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Chris, Senior Manager, Production Finance at The Walt Disney Company: Advize Career Interview
A career in entertainment finance offers exciting possibilities, as evidenced by a Senior Manager of Production Finance at The Walt Disney Company.
This professional's journey began in public accounting, transitioning through a production auditor role at Universal Studios before reaching their current position.
The day-to-day work involves managing budgets, collaborating with studio partners, and navigating unexpected challenges, requiring adaptability and strong project management skills.
Despite initial uncertainty and the "organized chaos" of the industry, the rewards are immense: building strong relationships, contributing to collaborative projects, and witnessing the finished product on screen.
The path to this career is diverse, with entry-level positions available across various departments, and even seemingly unrelated college experiences, such as extracurricular involvement, providing valuable transferable skills.
With increasing representation of Asian Americans in entertainment, this professional's experience highlights a positive trend, demonstrating the industry's evolving landscape and the many exciting opportunities available.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Chris Kang
Senior Manager, Production Finance
The Walt Disney Company
University of Arizona, 2013
N/A
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Accounting
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Finance
Former Foster Youth, Greek Life Member
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Career Path of a Senior Manager Production Finance at Disney
After graduating college, Chris started in public accounting, auditing governmental clients in Los Angeles and Orange County for four years before obtaining their CPA license. This experience led to a production auditor role at Universal Studios, "visiting different production sets, learning about the industry, seeing what they're spending money on," which ultimately transitioned Chris to their current Senior Manager, Production Finance position at The Walt Disney Company, managing shows and working with accountants.
Main Responsibilities of a Senior Manager Production Finance at Disney
Chris's main responsibilities as a Senior Manager of Production Finance at Disney involve "managing the costs on a day-to-day basis," encompassing tasks from reviewing bank statements and generating weekly cost reports to collaborating with studio partners on budgeting and navigating post-production complexities like tax incentives and outstanding payments. This role requires meticulous attention to detail, ensuring accurate financial reporting to inform higher-level decision-making.
A Day in the Life of a Senior Manager Production Finance at Disney
A day for a Senior Manager, Production Finance at The Walt Disney Company involves acting as a "liaison between the studio and the accountants," handling issues requiring studio intervention, and providing guidance on matters like insurance claims. Currently, due to ongoing strikes, much of the work centers on budgeting and "running different scenarios" to project costs for varying episode orders, working closely with studio partners to determine production plans.
Most Important Skills For A Senior Manager Production Finance At Disney
A Senior Manager of Production Finance at Disney highlights the paramount importance of "openness and being able to adapt" in their role, citing the unpredictable nature of film production—a "fuse blew out on a stage," necessitating immediate cost assessment and shifting priorities. This requires "reprioritizing every single day" to balance planned tasks with unexpected crises, ensuring accurate and timely responses.
Favorite Parts of Being Senior Manager Production Finance at The Walt Disney Company
Chris enjoys the collaborative nature of their current role as Senior Manager, Production Finance at The Walt Disney Company, contrasting it with their previous audit experience where they felt limited in daily interaction. The long-term project work and close relationships built with "the accountant from the minute you hire them" and other studio partners, including "business affairs, legal, the production team," are highlighted as particularly rewarding aspects of this career progression.
Biggest Challenges Faced by a Senior Manager Production Finance at Disney
Chris's biggest challenge as a Senior Manager, Production Finance at Disney is adapting to the constantly shifting priorities of their new role, a significant change from their previous auditing experience where "it was very easy...to hit those marks." The need for daily "reprioritization" requires developing greater adaptability and openness, skills they are actively working to cultivate.
Favorite Parts of Working in the Movie Industry as a Senior Production Finance Manager
Chris, a Senior Manager of Production Finance at Disney, finds the most rewarding aspect of their career is "developing relationships" and the collaborative spirit of working towards a shared goal; seeing "the finished product on the screen" after navigating the stressful production process is also incredibly fulfilling.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Production Finance Industry, According To A Senior Manager At Disney
Success in the entertainment industry hinges on strong project management skills, "adaptability," and the ability to prioritize effectively. Building trusting relationships allows for efficient issue resolution, demanding discipline and the capacity to "shift things around" as needed.
What a Senior Manager Production Finance at The Walt Disney Company Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Film Industry
Chris, a Senior Manager of Production Finance at The Walt Disney Company, wishes they had known the "organized chaos" and constant adaptability required in production accounting before entering the industry. The lack of awareness regarding entry-level roles and available resources for breaking into the field is also highlighted as a significant wish for their younger self.
Entry-level positions for aspiring Production Finance careers
Many entry-level positions exist within The Walt Disney Company's production, ranging from "production assistant" roles in various departments like art and set design to accounting clerk positions leading to "financial analyst" roles or junior accounting programs. A path into production finance may involve starting in public accounting, or progressing through assistant accountant roles within the studio, highlighting the diverse career routes available.
College Experiences That Helped a Disney Production Finance Manager Succeed
Chris's undergraduate experience, characterized by "playing a lot" and involvement in Greek life and other organizations, unexpectedly provided valuable training in conflict resolution and collaboration, skills directly applicable to their career at Disney. The advice offered to students focuses on actively researching the chosen industry, beyond surface-level understanding, by reading industry trades like *Variety* or *Deadline* to gain a deeper understanding of the business side, not just celebrity culture.
How Identity Has Influenced a Senior Manager Production Finance Career at The Walt Disney Company
The rising representation of Asian Americans in entertainment, "a hot thing right now," is encouraging to the Senior Manager, motivating a desire to contribute to this positive shift, perhaps even by working on "an Asian American film." This contrasts sharply with past experiences, where the lack of visible representation in high-level roles fostered a different expectation; witnessing the current progress is a significant and positive change.
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