Fixed monthly expenses: Expenses that stay the same every month Variable expenses: Think of these as semi-fixed. You need them to work but
their cost varies month to month. Take the average of the last 3-6 months

-rent for office space: _____________ -equipment: _____________

-gear insurance: _____________ -independent contractors: _____________

-liability insurance _____________ -shipping: _____________

-software & memberships: _____________ -equipment maintenance & repair: _____________

-other: _____________ -transportation: _____________

-other: _____________ -unreimbursed work travel: _____________

-other: _____________ -other: _____________

-other: _____________

-other: _____________

TOTAL: _____________ TOTAL: _____________

Lump expenses: Anything you purchase for the year in full or buy every Taxes: Calculate what your estimated taxes will be for the year and divide by
year at a certain time. Take the average from your last 3 years if 12. Remember a safe guess is that your taxes will be 30% of your net
possible. Divide by 12 income

-Taxes paid from previous year if applicable _____________

-credit card annual fees/12: _____________ or
-Net income from previous year*0.3 _____________
-memberships or software paid in full/12: _____________ (This will be close to your taxes paid)

-client thank you gifts/12: _____________ -Taxes paid/12: _____________

(Use this number for your monthly budget)
-other/12: _____________
OR
-other/12: _____________
-Estimated gross income: _____________
-other/12: _____________
-Estimated annual business expenses: _____________
(take all the numbers you just inputted, multiply them by 12 and add them up)

-Estimated net income: _____________

(gross income-expenses)

-Net income*0.3: _____________

(This will be close to your taxes paid)
TOTAL: _____________
-Taxes paid/12: _____________
(Use this number for your monthly budget)

TOTAL from all 8 boxes ______________

7
 Step 2: Workweek
What does your ideal (& realistic) average workweek look like

Things to take into account:

• How many hours do you spend shooting for a variety of different videos
-30 & 60 second event recaps: _____________
-Brand stories with interviews: _____________
-Highlight videos: _____________
-How to videos: _____________
-Music Videos: _____________
-Product Videos: _____________
-Other: _____________

• How many hours does it take you to edit those different videos
-30 & 60 second event recaps: _____________
-Brand stories with interviews: _____________
-Highlight videos: _____________
-How to videos: _____________
-Music Videos: _____________
-Product Videos: _____________
-Other: _____________

• How much time do you want to spend on your business

-Finances: _____________
-Social media: _____________
-Passion projects: _____________
-Client outreach & emails: _____________
-Meetings: _____________
-Other: _____________

How many days a week do you want/need to be working: _____________

How many hours a day do you want/need to be working: _____________

Step 3: Base Rate

Calculating your base rate

1. How much do you need to make each month to cover your expenses? ___________
(your total monthly expenses from Step 1)

2. How much per week?

(divide your monthly expenses by 4) ___________

3. How much per hour to cover it ___________

(divide your weekly by your average # of hours/week from Step 2)

Use this hourly number as your base rate

Example:
Monthly expenses (personal & business): $8,000 Your Client asks for a 60 second straightforward recap of
Weekly: $2,000 a 5 hour event. You know it will take you ~10 hours to edit
Hourly (@ 40 hours/week): $50/hour from start to finish. If you charge your minimum
You need to make AT LEAST $50/hour
$50/hour for any project You should charge at least $750 for the project

Remember this is just a base rate. Reference page 5 for production that may cost extra and use your own personal judgment on a project to project bases
From here you can work backwards to find out how many projects you need to be completing each week to cover your expenses 8

