This comprehensive course introduces students to the fundamentals of production accounting for film and television, combining industry concepts with practical, hands-on training. Students will explore production finance, budgeting structures and terminology, accounting department roles, confidentiality and professional ethics, and the workflow between accounting teams, producers, line producers, and production managers. The course covers budgeting software and tools, chart of accounts, purchase orders, petty cash, production credit cards, payroll, timecards, labor costs, union considerations, fringes, and benefits. Through guided exercises, students will work with sample budgets, budget revisions, expense documentation, payroll materials, and accounting files to develop practical skills and familiarity with common production accounting processes.

The course emphasizes real-world application through cost reporting, cash-flow tracking, expense reconciliation, production office organization, problem solving, and wrap accounting. Students will practice identifying discrepancies, managing missing documentation, addressing budget variances, and preparing final cost reports and audit-ready files. An end-to-end production accounting simulation brings these skills together, requiring students to track a mock production budget while managing expenses, payroll, and reporting under simulated production conditions. The course concludes with career-readiness guidance covering entry-level production accounting roles, union and non-union environments, professional conduct, and confidentiality, along with a practical skills assessment and final budgeting and cost-tracking evaluation.