Production Financial Analyst

This is a Full Time Job


Reports to the SVP, Production Finance. This role is heavily involved in the day-to-day finance operations of feature film development, production, and budgeting. Some of the duties included therein are: Corporation and Show Set-up, Production Prep, Budget Construction, Production Accounting, Project Reporting, Corporate Reporting, Analysis, Executive Support

Corporate and Show Set Up
• Opens bank accounts for specific filming locations, obtaining signatory information and establishing account signers from both studio and freelance team for processing payments via checks and online
• Responsible for third-party accounting software set-up for use on production payroll and invoices, as well as user onboarding for all production systems

Production Prep
• Responsible for daily accounting functions of R&D/Prep, including onboarding. Establishes travel authorization and approval workflows before free-lance production accountants are hired
• Initiates invoice payments and ushers studio finance approvals. Monitors bank activity and account balances, placing stop payments when necessary, managing daily positive pay activity, and uploading files for batch payments
• Sets up accounting office both local and abroad, ensuring process and functionality is maintained for various production locations and users
• Works directly with feature film production accounting staff on reviewing approvals for studio on invoices, competitive bids, check requests, and petty cash
• Train freelance production staff on online banking systems, accounting systems, production systems, etc. (Scenechronize, ESN, PSL , Smart Accounting, BOA, HSBC)
• Update and approve templates for show forms, including deal memos, check requests, and competitive bids

Responsibilities:

Production Accounting
• Weekly submits Production funding and currency hedge requests thru wire transfers, reconciling actuals of spot buys and FX hedges in wire log. Works with treasury to establish foreign currency purchase and incentive sells, calculating blended rate for gain/loss to show.
• Initiates and processes payments via SAP, online banking software, and third party accounting system
• Monitors positive pay activity daily, clearing payments or reporting fraudulent check activity
• Journal studio costs in SAP, identifying and correcting all miscodes on show's subledger balances
• Sets up show credit facilities and acts as point person for all credit card authorization issues/declines
• Tracks and compiles necessary agreements for production audits and incentive submissions

Project Reporting
• Oversees all updates of critical reports including production spend matrix (BLUE) and Executive Summary for studio-wide distribution
• Weekly reporting financial data of cost reports, change over prior memos, cost and PO commitments to date, potential variances, studio costs, hot costs, and major variances.
• Updates and manages internal company reports to senior executives. Builds final budget binder for studio circulation
• Schedules budget reviews with CFO
• Look of Picture Cost report and Production Accountant database

Corporate Reporting
• Tracks and reports talent contracts, submitting pay or play commitments quarterly to controllership
• Runs weekly SAP Production and Funding Numbers, flagging erroneous charges and journaling any miscodes to proper show's chart of accounts
• Reconciles production accounting package and studio cost subledgers quarterly, auditing all costs transferred between the payroll and studio systems
• Sets up show Y-bill for studio charges and works with cashier to monitor Y-bill payments and tracking outstanding studio Y-bill charges
• Submits studio charges memo of soft costs for journaling over to production
• Works alongside controllership for all Quarter Close/Year end reporting, including current currency hedges and incentive tracking
• Joins Corporate Controllership on production location audit of each show to ensure best practices with accounting office and compliance to Disney policies. Advises the accounting team on previous flags, aids controllership on the ground recording findings, and presents audit report to production executives
• Opens studio travel cards, tracks Disney travel BTA and travel billing

Executive Analysis
• Works directly with Production Finance Executives to analyze updates to production budgets and cash flows. Identifies changes and communicates effectively to production executives
• Provides ad hoc reports to analyzes trends, ranges, and deviation of a variety of production-related expenditures

Studio Service
• Participate in Testing for GRID and other new technical systems to ensure functionality and accuracy for production teams
• Run and distribute Blue reports weekly

Executive Support (desk duties)
• General office responsibilities including extensive scheduling of meetings with senior executives
• Screen calls; handle routine calls related to production information as needed.
• Interact with production and finance executives and staff
• Scheduling meetings and conference calls, prepare expense reports

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum of 1-2 years of production finance experience required or finance experience in entertainment, consulting or public accounting
• Financial modeling and analytical abilities
• Highly collaborative with strong interpersonal and project management skills
• Ability to quickly learn new concepts, think strategically, solve problems, and implement solutions
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task, meet deadlines, and change course of action quickly
• Detail oriented with the ability to work well under pressure and maintain professionalism and service orientation
• Strong organizational and follow-thru skills, keeping manager informed on completed tasks and status of current tasks at hand
• Effective communicator, both verbally and written
• Ability to build relationships, and must be able to interact with all levels of management and be an integral team player
• Ability to be proactive, resourceful, and flexible
• Ability to take initiative
• Experience with Movie Magic Budgeting, SAP, GlobalVista/PSL3, Microsoft Office Suite and building presentation decks a plus
• BA/BS required, preferred in Economics, Accounting, or Finance related major

var jobInfo = {

category: 'Finance-and-Accounting',

location: 'Burbank, California, United States',

req: '981897BR',

}

About The Walt Disney Studios:

For over 95 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today it brings quality movies, episodic storytelling, music, and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. The Walt Disney Studios encompasses a collection of respected film studios, including Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures. It is also home to Disney Theatrical Productions, producer of world-class stage shows.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment

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