PRICING
TIPS AND TRICKS
• OVER COMMUNICATE. You can never have enough
communication with a client before a project
begins. Make sure you know exactly what it is
they’re looking for and make sure they know
exactly what they’ll be receiving
• In reality, you will likely end up using all pricing
structures throughout a project. We start with a
flat rate, but might itemize some options the client
can choose to include and if they add an additional
re-edit we will bill that hourly
• When we list out hours for something, we always
say “up to”, so that if you wrap early, you’re not
expected to fill in unused hours
• If the project is large or books a month or more
out, we will charge a 25% deposit to reserve the
date
• On invoices and on our contract we always put
the video quantity in ( ) to make the distinction
between quantity and length very clear
• If we are making one long video and the shorter
versions are pulling footage from the original
shoot (the footage is not new) those videos will
cost less than if they were a new concept or from a
different shoot
• Raise your prices incrementally each year, or when
you upgrade equipment. There is no right answer
on how much to increase, just take a pulse on your
budgeting and how much your skillset has grown
• When clients hire us to create 3 or more videos we
typically include a 10% or 15% discount
• When taking on an editing or shooting only
project, remember that these still represent your
brand
• For editing: ask to view the footage first, and
make sure it meets your standards
• For shooting: Get clear on what their
expectations are of the footage and who is
editing it
• You may not want to take these on if they
could reflect poorly on you
• Always over estimate (cost & hours). Your wallet
and your clients will thank you
*Prices for specific project examples linked are not
exact, as some of these projects are older and all
projects differ.
Prices reflect our pricing model as of 2020
THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE
HOW WE CHARGE
We charge a flat rate for full production projects. If a client asks us to just shoot or just edit we will charge an
hourly rate and give them an estimation on the amount of hours it will take
1. Once we ask the questions from page 5 and determine if the project is a good fit, we have a conversation
with the client about what their ideal deliverables look like. The more communication you have and can
put down in writing, the less back and forth there will be throughout the project
2. We start with our base rate and adjust accordingly based on any add-ons the client wants. While we may
call them ‘add-ons’ here, we build these extras into our flat rate. After making thousands of videos, we
have a pretty good idea about how long it will take to shoot & edit 30 seconds worth of video, and a good
idea of how many additional hours & equipment, projects with interviews & storyboarding take
3. Based on our budgeting and what we need to make per hour, we start our projects at $3000. Included in
our initial pricing is up to (4) hours of shooting, (1) hour of storyboarding, (1) complimentary re-edit per
video and a copyright free song
4. Any shoot days, hours, or re-edits over the originally agreed upon amount will be charged hourly. For
bigger projects that add on more deliverables, we may include another shoot day or another re-edit in the
project
5. Every project and every client differs, so while there is no perfect equation to figure out pricing, having this
general base is an excellent place to start and you can build on it from there
Example 1: The client wants (1) 60 second recap of their (4) hour event
Pricing:
(1) 60 second event recap: $3000
Example 1a: The client wants (1) 60 second recap of their (8) hour event
Pricing:
(1) 60 second event recap with up to (4) hours of shooting, plus (4) additional hours at $200/hour: $3,800
Example 2: The client wants (1) 3 minute brand story with interviews from the company founders and (2) 30
second social clips using footage from the same shoot
Pricing:
(1) 3 minute brand story with interviews: $6500, (2) 30 second cuts of the brand story to use on social: $500/
video
Example 2a: The client has written a voiceover they want to use instead of interviews, but their social clips are
from a different event (i.e. the footage is either shot on a different day or just requires a different story to be
told)
Pricing:
(1) 3 minute brand story with client written VO: $4500, (2) 30 second social clips: $1000/video
Example 3: The client wants (1) 60 second highlight video, (1) 30 second cut of the highlight video, (1) 30 second
standalone video concept
Pricing:
(1) 60 second video: $3000, (1) 30 second cut of highlight video: $500, (1) 30 second with storyboarding: $1000
Example 4: (1) 15-30 second in studio product video. Client sends you product to shoot at your home and gives
you creative control
Pricing:
(1) 15-30 second in house product video: $3000
Example 4a: (4) 15-30 second product videos. Client wants you to rent studio space and be on set w/you
Pricing: We charge more for these as we have to pack up & unload gear and it’s likely to take longer with the
client on set, but given that we’re making (4) videos we include a discount
(4) 15-30 second on set product videos: $5000+studio rental cost (We usually add on a $300 scouting fee too if
we’re responsible for finding and booking the location)
Example 5: A client has existing footage they want us to edit into (1) 2 minute social cut
Based on the quantity of footage they have and the final output, we would estimate how many hours it would
take to edit
(1) 2 minute video using existing footage: $150/hour
9
Estimate: (5-7) hours or $750-$1050

