Senior Production Financial Analyst

---

Job description

Job Summary:

Reporting to two Directors of Production Finance, the Senior Production Financial Analyst will play a vital role in financial planning, project management, and reviewing and analyzing actual costs for shows in various phases of development, production and budgeting.

Corporation and Show Set-up

* Builds corporate structure/flow chart for incentive planning and maintains implementation though all stages of production
* 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
* Works with the Studio Technology team to setup third-party accounting software set-up for use on production payroll and invoices, as well as user onboarding for all production systems
* Tracks crew hiring to create assumption agreements for union contracts, working with Labor Relations and payroll companies to ensure signatory status for IA/DGA/SAG are triggered timely

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
* Trains freelance production staff on online banking systems, accounting systems, production systems, etc. (Scenechronize, ESN, PSL+, Smart Accounting, BOA, HSBC)
* Updates and approve templates for show forms, including deal memos, check requests, and competitive bids

Budget Construction

* Responsible for building and updating Budgeting Department Excel models including Budget History Report, Crew Rate Comparisons, ATL/BTL Variance Reports, Location Incentive Summaries, and Look of Picture Cost report and Production Accountant database. Presents to key studio executives and provides explanations of variations
* Researches new talent and crew contracts and adds new or revised details to Movie Magic budgets and production spend matrix (BLUE Report)

Production Accounting

* Works directly with production accountants in reviewing weekly closing reports, including trial balance, general ledgers, and check registers
* Acts as primary contact for any Accounting related issues, including banking, credit cards, policies & procedures; escalates issues to the Production Finance Exec, as needed
* Ensures all studio approvals are obtained timely, including deal memos, competitive bids, invoices, checks, and petty cash
* Submits weekly 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; works Production Finance Execs in establishing individual crew card limits
* Tracks and compiles necessary agreements for production audits and incentive submissions
* Schedules turnover meetings and ensures completion of the wrap checklist; coordinates shipping of accounting files and assists with the transition from production to post