There is no doubt Australian film and television production has experienced an uptick in past few years as multinational companies such as Netflix and Disney have entered the market.
While the local industry remains strong, rising interest rates coupled with global uncertainty over ongoing US actor and writer strikes, as well as the Russo-Ukrainian War have made investments harder to achieve.
Enter Untangled Octopus, a boutique business advisory and accounting firm majoring in film, tv and sport, while also providing services to clients outside of creative industries.
The company is helmed by co-founder and CEO Marc Ireland, an experienced financial manager whose career has featured stints at Disney Animation Australia, NBC Universal, UKTV London, Southern Star, Oxford Scientific Films and Carnival London, and Channel Nine.
His team can offer business advice (including set up for startups), corporate and management accounting, bookkeeping, Production accounting, payroll, BAS, GST, Tax returns, FBT, and EMDG.
Untangled Octopus is also a leading advisory and application service for State and Federal incentives such as the Producer and PDV offsets. ‘We will get involved from the start of production, produce and submit the application, manage the initial audit and PDV assessment audit until you receive the certificate to lodge into your tax return for the ATO. It is quite a long and arduous process but as we are quite experienced having completed many applications the process runs smoother and efficiently. So you get you credit or money back quicker.”
Productions to have engaged Marc Ireland and Untangled Octopus include Downton Abbey, Lion King 2, Dancing with The Stars, Top Gear Australia, Boss Baby, Abominable and the Invisible City, Meerkat Manor, The Croods: Family Tree, Bad Guys (TV series), and Dragons: The Nine Realms.
According to Ireland, the business has “international and local knowledge” in financing and accounting for TV, film, games, and start-ups, including live and animated productions, while also carrying experience in corporate financial and management accounting, having worked across small and large corporations.
Find out more information about what Untangled Octopus can offer at uocto.com or call an Untangler on +61 2 8046 6882.