CHARITY
• (+) Working for charities can be great exposure
• (+) Looks good on your portfolio
• (+) Typically well-connected in a variety of
industries
• (+) Attendees at charitable events usually work
for big companies that have money and need
video
• (+) You have a connection to & can pitch
brands that work with that charity
• (-) They’re usually on a tight budget
• (-) May try to entice you to charge less by
saying your normal rate can be listed as a
charitable donation. Physical property or cash
is tax deductible. SERVICES are not!
If you try to write off charitable services, it’s an audit
trigger
“Although you cannot deduct the value of your
time or services, you can deduct the expenses you
incur while donating your services to a qualified
organization” IRS.gov
*Charitable organizations are usually tax exempt
(you don’t have to charge them sales tax).
Make sure to get and save documentation of this
from the client
DISCOUNTS & TRADE
Even if you’re just starting out, don’t pigeon-hole
yourself into being ‘the cheap guy’,
or someone who works for trade
Your price is a direct reflection of your talent!
Offering a discount immediately says “I don’t
stand behind my pricing”
• Before offering a discount:
• Give the client time to digest your pricing
• Try offering less or shorter deliverables to
meet their budget
• When you do decide to work for free/discount/
trade:
• Do so for clients YOU reach out to or in
industries similar to those you want to
work for. Make sure you’re in complete
control of the deliverable and offer just a
glimpse of your services
• Invoice them with your normal rate and
add a line item with the discount. This way
they know how much you normally charge
and can pass that along to anyone who
may ask
• Try to do so for something of value
(protein shakes can replace snacks, gym
memberships etc), or negotiate a portion
of the payment in trade and the rest in
cash
THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE
JOB FILTER
We filter potential clients through 3 criteria
Projects must meet 2 out of 3
• So many creatives are scared to share that they’re in this
business to make money and a living. Just because you’re
passionate about what you do, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t
WILL IT PAY YOUR
be making money doing it!
FULL RATE
• Charge what your time is worth & stand behind your work
• At the end of the day, clients are hiring you to make a video
that’s going to make THEM money
• Eventually you’ll be approached to do a job that doesn’t fire
you up
WILL IT BUILD YOUR
• Is it helping grow your business?
PORTFOLIO
• Is it actually going to hurt your portfolio? Is it another
wedding and you’re trying to get out of that industry?
• Who is the job for?
WILL THE • Is this person well connected in an industry you’d like to get
CONNECTION BE into?
BENEFICIAL • Is it a company you believe will grow & continue to use your
services?
Your filters don’t have to be these 3, choose filters that are
important to you and implement the strategy
SAYING NO
• Doing work you’re not passionate about can burn you out
• Remember that you’re vetting a company approaching you,
just as much as they are vetting you
• If it doesn’t seem like a good fit, politely tell the client that
• We like to recommend another videographer who might be a
better fit for their project
“IF IT’S NOT A HELL • Beware of price shoppers! Often the clients looking for a
YES, IT’S A HELL NO” discount or who are paying the least are the most difficult to
work with
• Gauging your passion for a project and filtering jobs will help
you to create your niche. Remember, a niche doesn’t always
have to be a certain industry. It can be company size, style of
video etc
There are certainly times when it’s been a slow month , you need to pay your bills, or you have some
spare time and want to make extra cash. Take these filters with a grain of salt, but implement some
sort of process for filtering potential jobs
We implemented these filters after reading Chase Jarvis’ blog. and highly recommend reading the
whole thing!
10
 THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE

