What's In A Name?

So, I'm taking the plunge and I'm going to make my first documentary film. Low budget. Some funding already secured, more is needed. It seems that these days in order to "legitimize" your project you need an online presence, whether it be social networking, a website, crowdsourcing, or all of the above.

As a newbie, I'm a little unclear on what the subtle (or not-so-subtle) differences are in choosing a business name ala the differences between "studios", "films," "productions," etc.

For example, let's say I really like "RedRock" as a business name. So, do I become RedRock Studios, RedRock Films, RedRock Productions, etc.? Does it really make a difference, or is it really just a matter of opinion and a name game?

Thanks,

NP

I don't think it makes a difference and I think it's all preference.

Personally I don't like "studios" because it makes it sounds bigger than it actually is (do you have a studio, let alone several of them?)

"films" sounds too limiting to me. What if you decide you want to make something that isn't necessarily a film?

"productions" is pretty general, but sounds a little boring to me.

Some more examples are "entertainment" "features" "pictures"

I ended up going with "media" because it covers a variety of mediums and is a bit more unique.

Another cool one is "collective" (assuming you have a group of people)

but lastly, you don't necessarily need to add anything to the end, for example: "Indian Paintbrush"

If you're forming an LLC through your state, you'll need to make sure the name is not already taken by another LLC.

If you're going as a DBA, you'll need to check at the county level for other DBAs with the same name.

Regardless, you'll need to make sure the name is not plain ol' trademarked already.

All of the above probably vary from state to state, so make sure you look up what the rules are in your state & locality. Your city's town hall or civic center will be a good place to start. Also a good place to discover which licenses you'll need, and fees to pay... and sales tax responsibilities & obligations, etc. Joy oh joy.

Also, check with your bank or credit union to see what they require, in order for you to be able to deposit checks made out to your company name.

As far as the actual name choice... just pick what makes sense to you, man.

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I made ours Red Studios Media because: 1. We do more than one medium, Music, Film and Design, so I didn't want to put 'films' or 'pictures'. 2. We have a small recording studio, hence 'studios'. We also are affiliated with other sets/locations hence I made the Studios plural.

The time many people spend thinking up names for their production companies is far better spent planning the marketing of their film.