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.
Adaptability, Problem-Solving, Industry Networking, Career Exploration, Unfiltered Advice
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Chris Kang
Senior Manager, Production Finance
The Walt Disney Company
University of Arizona, 2013
N/A
Accounting
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Finance
Former Foster Youth, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. The entertainment industry, specifically production accounting, is far from mundane and involves a dynamic, ever-changing environment. It's described as 'organized chaos'.
2. Adaptability is crucial for success in this field, as the work is not as straightforward as traditional corporate accounting.
3. There are various entry-level positions and resources available for those interested in breaking into production accounting, despite the industry sometimes appearing as a closed circle. Networking and exploring different roles are important for career navigation.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
It can be quite chaotic. When I was in college, my idea of accounting and production was that it seemed like a very mundane, routine position. It's far from it, because I always think of shooting production as a traveling circus.
Things are always coming up. It's like organized chaos, and it's really fun. But don't get me wrong, things are always happening and coming up.
I wish someone had told me it's not as straight-line as you might think. It's not corporate accounting; it's production accounting, where things are always happening. You need to have adaptability.
I also wish I had known about different roles in this industry. When I was in college, I didn't know how to connect to get into the industry. I didn't know about freelance accounting or production teams to join.
No one in my circle knew anything about the film industry. I just thought it was a tight circle. In a way, for above-the-line hires, it is kind of a tight circle. But for entry-level positions, I didn't know there were resources you could search to find different positions to get started in.
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