SECTION 2

SECTION DETAILS

• Money Flow
MONEY • Making Money
• Spending Money
• Accounting
• Saving Money
• Paying Taxes

The material found in this business guide has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide,
and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. Double Z Productions, LLC does not provide tax, legal or
accounting advice and is not liable for any decisions you make for your business. You should consult your own tax, legal and
accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

Double Z Productions Business Guide © 2021 Double Z Productions LLC 11

 THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE

MONEY FLOW MONEY FLOW

The information on pages 12-16 will
assume you’ve created an LLC and use
Quickbooks. Other than how you pay
yourself, the information generally applies
for other formations or filing statuses and
different accounting software
• Every dollar you make should be payable to your full business name and deposited into your
business bank account
• As an LLC you pay yourself by taking draws out of your account and dividing the money into
personal accounts
• Money is spent on bills and the business, saved for personal funds, and used to pay taxes
• Anyone paying you money should be sent a W-9 so that they can send you a 1099 for your
services at the end of the year, and you need a W-9 from any independent contractors you
hire so you can send them a 1099
• Keep track of every dollar made and spent on the business for tax purposes

MAKING MONEY
• Send an estimate to a client, and adjust as needed
• Once a job is confirmed, convert your estimate into an invoice
Making Money • Option to charge clients a deposit, have them pay in full by shoot day, or pay the remainder/
in full when the edit is complete
• Estimate • Have them write a check to your business name or pay via ACH (Automated Clearing
• Invoice House or electronic bank payment) to your business checking account. They can do this via
• Deposit Quickbooks or (less securely) with just your bank routing & account #s
• Accepting Payment • If you do use Venmo or Paypal make sure they deposit into your business bank account
• We do accept payments by credit card but add a 3% processing fee. If you choose to accept
• Passive Income them and wish to charge that fee to the client, be wary of how you can legally do so, as the
legality of charging that fee to the client varies by state
• I could write an whole other guide on this so I’ll keep this short...don’t forget there are a
variety of ways you can be making passive income too! Create a course or ebook, Amazon
affiliate links, Kit.co, sell your photos, sell stock footage (we use Blackbox), grow your
YouTube. Take a few days/months to set these things up and then let them generate income
for you

SPENDING MONEY
• If you’re good at managing your money, get a business credit card. Pay the bill in full every
month directly from your business checking account. We don’t recommend going in debt to
start your business
Spending Money • If you won’t be able to pay your credit card bill in full, use cash or a debit card from your
business bank account
• Credit card
• Keep receipts for everything you purchase and place them in labeled envelopes for different
• Debit card tax categories (see below)
• Keep receipts • Get a credit card that offers rewards for things you do often. Travel for work a lot? Get a
• Track all accounting business credit card for your most used airline. Shop for all your gear on Amazon?
• Business purchases should be kept completely separate from personal purchases. This will
• Keep business & personal separate
make your accounting easier and be a saving grace if you ever get audited
• If you take a vacation and it turns into a business trip, it is still ok to write off (now)
business expenses that were charged to your personal card, just be sure to keep all
receipts and be able to prove everything was business related
• At tax time, you may have to manually add these expenses into your P&L
• Link your business bank account and your business credit cards to your Quickbooks account
and it will auto-generate a Profit & Loss Statement for you

ACCOUNTING
Accounting • Quickbooks will keep track of all business money coming in and going out
• You can invoice your clients and get paid through the software
• Invoice
• Link your business bank account and business credit cards
• Track income • Quickbooks will auto generate a profit and loss statement for any period of time
• Track spending • Quickbooks will auto generate how much sales tax to charge clients and how much you owe
• Profit and Loss Statements each month or quarter
• Spend 15-30 minutes/day checking all your accounts, organizing your transactions, paying
• Write off Categories
bills and following up on invoices
• We recommend categorizing all your transactions based on the categories you’ll have to
report on your tax return (you can do this in Quickbooks or on a personal budgeting app)
• Advertising • Legal/Professional Services
• Car expenses • Office Expenses
• Commissions & Fees • Rent & Utilities
• Contractors • Supplies
• Insurance • Travel & Meals
• Sales Tax 12

