artist

administrative assistant

manager

production coordinator

coordinator

Sony Pictures Entertainment

The global recognition and reputation of Sony undoubtedly make it a sought-after workplace, with its diverse array of products and innovations in technology. However, my experiences led me to perceive the company dynamics and operational transparency differently. Let me break it down for the readers:

Work Environment:
I found the work environment to be rather disappointing as it seemed to lack genuine passion and commitment. A noticeable number of managers appeared to be more focused on maintaining appearances rather than genuinely contributing to the projects or the team’s growth. This often led to a superficial atmosphere, affecting the overall motivation and productivity of the employees.

Company Image and Investor Relations:
Sony has managed to maintain a solid reputation in the market, but from an internal perspective, it sometimes seemed like the company prioritized creating a favorable impression for investors over genuine innovation. The public image portrayed occasionally felt like a façade, built more on well-structured narratives than on substantial advancements or accomplishments.

Research and Development:
Sony's claims about its advancements in Research and Development (R&D) were not fully aligned with my experiences. Although there were discussions and mentions of ongoing R&D projects, the tangible progress and real-world applications of such initiatives were seldom evident. The discrepancy between the claims and reality raised concerns about the actual commitment to innovation and development within the company.


While Sony offers potential opportunities for learning and growth, the observed lack of authentic commitment to work and innovation was disheartening. I hope the company revisits its approach to management and innovation to foster a more transparent and productive environment. Prospective employees may find value in carefully assessing the alignment between the company’s portrayed image and actual operations before deciding to join.

It would take a lengthy book to really delve into the myriad issues.  The short version is it depends on where you work.
SPE has a strategy problem.  There are too many divisions competing with each other internally.  The movie and TV groups produce and acquire content.  There is a separate Acquisitions group acquiring content and the Distribution groups also acquire content.  Sometimes they end up bidding against each other.  Stupid.  Duplicate efforts in business affairs, legal, finance, etc.   All while the value of content is dropping.  These are entrenched issues that will be difficult to change.
In the Corporate functions there are lots of people that have been there forever and are extremely resistant to change.  People stay a long time because it is near impossible to be let go.  HR and Legal are terrified of lawsuits.  Feedback is non-existent.  Every few years HR rolls out yet another system then drops it as soon as they get credit for doing something.   Strong performers work insane hours to get around and/or cover for the many bad ones.  
Systems and IT are a train wreck, with the hack and poorly executed outsourcing running all the strong players out.  SPE is always behind the curve on the latest technology. 
Same for finance, first outsourced to Europe and Asia and when that failed to India.  There is a constant need for headcount reductions to save overhead but endless budget for consultants.  Divisional finance teams support each of the many fiefdoms so don’t/can’t work together, constantly stuck in battles between the many Presidents.
All of this is probably typical for an old style Hollywood Studio and/or for a big business that is shrinking and facing serious competition.
There are some great people and assets at SPE but be prepared to deal with a ton of frustration if you want to be effective, make improvements and have any sense of life balance.

A typical day working on an Animated movie is pretty structured as far as daily meetings go.  It's all the additional stuff that falls in between and around the day to day.  Team meetings usually drive the mornings where you prepare the material that your team will be showing for Supervisor approval.  From there the remainder of the morning is focused on making sure all your team members know what their priorities are as well as making sure they are working as efficiently as possible.  Not only do you check in on your own team but you make sure to notify surrounding departments of any deliveries that might not make the deadlines and/or might be ahead of schedule.  It is extremely important that your communication with all aspects of the production is strong.  The afternoon falls along the lines of the mornings but fill up with more meetings and not only Supervisor approvals but Director approvals as well. 

I have learned how to manage/run/mentor a team as well as maintain and support internal databases.  My positions at Sony have allowed me to build upon my management skills as well and play to my strong points such as organization, team building, leading and maintaining professional relationships cross departmental. 

My coworkers and artists is why I love my job.  I get to work with some of the most amazing people on a day to day basis that it makes coming to work enjoyable.  The fact that we're all in it together and the strong sense of team is another driving factor for me.  

The hardest part of the job is the stress it brings but that aspect is also what drives me to go.  So I would say its a blessing and a curse all at the same time.

• Used AGILE methodology for developing the application.
• As part of the lifecycle development prepared class model, sequence model and flow diagrams by analyzing Use cases using Rational Tools.
• Extensive use of SOA Framework for Controller components and view components.
• Involved in writing the exception and validation classes using Struts validation rules.
• Involved in writing the validation rules classes for general server side validations for implementing validation rules as part observer J2EE design pattern.
• Used OR mapping tool Hibernate for the interaction with database.
• Developed EJB tier using Session Facade, Singleton and DAO design patterns, which contains business logic, and database access functions.
• Developed tabs with rollover effect using JavaScript plus other effects
• Developed web services using SOAP and WSDL with Apache Axis 2.
• Developed, implemented, and maintained an asynchronous, AJAX based rich client for improved customer experience using XML data and XSLT templates.
• Developed SQL stored procedures and prepared statements for updating and accessing data from database.
• Development carried out under Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE).
• Used JBoss for deploying various components of application.
• Used JUNIT for testing and check API performance.
• Used SVN Version Control for Project Configuration Management

It's remarkable just how much your immediate working relationships can impact the quality of your work life, and Sony is no different.

