The production accountant keeps the money honest.

The job

You run the production's accounts: set up the system, pay crew and suppliers, manage petty cash and produce the weekly cost report. You track spend against budget and warn the line producer early when a line is running over. You work with producers and auditors on UK tax relief claims.

The accounts ladder: trainee, assistant accountant, first assistant accountant, production accountant.

A typical day

The week has a rhythm:

• Monday and Tuesday: timesheets and payroll queries.
• Midweek: invoices, POs and supplier payments.
• Friday: the cost report for the line producer and producers.
• Every day: petty cash from the floor, a new start, an overtime query, a kit invoice that doesn't match its PO.

On a big show you run a team of several.

Skills

• Bookkeeping and accounting, often with an accountancy qualification.
• Film accounting software and the cost-report format productions use.
• Payroll, VAT and the employment status rules for film and TV crew.
• Accuracy and discretion: you know what everyone is paid.
• Explaining numbers simply to people who don't think in numbers.

Who you report to

You report to the line producer and the producers. The first assistant accountant, assistant accountants, payroll accountant and accounts trainees report to you.

How people get in

Many start as accounts trainees or assistant accountants, often after bookkeeping work or accountancy study. Some come from accounting firms. The Production Guild runs a step-up programme for production accountants and a guide to production accounting.

Next step up

Production accountant on larger shows, financial controller (common practice on big productions), or a move into a studio or production company finance team.

Find out more

• ScreenSkills: production accountant
• ScreenSkills: production accountant skills checklist
• Pay: Bectu scripted production card, 2026–27