Advice for starting an LLC for a feature/production company??

I’m looking into forming my first LLC for my production company and could really use some advice or insight from anyone who’s done this before. I don’t currently have the budget to hire a lawyer, so I’ve been looking at LegalZoom or ZenBusiness to help with the filing.

A few things I’m trying to figure out:

  • I’m considering forming the LLC in Delaware, but most of my filming will take place in Indiana, and I’m currently hiring a writer remotely in California. Would it make more sense to form it in Indiana instead, or is Delaware still worth it for a small production company?
  • Would it be smarter to name the LLC after the feature project I’m producing next summer, or should I name it after my production company, and then file a DBA (“doing business as”) for the project?
  • Long term, I’ll be producing a slate of shorts under the same banner before the feature goes into production — but I’m not sure what happens to the production company name once the feature is sold.

Basically, I want to structure this in a way that’s clean, professional, and won’t cause me headaches later if/when the feature sells.

Any advice, personal experience, or resources you’ve found helpful would mean a lot!

Thanks in advance :)

Posted Oct 28, 2025, 4:51 PM UTC

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