Latest figures from the British Film Institute show that a record of almost £3bn was spent on film and high-end TV production in the UK last year. In response, the University of Hertfordshire’s film and television degree course is piloting a new production accounting module delivered by the Production Guild, designed to introduce existing students to the specialist field.

Lyndsay Duthie, head of the University of Hertfordshire’s film and television degree programme, said: ‘As the UK’s leading membership organisation for film and TV production professionals, The Production Guild has excellent relationships with leading production companies who are actively looking to recruit juniors.

‘We have a long history of working closely with business and industry and over 95% of our School’s graduates are in employment or further study within six months.  This is another example of how our close links with industry are opening doors for our students and in this case, introducing them to film production areas they may not have previously considered working in.’

Guy Barker, who is char of the Production Guild and the financial controller on films including ‘M:I 6 – Mission Impossible’ and ‘Dunkirk’, said: ‘We’ve identified a growing need to develop new talent in this field. It’s important that we stay ahead of the game and ensure the right numbers of production accounting administrators and assistant accountants are entering the workforce to meet the record levels of production we’re experiencing in the UK. 

‘This new approach offers a practical and effective solution, by encouraging new industry entrants, linking them to available jobs and directly benefiting productions continuously on the lookout for new talent.’

After evaluating the pilot’s impact, the Production Guild says it hopes to widen the opportunity to include students from other courses at the university.

More information about the film production accountant course is available here.

Report by Pat Sweet