In the film business it is said the path to success is different for each person. But the road to producing through the accounting profession is unusual, indeed.
Born and raised in Houston, TX, Yolanda M. Thibodeaux made her way west with plans for a “glamorous” career as a public accountant in the oil and gas industry back home in Houston after graduating with an accounting degree from the University of Southern California. A fateful encounter with a Theatre Arts major on the verge of a new passion for cinematic studies changed everything. Though Yolanda obtained a degree in accounting and went on to become a CPA, from the time of meeting J.D. Cochran in 1991, the “business” of film became a big interest in the midst of being involved in student film production with J.D. and numerous other friends in USC’s School of Cinema Television.
After graduation came work in public accounting as an auditor of film and entertainment related clients such as MGM, CBS Fox and Motion Picture Corp of America. Thereafter was a stint as a production auditor in the Motion Picture Group at Disney, and finally five years of freelance production accounting work on feature films including Life, Blue Streak, Nutty Professor II, Coyote Ugly and Dragonfly among others.
In reaction to an industry slowdown in 2001 resulting from the threat of a SAG strike, Yolanda rejoined the corporate ranks and began a new phase working for smaller production companies. Happily serving as V.P. of Physical Production at Alcon Entertainment Yolanda, nonetheless, discovered over the years that her skill set was commensurate with the many producers she’d worked with along the way. But also aware that the “proof’s in the pudding,” she and J.D. decided in 2003 that the time had come to produce a feature film of their own. In September of that year, Paved With Good Intentions was born and the development process began.
Today Yolanda performs double duty promoting her recently completed independent feature and overseeing all production and production finance related matters for Alcon’s newest slate of films including One Missed Call and P.S., I Love You in production this year and numerous projects in active development.
In the film business it is said the path to success is different for each person. But the road to producing through the accounting profession is unusual, indeed.
Born and raised in Houston, TX, Yolanda M. Thibodeaux made her way west with plans for a “glamorous” career as a public accountant in the oil and gas industry back home in Houston after graduating with an accounting degree from the University of Southern California. A fateful encounter with a Theatre Arts major on the verge of a new passion for cinematic studies changed everything. Though Yolanda obtained a degree in accounting and went on to become a CPA, from the time of meeting J.D. Cochran in 1991, the “business” of film became a big interest in the midst of being involved in student film production with J.D. and numerous other friends in USC’s School of Cinema Television.
After graduation came work in public accounting as an auditor of film and entertainment related clients such as MGM, CBS Fox and Motion Picture Corp of America. Thereafter was a stint as a production auditor in the Motion Picture Group at Disney, and finally five years of freelance production accounting work on feature films including Life, Blue Streak, Nutty Professor II, Coyote Ugly and Dragonfly among others.
In reaction to an industry slowdown in 2001 resulting from the threat of a SAG strike, Yolanda rejoined the corporate ranks and began a new phase working for smaller production companies. Happily serving as V.P. of Physical Production at Alcon Entertainment Yolanda, nonetheless, discovered over the years that her skill set was commensurate with the many producers she’d worked with along the way. But also aware that the “proof’s in the pudding,” she and J.D. decided in 2003 that the time had come to produce a feature film of their own. In September of that year, Paved With Good Intentions was born and the development process began.
Today Yolanda performs double duty promoting her recently completed independent feature and overseeing all production and production finance related matters for Alcon’s newest slate of films including One Missed Call and P.S., I Love You in production this year and numerous projects in active development.
