Sponsors
Every Studio and Production entity are facing the same problem these days due the explosive growth of film and television production:
When mounting a new project, there are few, if any, qualified candidates.
There are too few skilled accountants of any level to meet our needs.
As a result, accounting personnel are being promoted quickly and usually without much if any training for their new position.
This can lead to costly mistakes based solely on “they don’t know what they don’t know.”
Studios and Producers are becoming less confident and reliant upon their Production Accountants to provide accurate and timely financial information.
Key Accountants are becoming less confident and reliant upon their Accounting staff due to lack of experience and they don’t have time to train them.
The School of Production Accounting (SPA) addresses these important issues by providing quality training for all levels of production accounting. Our vision is to enhance consistency, diversity, and professionalism in Production Accounting.
Mission Statement
To provide quality training programs in all aspects of Production Accounting that will certify highly qualified financial professionals for the entertainment industry and thereby enhance the quality not only of the financial reporting, but the quality of production as a whole.
To provide an opportunity for participants world-wide to train and enter the field of Production Accounting for the entertainment industry leading to successful and lucrative careers.
Course Work
Courses will be conducted both “live” and on-line, depending on the level of difficulty.
A Course Instructor will interact with the students, monitor that class hours and homework is being completed, review and grade homework exercises and provide feedback.
The curriculum will be presented in learning modules to fully cover each topic required for that position.
The student will take quizzes and have homework in each module. We will build their knowledge step-by-step, leading to the final exam. The courses will be pass/fail and require a passing grade of 75% or better to obtain certification.
Summary of Planned Courses
Our inaugural course, “Getting Into Production Accounting,” is available NOW!
This entry-level course prepares the student to get started in a production accounting office immediately after completion.
** Please note – The course curriculum beyond Entry-Level is still under development. Stay tuned for future course dates. **
Key Accountant – budgeting from inception to locked budget, applied payroll knowledge, effective cost reporting, building your team/hiring, communication skills, and managing in a paperless environment.
Payroll Accountant – payroll from A to Z, focused classes on specific contracts (SAG, DGA, WGA, SVOD, ASA, etc.), working effectively with payroll providers, transitioning and best practices for digital systems, and communication skills.
1st Assistant Accountant – complying with studio or financier requirements and reporting, banking tasks, effective supervision and team building, office management, and building relationships with department heads.
2nd Assistant Accountant – accounts payable, vendor relationships, purchasing cards, petty cash, mastering paperless systems and communication skills.
Entry-level – training in all the basics to start as a Clerk, Payroll Clerk or Digital Coordinator (to assist crew with new digital systems).
Sponsorship Opportunities
Creating these courses and doing it as quickly as possible is quite an undertaking. Frankly, we need financial support from sponsors who will benefit from the newly acquired skills of SPA graduates.
If you are interested in joining us to make this vision a reality, complete the information below and we’ll reach out to you with more information. Thank you!