Break Into the Business
When independent filmmakers dream of "breaking into the business," we’re pretty sure their visions don't involve payroll budgeting, union regulations, or IRS reporting. But to get any filmmaking endeavor off the ground, someone has to manage the myriad of government and industry requirements that come with employing people. Let PayReel help.

STEP ONE: Send an email or call us at 1-800-35-CREWS,
(1-800-352-7397).
You want to know what PayReel can do for you, and what it's going to cost. So call us. You'll talk with an expert who will ask a variety of questions about your cast, crew and staff, the desired payroll frequency, reporting needs, and any other requirements unique to your project. One phone call is all it takes to put the ball in our court.

STEP TWO: We’ll prepare a bid.
Our payroll experts will translate the who's, what's, and where's of your project into a bid that will outline the payroll requirements of your project. Often, this is a reality check. The cumulative effects of required Worker's Comp, FICA, FUTA, unemployment taxes, general liability insurance, and SAG benefits are often overlooked in preliminary budgeting. PayReel will help you avoid this costly mistake by presenting a realistic picture of your project's payroll needs.

STEP THREE: Get the up-front paperwork right the first time.
Once you bring us on board, PayReel will provide you with all the government-required tax, employment and insurance forms, instructions and Worker's Comp postings. It's important for your payroll point-person to make sure that every person to be paid returns a W-4 and I-9—and that they are accurate and complete with all necessary signatures, dates and documentation. PayReel will input all data into our accounting system and file all the required paperwork with the IRS. Relax. It’s all downhill from here.

STEP FOUR: You tell us who worked when, and we do the rest.
Now this is the really nice part. You simply fax hard copies of time sheets to our office. We'll take care of the rest—all of the deductions, tax reporting and getting the checks in the mail.

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Make Sure I-9's Are Complete! The people at the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) are real sticklers, so make sure employees provide either an item in List A or one in List B and one in List C.

"We try to think of everything that can possibly affect payroll so our clients can focus on the fun stuff."

"Our clients are filmmakers. We don't expect them to know about payroll requirements and regulations. That's what we're here for."

"Insurance, taxes and benefits can easily add 40% or more to a payroll budget. That's why it's important to have PayReel on board from the start."

"The last thing a project needs is to get slapped with an IRS, INS or Worker's Comp fine for non-compliance. We help keep that from happening."