The Assistant Production Office Coordinator

This Week's Film Crew 101 Guest:

Today, Kim Mott speaks with Kalisa Wade, whose production office credits include Painted Woman, The Christmas Trap, and Stillwater, as well as TV series Star, Black Lightning, and American Soul. Kalisa’s experience has given her great insight on how to help run the production office as well as tips on getting hired for a production.

Listen To The Episode Here:

The APOC: 

The APOC (Assistant Production Office Coordinator) works directly under the Production Office Coordinator in the production office as a go-between for producers, the studio, and the production. They are an integral part of the hub that supports every department on the film.

The APOC joins the office early on and helps manage the production office. A large part of their job is to oversee the Office Production Assistants and the Production Secretaries as well as ensure that the daily reports from the set are delivered accurately and on time to the studio, legal teams accounting department, producers, etc.

Additionally, the APOC makes sure the office’s needs, from stationery supplies to snacks and drinks, are stocked. Any paperwork that must be sent to different departments is done so in a timely and efficient manner because of the APOC. They also monitor workers' comp cases, checking in on crew and cast members to find out if they are healthy and ready to work.

APOC's work 12 hour days but often need to be available 24/7 in case of set emergencies or large scale problems popping up. 

What’s a APOC good at?

Management: An APOC has to manage an entire production office filled with Office PAs and must be able to delegate tasks quickly and effectively. They always have an eye on multiple moving parts so that all aspects of the office under their control run smoothly and each person that answers to them has accomplished their necessary tasks. 

People-Skills: Because APOC’s regularly interact with so many people, it is quite helpful to have good people skills. This allows for good interdepartmental communication and makes the workflow much easier, especially in high-stress scenarios. 

Organization: With dozens of pieces of paperwork from multiple departments moving in and out of the office at any time, an APOC must be extremely detail-oriented to keep track of where these items are and when they need to be delivered. Additionally, an APOC should have great computer skills for dealing with spreadsheets, insurance documents, and production reports.

How do I become an APOC?

A great way to become and APOC is to start off as an Office Production Assistant. This puts you in immediate contact with an APOC who you can learn from. If you work hard and have a good attitude after gaining experience you can moving up to a Production Secretary and then eventually an APOC.

What is the salary range?

An APOC can expect to make between an estimated $40,000 to $70,000 per year depending on which area they work in.

For more information on salaries and joining the union, visit iatse.org.

Learn More: 

Learn more about Kalisa Wade: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1922853/

Learn more about Kim Mott:  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2714739/

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