Overall, the company is a pleasant place to be.  If you enjoy a pleasant, Californian work environment you'll feel very comfortable here.  If you have any sort of ambition or aim to be "#1" in anything, you may find yourself disappointed as Sony's culture prevents the organization from being anything other than superbly average.  This has much to do with the top-heavy management structure (full of leaders who are too old and lazy to understand modern technology and how it's used or how it's built).  

Most importantly though, and the reason Sony Pictures will continue to be a middling organization that will eventually be steamrolled by Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and Disney is that their process is backwards.  Whereas a company like Disney starts with evocative, emotional and compelling story as the driver for decisions, Sony first hunts for money and then finds a logical business justification which then informs content.

Sony, very simply put, no longer "starts with why."  And that reason alone is the reason the entire organization will eventually succumb to companies with strong missions that can recruit impressive talent and produce works of art (content, product, technology or otherwise) that will define history.

This is a great place to work with many challenges that are being met daily.  

A typical day can be very fast paced and busy with many projects.  

Traveling across the lot and, seeing a few stars along the way after getting some documents signed, and a few business meetings with co-workers and other office personnel can make this place fun filled and a joy to come to work. There is such an environment of creative people here with some opportunities to allow your creative side to sore.  One minute you can be a writer that nobody knows, and the next time you may see that person, or assistant, they can have a hit movie.  

People come to this company usually with a background in the Arts, i.e. Actors, Writers, Producers, Directors, etc....but, work in any position until they can get discovered.

I have learned to find a part of my job that I enjoy and cherish it and, the time spent on any job as that is a precious thing in the world today.

With every company there are ups and downs, but it is all about: Are the downs worth it?  And, how do they effect you?

The hardest part of my job will be retirement.  I'll miss some of the wonderful people I have come to love over the years.

•	Gathering the functional requirements from users, BRM and converting them into Technical designs.
•	Actively involved with DBA in migrating the Oracle 9i database on Solaris platform to Oracle 11g AIX server and deployment of objects to production environment.
•	Designed and Migration and Implementation of PL/SQL Code from Oracle 9i to 11g.
•	Created database packages, procedures, functions, triggers, views, materialized views using Oracle PL/SQL in 11g.
•	Analyzing performance of database objects and suggesting DBA for Indexes, schema gathering, partitioning, explain Plan, TK PROF.
•	Used SQL* Loader and export/import mechanism for data migration for bulk upload. 
•	Written UNIX shell scripts for data files handling, FTP and executing the SQL*Loader.
•	Created email & file I/O operations utilities using PL/SQL and SMTP packages.
•	Performed thorough Unit testing, System Testing and support User Acceptance Testing.
•	Used Oracle's Advanced Queuing mechanism to send messages to clients and interact with other systems. 
•	 Worked on various enhancements in project and support them in production environment.


Sony Pictures is a great place to be but.... As with any large corporation the ability to stay informed and understand the "vision and direction" of the company is challenging. Also working with Sony sister companies can be very frustrating as customers perceive an inherent ability to leverage the brand but corporate structure and soloed mentality often makes joint ventures impossible. The leadership team is a mixed bag of highly qualified experts, self serving narcissists, and of course the proverbial "empty suits". Moral in Home Entertainment is very low driven by the decline in the HE market and the constant rumors of layoffs, politics and divisional unrest (between TV group and HE). Still with all this baggage there is a pride and prestige that comes from working for such a well known brand and for the most part my experiences at Sony were favorable and exciting.

I absolutely love working at Sony Pictures. Even though it is still a corporate (political) culture, it has made me feel that everything I wanted to learn about or do was somewhay accessible to me (only when I was working on the lot, though). It is a fun place to work but can also be stressful at times (but what job isnt?). Your department and direct management will determine your personal experience. Lateral moves within the company are always possible! Promotions can be hard to get and pay is... Well, put it this way - LA rents could take up half of your monthly salary, so I wish the pay was higher. I think it is an industry thing though,  not a Sony specific one. I know for a fact other industries can pay a lot more for the same job but aren't as fun to work at. The environment, the perks, and benefits at Sony are very good. I really don't have any negatives at this point. Just do your job well, keep your head down, and it can be a great place to work at for years.

Working for Sony Pictures as a Project Manager has been a truly rewarding and exciting experience. The company's commitment to creativity and innovation shines through in every project, making it a dynamic and stimulating environment to work in. The team at Sony Pictures is filled with talented individuals who are passionate about their work, and their collaboration and support have been invaluable in achieving project goals.

One of the best aspects of working for Sony Pictures is the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects, from blockbuster films to television shows to digital content. This variety keeps the job interesting and allows for continuous learning and growth. The company also provides excellent support and resources for professional development, ensuring that employees have the tools they need to succeed in their roles.

Overall, working for Sony Pictures as a Project Manager has been a fantastic experience, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging and rewarding career in the entertainment industry.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Artist 15 salaries reported	$59.87 per hour
Administrative assistant 2 salaries reported	$29.95 per hour
Manager 9 salaries reported	$104,300 per year
Production coordinator 8 salaries reported	$28.00 per hour
Coordinator 3 salaries reported	$28.00 per hour

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