Reel Opportunities
Assistant Production Accountant
Also known as: Junior Production Accountant, 1st Assistant Accountant, Cashier, Key Assistant Accountant
What does an Assistant Production Accountant do?
Assistant Production Accountants (APA) help Production Accountants keep accurate records of how the money on a film or TV production is spent.
They primarily deal with expense claims, comparing what people have claimed with the receipts they have submitted. A major responsibility of the APA is to log timesheets given by crew members for the Payroll Accountant to process. They alsotrack money that’s been given to the crew (floats), and make sure this money is available to the relevant crew members (and returned at the end of a shoot).
They also perform petty cash reconciliations, where the cash on the site is counted and cross-referenced with outgoing spending. They photocopy, input data, and back up data. They might help ensure the production isn’t over-spending by providing comparisons between the budget and the actual spending.
What’s an Assistant Production Accountant good at?
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Math and Computer Skills Enjoys crunching numbers , preparing spreadsheets and logging/computing data
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Taking instruction Listen to the Production Accountant and do what’s asked
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Discretion Able to keep confidential information to yourself
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Communication Be social and work well with the accounts department, be able to chat to people in each department and learn what is going on in the production
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Working long hours Work the same hours as the crew who will be working longer than 9 to 5 to make the most of the shooting day
Who does an Assistant Production Accountant work with?
APAs work with Production Accountants and Payroll Accountants, as well as Production Managers and heads of departments.
How do I become an Assistant Production Accountant?
There isn’t a single route to become an Assistant Production Accountant, you have to be interested and skilled in budget mathematics. You should try to sharpen your skills in this area and look for similar jobs in accounting and project management.
Here are some more tips:
Educational requirements: You might find going into a university program that has a focus in accounting, business or business studies and math useful. It will also look good on a resume when applying for different jobs.
Get an internship: Internships are jobs with training. They’re a great opportunity to earn while you learn. Try reaching out to different organizations and production companies and inquiring about possible internships.
More tips
For more tips on finding job opportunities, lists of training programmes, and other great resources, check out our Career Resources page.
You might also be interested in…
Production Coordinator
Department: Production Management
- Production Coordinator
- Helps ensure a film or television project runs smoothly by arranging the day-to-day running of the production office.
Line Producer
Department: Production Management
- Line Producer
- Hires the crew, manages the budget, and makes sure the filming is done safely and on budget.
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