What Type Of Person Thrives In The Film Industry, According To A Program Manager At A Film Studio
Miriam, a Scrum Master/Program Management Office professional in the film industry, distinguishes between the creative and corporate sides of entertainment, stating that their experience is solely within "the corporate world." They advise aspiring professionals to consider whether a corporate environment suits their personality and to develop a basic understanding of finance and accounting, regardless of career path, because "you need to understand a little bit, you need to be conversational in what accounting and finance means."
Corporate Environment, Financial Literacy, Project Management, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Miriam Holzman-Sharman
Scrum Master/Program Management Office
Film Studio
UCLA
Masters of Business Administration, Loyola Marymount University (LA)
Communications
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain
Operations and Project Management
Video Highlights
1. A successful career in the corporate side of the entertainment industry or a similar corporate setting requires understanding and thriving in corporate environments with hierarchies and unwritten rules. It's not suitable for entrepreneurs who prefer building from scratch independently.
2. Having a foundational understanding of accounting and finance is crucial, regardless of your specific role or career path. Even those in creative fields or with their own ventures need to be conversant in basic financial concepts like cash flow and invoicing to make informed decisions.
3. While the speaker's experience is primarily in corporate roles within entertainment, she highlights that a corporate mindset is more important than industry-specific skills. This suggests adaptability and a willingness to navigate corporate structures are key attributes for success
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
This is a hard question. I'm going to separate it a little bit between entertainment and finance.
Entertainment is a big word, and a lot happens in that industry. You have actors, actresses, producers, and creatives. My entertainment experience has been entirely back office and corporate, and I'm very happy in the corporate world.
So, anything I say only relates to corporate. I can't speak to those who want to be a production assistant with a script in their desk. That's a whole different world.
On the corporate side, a studio isn't that different from any big corporate company. You have hierarchies and unwritten rules about how to act and treat people at different levels. This has softened a lot in the 25 years I've been working, which I think reflects the world we live in with social media. It's easier to reach people, but by and large, it's still a corporation.
If you're an entrepreneur, scrappy, and want to build something, then a studio or corporation isn't going to be for you. I had a boss at Fox who wanted to build something, and he did. He left corporate, worked at a smaller game studio, and then started his own company, which paid off for him.
I've always known I'm happiest in a corporate world. I'm fortunate that many of my roles, both at Fox and on my current project, have that entrepreneurial spirit of building from the bottom up, within the support of a corporate organization. There are experts in technical accounting and consolidated reporting, so you don't have to figure this stuff out on YouTube. I like that.
So, more so than the entertainment industry, the question is: are you corporate or not?
For finance, I don't know as much because it's not my background. But one piece of advice I give to undergrads is to take a couple of finance and accounting classes, if you haven't already.
I know that historically UCLA hasn't had a strong business program. I think it's changed, but when I went there, you could do things like business e-commerce, but it was nothing like what USC offered. My advice to anyone, whether you're a content creator on YouTube or not, is to understand a little bit about accounting and finance.
You need to be conversational in what accounting and finance mean. I'm not talking about big, complicated finance, but what does cash flow mean? What does it mean if you're going to run your own business that you have to invoice, and as a vendor, you might not be paid for 60 days?
This goes beyond having $500 in your checkbook and only being able to spend $400; it's much more complicated. To the extent that you experience tremendous success, like as a YouTube creator, understand what people are saying when they come to you with a deal. Educate yourself so you can make an informed decision.
That doesn't completely answer the question. I don't think of myself so much as what it takes to work in the entertainment industry. I think, are you corporate or are you not corporate?
Advizer Personal Links
LinkedIn.com/in/miriamsharman