Ask An Assistant: Drew Cortopassi (Executive Assistant, Jason Bateman's Aggregate Entertainment)

Drew Cortopassi

Executive Assistant, Jason Bateman's Aggregate Entertainment

Hi Drew! Thanks for joining The Hollywood Assistant! Tell us about your day-to-day as an assistant at Jason Bateman’s production company, Aggregate Films (Ozark, Based on a True Story, Lessons in Chemistry).

Sure! I was originally hired as a script reader and over the past two-ish years have transitioned to executive desks in both our scripted and unscripted departments. The bulk of each day consists of a lot of reading and admin tasks, of course, but also a lot of opportunities for more creative development-type stuff—I write pitches for internal projects, build decks, edit sizzle reels and trailers, review drafts and edits of projects, give notes, meet with writers and directors, and pitch new ideas!

As mentioned, you work across both the scripted and unscripted departments. What’s it like straddling both of these worlds? Do they require similar skillsets?

Generally, I think there is a ton of overlap between the two departments—the same kind of storytelling considerations still apply, no matter the genre.  Whether it’s a documentary or a narrative feature, you’re still looking for compelling stories, interesting characters and worlds, and convincing reasons to get a project made.  The development process shares a lot of similarities, too.  You have to find a story, package it, find ways to fund it, pitch it, etc. 

You made the coveted leap from intern to full-time employee. Originally brought on in the spring of 2022 as a Development Intern, you were then hired on with the company full-time that summer. What advice would you give to other interns who hope to make a similar transition? 

I did! I’m really grateful to have been given that opportunity, but I think more than my efficacy as an intern, it spoke to a lucky confluence of timing and availability for my company. That being said, as one of the supervisors of our current internship program, there are a few things that can help leave a positive impression. Firstly, make your face and name annoyingly familiar—respond to every email, accept every opportunity, ask questions even if they’re silly, ask for more work, and just be around. Secondly, try to make social connections with people at the company and other interns; it’s not all about the job, try to make human connections. Lastly, and perhaps most obvious, is to do great work and be reliable! I know it’s reductive to give such sweeping advice, so take it with a grain of salt—internships are hard and often thankless, and if you can get your foot in the door in any way, you’ve made a great first step :)

Prior to Aggregate, you racked up on-set experience as a Production Assistant on The Shining Girls (Apple TV+) and Love is Blind S2 (Netflix). How has your production experience shaped your view now working on the development side? And do you ever miss on-set days now that you’re in an office?

I think my few months in production took about nine years off the total lifespan of my knees, and I don’t often miss it—but other than the pain of standing around for a million hours a day, it was hugely beneficial to my holistic understanding of how a project comes to life. I loved the collaboration of being on set and constantly feeling like you have a front-row seat to everything that’s happening. Sitting behind a desk really reduces your field of vision about how much goes into making movies and TV. Having spent even a tiny bit of time on set, it’s easier for me to read a script set on an Arctic oil tanker (or something, idk) and imagine how miserable it’d be to make.

Backing up to your start in the industry, you were born and raised in Indiana and attended Indiana University. How does a boy from Indiana wind up in entertainment?

I think the same way a lot of us did! A special little combination of delusion and really loving movies. Growing up, the entertainment industry seemed almost like a fantastical thing, and it wasn’t until I saw someone from my hometown make it out here that I believed it was possible. I was always one of those nerdy kids who selected the video option for school projects and put too much effort into them—there are still some really embarrassing clips of mine on YouTube. I sought out journalism and advertising in college, which seemed like the closest thing I could get to entertainment, but eventually, I decided I needed to go for film!

What would you say have been the greatest obstacles you’ve faced in entertainment? Or something unexpected about the business that you didn’t realize before entering the field?

When I first moved out here, it felt like there were a lot of weird politics and procedures and little traditions in the industry that made it intimidating. It’s kind of an isolated field with a very specific history, so it sometimes felt like things were happening in a different language. I’m sure part of it for me was being in a new city, meeting new people, and starting my first real, full-time job, but it was easy to feel like an outsider. As I spent more time in my career, a lot of those barriers started to fade away. There’s a learning curve, but it’s ultimately not much different from any other industry. It’s just people, and we’re all united in a kind of inspiringly silly passion. 

You know your way around a camera (DSLR, BlackMagic, ARRI, etc.). Were these videography skills you learned as a Media Major in school? Would you recommend that students and early career professionals gain technical skills? If so, which cameras and/or softwares do you recommend?

I know there are some big barriers to learning those skills, but they’ve probably been my biggest asset at my job. I was hired as a script reader at Aggregate, so there was never an expectation for technical skills. When I started making decks and video pitches for our projects, it opened up a whole new set of responsibilities and opportunities—it even helped me pitch an original project we’ve moved forward on. Admittedly, I haven’t really needed to shoot anything (I think camera skills are probably less useful to the development process), but being familiar with editing and motion graphics software, as well as a little graphic design, has been HUGE. I’d recommend the Adobe suite (Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, Indesign), but you can make great stuff with Canva, iMovie, PowerPoint—anything that helps you get an idea across. 

Lastly, what advice would you give to industry hopefuls who dream of working in this crazy business we love?

It’s really easy to feel overwhelmed by the scope of our industry. There’s tons of money involved, impressive people, scary events, etc., and those things can make it feel like there’s a lot on the line.  Being an assistant especially can be so demanding, thankless, and high-pressure. It’s really important to remember that we’re not saving lives. We all chose this industry because we love it—a certain movie when you were a kid or a show that got you through an awkward phase, whatever (it was The Princess Bride for me).  It should be fun and collaborative and imaginative. Don’t let the pressure of everything take away the fun.