Saving Money
• Paying yourself
• Taxes
• Investing in your business
• Emergency fund
• Having fun
Paying Taxes
• Quarterly
• Sales
• Franchise
• State
• Write-offs
Federal Tax Bracket Chart:
• After you pay self employment tax you will be
taxed again based on which tax brackets you
fall into
• If you are single, you will be taxed 10% on
your first $9,875 of gross income, then 12% on
your next $30,249 and so on
• For example if your gross income was $50,000 •
you’ll be taxed 10% on the first $9,875
($987.50), 12% on the next $30,249 ($3,630)
and 22% on the remaining $9,876 ($2,172.72)
• Thus, your federal income tax would be $6790 •
Home Office Deductions:
• Calculate the square footage of your home or
apartment and that of your home office to see
what % of your home is considered an office
• Certain home or indirect expenses can be
written off at that % such as utilities, security
systems, insurance, repairs & cleaning
This is for informational purposes only. We are
not tax professionals and recommend consulting
a CPA or visiting irs.gov
THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE
SAVING MONEY
• We take draws from our business checking account once a week to pay ourselves (as an LLC, you can do this
as often or as little as you need or want)
• 100% of checks start in our business checking account and 100% of the sales tax stays in that account and is
paid to the state monthly
• The balance is drawn as follows and should be split up for you based on your needs (how much your
monthly expenses are, what you’re saving for, if you need to buy more equipment for the business etc)
• 30% Checking account (Personal): Make it enough to cover all personal expenses and bills
• 30% Tax Savings account (Personal): 30% should be more than enough, but gives a safety net. This
account also funds our IRA. At the end of the quarter or year you can use what’s leftover to give back to
the business, put it in one of your savings funds or keep it in case you owe back taxes
• 20% stays in Business Checking (Business): Make it enough to pay off your business credit card/
business expenses each month and invest in new equipment
• 10% Savings account (Personal): Anything big you’re saving for. Even if it’s not a lot, it helps to have it
in an account you know you can’t touch! Consider a Money Market account or Certificate of Deposit as
they typically have higher interest rates
• 5% Emergency Fund (Personal): This fund should (eventually) have enough to cover your personal
and business expenses for 6 months, and/or pay your health insurance deductible for 2 years. Once
you hit that threshold, decide if you want to keep contributing or allocate that 5% to another account
• 5% Travel/Fun account (Personal): For when you treat yourself! Since costs for these things typically
get paid from our personal credit card, we transfer funds from this account into our personal checking
to pay the credit card bill
PAYING TAXES
• Quarterly
• All self-employed individuals have to pay 15.3% self-employment tax on their gross income (net income
minus deductions) which covers social security and medicare. You get to then deduct half of this self-
employment tax as an income tax deduction
• As an LLC, your gross income will then be taxed AGAIN based on how much you make and what tax
brackets you fall into (see chart). We like to estimate this as an additional 15%, which may be on the
high end, but is a good estimate for savings purposes
• As a self-employed individual you estimate how much you will owe and pay these taxes quarterly.
See the worksheet on page 7 for more details on how to calculate this
• If you’ve paid taxes before, estimate if you think your net income will be less, the same or more as it
has been in previous years. We recommend taking 30% of your estimated net income and dividing that
by 4 to get your quarterly tax payments
• Quarterly taxes are due by 4/15, 6/15, 9/15 and 1/15. If you don’t pay by the 15th you will be fined
• Pay your quarterly taxes through IRS Direct Pay out of your personal bank account as they are NOT
considered a write off
• Sales
• In most states, if you’re providing labor that results in the sale of a taxable item, you have to charge
clients sales tax and then pay it to your state
• You must get a license from your state to do so, and you then pay either monthly or quarterly
• Research if your state has a sales tax nexus. This will determine if you have to charge out of state
clients sales tax or if you only have to charge it within states where you have a nexus (physical business
property)
• Pay sales tax out of your business bank account as you CAN write off sales tax
• Franchise
• Some states also require to file & potentially pay a franchise tax. You may only have to pay this if you
make over one million dollars a year, but either way you have to FILE once a year
State
• Depending on your state you may also owe state income tax filed through your state’s tax authority
• This could be a flat rate, a percentage or you may not owe state income tax at all
Write-offs
• If you engage in any sort of “necessary or ordinary” business related activity, it is a tax write off
• For example, if you go on a trip to Europe and make a video that you put on your website to try and
book travel clients, you can write off anything from your trip that was business related
• As of 2018 you can no longer write off business entertainment, and all meals are only 50% deductible.
You can write off 50% of a meal in your home town if you were with a client, IC, business partner etc
and can prove that the meal was ordinary & necessary
• Decide if you want to write off equipment for the full amount the year you buy it or if you want to
depreciate your assets over their life-span
• If you work from home and/or use your vehicle for work, you can write off a portion of those expenses
• As a self employed individual, you likely qualify for the Qualified Business Income deduction which is a
20% deduction of qualified business income (not a reduction of your gross income)
13
• See categories on page 12
 THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE

