Film and TV studies to a career in production: Anna’s story 

Deakin University to the Melbourne International Film Festival – it’s the sort of trajectory most aspiring producers dream of. For Bachelor of Film and Television graduate Anna Charalambous, it’s just the latest reward for a journey of hard work, passion and dedication.  

Now a full-time film producer, Charalambous knows just what it takes to make it in the industry.  

Chatting with Dom Hennequin for Deakin University’s Stories of Wonder podcast, she unpacks her career in film and TV and shares how she got there herself. With her recent documentary film, Spreadsheet Champions, making its debut at SXSW 2025 and screening at Hot Docs in Canada, she’s a true authority in the space.  

Meet Deakin alum Anna Charalambous 

Charalambous is a film and TV producer – a role that she jokes is ‘just a whole lot of problem-solving and emailing.’  

She might be underselling the complexities and joys of production, but it’s certainly a logistical, detail-oriented job. On a given day, she might be securing funding for a film, scheduling shoots, backing up hard drives, or pitching a film to festivals.  

Her latest documentary film, Spreadsheet Champions, follows six Microsoft Excel masters in competing for spreadsheet glory.  

She’s also worked as an associate producer on Ellis Park (a documentary about musician Warren Ellis’ Indonesian wildlife sanctuary) and Australia’s Open, which details the off-court drama of the Australian Open tennis tournament.  

If her career sounds glamorous now, it wasn’t always so. Charalambous remembers some humble beginnings on set. 

‘I started off working for free on jobs, getting coffees and waters for producers,’ she says. ‘As the day progresses on set, the question will always come: “So what do you want to do?” I’d say, “Eventually I’d love to be producing my own stories”. To that, producers will usually say “Oh god, it’s hard, pick another job.”’ 

What is a film and tv course like? 

Charalambous graduated with a Bachelor of Film and Television in 2019. She describes the course as, ‘a bit unconventional, involving a lot of group work, and offering a chance to really explore your creativity.’  

She also remembers feeling out of her depth initially. 

‘I came to the course with very little experience, so it took me a semester or two to find my feet,’ Charalambous says. ‘I very soon realised that I was in the same boat as a lot of my peers, so as I started to work on group projects and start building out my network, it all started to make a lot more sense.’ 

What subjects are covered in a film and tv degree? 

The current version of the course Charalambous studied is Deakin’s Bachelor of Film, Television and Animation. The course covers three major sequences – Animation, Screen Development, and Screen Production.  

As Charalambous recalls, the degree covers  a range of subjects that are often geared towards hands-on, career-ready skills for film and TV. 

‘The ones I remember the most are the Documentary unit (probably because it’s the most relevant to what I’m doing now), a TV production unit, an experimental unit and the major project unit at the end of third year,’ Charalambous says. 

What are the essential learnings from film and tv studies? 

According to Charalambous, there are a few essentials of studying a film and TV course. Beyond that, it’s all about honing in on your interests and taking advantage of the tools and resources available. 

If you are interested in a technical role, I think it’s really important to make the most of the equipment and gear that’s available to you,’ she says. ‘Really make the most of the resources that Deakin offers. Film as many things as you can, work on as many group projects as you can. Practise, practise, practise!’ 

Charalambous also says it’s important to use study time to chat with lecturers and make connections with fellow students. Doing so could help you find exciting film and TV opportunities after graduation and even set up lifelong industry connections.  

‘Build a network of people you like working with, because making a short film or a music video with your friends after you have left uni is a great way to keep refining your skills,’ she says. 

‘They’re the people that will likely be finding their feet in the industry with you, so maintaining those networks is so helpful. Collaborating is half the battle in the industry, so use your time at uni to learn how to work with people, learn how to communicate your ideas, learn how to be a good team player.’ 

Careers in film and tv: what it’s like to navigate a challenging industry 

Starting a career in the film or TV industries can certainly be challenging, but take it from Charalambous – there are plenty of opportunities for those who seek them out.  

‘In comparison to many parts of the world, Australia (the East Coast in particular) has a strong and fairly consistent amount of content being filmed,’ she says. ‘Despite this, as in any industry I guess, opportunities for emerging talent can be fairly limited – so it’s always really important to try to engage with the local/independent industry.’ 

If you’ve worked hard at university and started to make connections with future film industry types, that’s a great start.  

After that, Charalambous says it’s all about putting yourself out there. 

‘Stepping into the work force with no experience is challenging in any industry, but my advice is to look at the people around you/nearby that are doing the work you want to be doing and try to reach out, attend any networking events you can, get in the room and talk to people, she says. ‘There are so many paths – you’ll find a way in.’ 

Where are film and tv industry jobs advertised? 

When it comes to job hunting in the film and TV industries, Charalambous says you might find entry-level jobs posted on Facebook groups, or through word of mouth.  

Job search sites like Seek or Indeed can be good resources for technical careers (like videography) but, more than anything, it’s helpful to stay abreast of industry developments. 

‘Look for resources like the Production Report from Screen Australia, sign up to Inside Film’s mailouts, check press releases from ScreenHub and other funding agencies, streamers and production companies,’ Charalambous says. ‘Even just following them all on socials is a must. Keep an eye on what is getting made, see who is making it and do what you can to get in touch.’ 

What it’s like to be a film and tv producer 

We’ve heard how Charalambous made the leap from study to career. But what are film and TV production jobs really like?  

‘Depending on the stage of a project, the day-to-day is always different,’ she says. ‘In development, I can find myself sending hundreds of emails trying to find the right person to talk to, chasing funding options and finding the heart of a story that we’re telling. In pre-production, I am organising permits, finding crew and cast, locking down a schedule (that will change 100 times over) and prepping everything to be as smooth as possible for the shoot.’ 

Then there’s the production phase, which involves ‘everything and anything to get the job done’. 

‘In production, I can find myself in any part of the world sitting in on an interview about Spreadsheets,’ she says. ‘I’ll also be supporting the director and the crew to shine and do their best work. It is sometimes backing up the hard drives (three copies of everything) or picking up cast who have arrived late from the airport at 1am the night before the shoot.’ 

Finally, there’s the day-to-day of post-production. While much of the cast and crew will have clocked off, producers like Charalambous are still working hard. 

‘Post-production can involve a lot of watching and re-watching edits, and following the project right through to delivery (which is really just trying to keep up with a lot of technical jargon and requirements),’ Charalambous says. ‘Once the project is finished, the producer keeps going – moving into the distribution process, navigating sales with distributors, festivals, streamers etc.’ 

While daily life working in film and TV can be full-on, people like Charalambous find it extremely rewarding. If this sort of schedule appeals to you, take Charalambous’s advice: 

‘Turn up, work hard, get people coffee and make sure people remember you,’ she says. ‘They will notice and hard work pays off, and in my experience one person noticing you work hard can lead to the next job to the next job to the next job.’