SECTION 3

SECTION DETAILS

• Health Insurance
PERSONAL • Buying a House
• Retirement
• Personal Budgeting
• Personal Finance Tips & Tricks

The material found in this business guide has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide,
and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. Double Z Productions, LLC does not provide tax, legal or
accounting advice and is not liable for any decisions you make for your business. You should consult your own tax, legal and
accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

Double Z Productions Business Guide © 2021 Double Z Productions LLC 14


PERSONAL FINANCE
TIPS AND TRICKS
HOUSE:
• This section applies to getting a loan for
any large purchase
• We cover this topic specifically because
many freelancers are surprised by the
home buying process, even when they’re
making a good amount of money
• Get pre-approved with a loan officer well
in advance of looking for a house so you
know what budget range to be looking in
• You don’t have to have a 20% down
payment, but if you can save up enough
to put 20% down, you won’t have to pay
Private Mortgage Insurance which can
add hundreds of dollars to your monthly
payment
IRA:
• We invest our IRAs with Charles Schwab
• If you’re not sure whether your tax rate will
be higher or lower when you retire, you
can open one of each type of account and
split your contribution
• Whichever one you choose, invest it.
Money can’t grow if it just sits there.
• Both options are long term investments.
Look at your IRA once or twice a year and
let the company you use invest for you in
an index fund
• If you don’t have any employees and are
looking to contribute greater than $6000
per year, consider opening a SEP IRA
THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE
HEALTH INSURANCE
• Most plans for self-employed individuals have a high deductible (the amount you have to pay out
of pocket until your insurance kicks in). With a high deductible usually comes a lower premium (the
amount you pay monthly. It does not go towards your deductible)
• When purchasing health insurance through the government marketplace, use your net income to
determine if you qualify for a premium tax credit towards your monthly premium
• If you have a high deductible plan that qualifies for an HSA (Health Savings Account) you can move
that money from your emergency savings fund and deposit into this account
• You won’t be taxed on the money you put in an HSA. Make sure a portion of this money is
invested
LIFE INSURANCE
• The younger you are when you buy life insurance, the better your rates will be
• If anyone in your family relies on your income and your skillset you should strongly consider
getting life insurance
• There are 3 main types: Term life (most affordable, policy length varies), Whole life (covers
entire life and builds cash value), and Universal (variety of sub options)
BUYING A HOUSE
• As a self-employed individual it will be difficult to get a loan, as they’re going to look at your net
profit (not your gross profit, unless you’ve had an established business for 5+years). The year
you’re trying to purchase a house, you may have to write off less expenses on your tax return to
show that your net profit is greater
• This will mean you’ll have to pay more in taxes
• Don’t eliminate too many write-offs, because such large fluctuations could raise a red flag
• If you have someone who is willing to co-sign on your loan with you, that will prevent you
from having to limit write-offs
• Banks will require a profit & loss statement, which you’ll already have if you use Quickbooks
RETIREMENT
STRUCTURE PROS & CONS
• (-) No tax benefits when you contribute
• (+) You pay NO taxes upon withdrawal of funds
ROTH IRA • (+) Withdrawals are never required, meaning you can continue
to let your money grow tax free until you actually need it
• (+) You can withdraw contributions penalty free at any time
• (+) Tax deductible on state and federal returns for the year you
contribute
TRADITIONAL IRA • (-) Required to take minimum distributions at age 70 1/2 and
the money is taxed based on your current tax bracket at that
time
PERSONAL BUDGETING
• Stay on top of your money. Know what money is coming in and
especially what is going out
• (+) All transactions from our personal bank accounts,
business bank accounts, all credit cards, car loan, home loan,
MINT investments, and IRAs live on Mint
• (+) You can set and track your personal and business budgets
for the month
• (+) Track your credit score
• (-) It’s built for people who receive a paycheck so you’ll have to
manually enter your expected income each month
• (+) IT’S FREE
• We also keep our business expenses tracked on Mint, that way
if there is any crossover of personal and business expenses we
have them all in one place
15
(+) Advantage (-) Disadvantage
 THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE

SECTION 4

SECTION DETAILS
GEAR & • Zac’s Gear
HYPERLINK • Hyperlinks
GLOSSARY • Thank you

The material found in this business guide has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide,
and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. Double Z Productions, LLC does not provide tax, legal or
accounting advice and is not liable for any decisions you make for your business. You should consult your own tax, legal and
accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

Double Z Productions Business Guide © 2021 Double Z Productions 16

 THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE

ZAC’S FAVORITE GEAR

WE’RE CONSTANTLY ADDING

AND REPLACING GEAR.
FOR AN UPDATED LIST OF ALL
THE GEAR WE USE
CLICK HERE!

HYPERLINK GLOSSARY
USE LINK
• Vimeo • Amazon Credit Card
REFERRAL • Quickbooks • Southwest Credit Card
• Charles Schwab • Chase Ink Credit Card

• W-9 • Quarterly Taxes

GOVERNMENT
• IRS
• 1099-NEC (for recipients only)
• Travel Write offs

• Event recap-6 hour • 30 Second Video w/

VIDEO EXAMPLES • Event recap 8-hour
• Brand Story w/ Interviews
• Brand Story Social Cut
• Brand Story w/ Voiceover
• 30 Second Social Clips
• 60 Second Highlight Video
• 30 Second Cut of Highlight
Video
Storyboard
• In House Product Video
• On Set Product Video
• Video Using Existing Footage
• Passion Project
• Walkthrough Gym

• Website • Youtube
SOCIAL • Instagram • Facebook
• Instagram Captions • Etsy
17
 THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER’S
BUSINESS GUIDE

THANK YOU

We cannot thank you enough for purchasing this portion

of our business guide and helping support our (and your!)
business.

From what you read, you’ll know that word of mouth is our
favorite way of getting new clients, and that’s no different
with sharing this guide and growing our community of
successful videographers.

If you loved the guide and feel so inclined, we would love for
you to share about it on your social channels. Feel free to
use the image below, a photo of you using it or a video from
a project the guide helped you land.
We just ask that you don’t share images of the actual content
in the guide.

When you’re ready for additional sections from the guide,

check them out here.

We wish you all the best in running your video business!

-Kelly & Zac

www.doublezproductions.com/businessguide