Ask An Assistant: Marisa Messina (Office of the Chairman at Focus Features)

Marisa Messina,

Office of the Chairman at Focus Features

Hi Marisa! I’m very excited to speak with you today! Tell us what it’s like to work in the Office of the Chairman at Focus Features. What’s your day-to-day?

Hi Cathy! Thanks so much for asking me to do this; I love that this exists. Working as the Coordinator for the Chairman of Focus Features is busy and rewarding! My day-to-day is filled to the brim with scheduling (and rescheduling), rolling calls, booking travel, tracking submissions, reading, and essentially keeping my boss’s routine running smoothly while simultaneously thinking and planning six-months down the road. What’s unique about this desk is the opportunity to liaison with every department at Focus, plus our friends at Universal. It’s an incredible opportunity to have a bird’s-eye view of how a studio like Focus operates. The best part of the gig though is getting to work for Kujo (as everyone calls him) specifically. He’s such a rarity in this industry because he’s calling all the shots, knows the business backwards and forwards, is insanely knowledgeable about the art of filmmaking, and yet he’s the nicest and funniest guy on the floor… don’t tell him I said that. 

Haha, your secret is safe with us. What attracted you to Focus in particular? And was film always the goal?

What attracted me to Focus at first was the brand. I started off as a fan of our films just from being an avid movie goer. There’s a real sense of both relief and excitement when you see that Focus Features logo before a film because you know it’s going to deliver, and you also know it’s going to be engaging and keep you on your toes.

Regarding my path here, I started off as a competitive soccer player, and I wanted to make that my career until I pulled a real-life “Troy Bolton” and ditched the world of sports for theater, which is when I discovered producing. I then went on to study Creative Producing at Chapman University, which eventually led to the NBCUniversal Page Program, then Focus Features, and I’ve never looked back.   

Speaking of the NBC Page Program (a one-year rotational early career experience in entertainment), what was the jump like from Page to Coordinator? What skills did you bring with you?

I wouldn’t be in this role today without the Page Program! The jump from Page to Executive Assistant felt seamless because of the experience I gained along the way. I had covered so many different types of desks already and was super eager to settle in on one and apply all the knowledge I had accumulated to a singular role. Outside of the obvious admin skills that really anyone can learn, a skill that was particularly helpful to bring with me to this role was the widespread knowledge of NBCUniversal at large. It’s rare to get to see so many different business verticals of a company in your first years there, and it provides useful context daily for the role I’m in now. I’d highly recommend the Page Program as an entry point to the industry. 

The NBC Page Program is a notoriously competitive application process. What advice would you give to readers who may not have gotten in but are eager to explore multiple pathways in entertainment before settling down?

As it relates to the Page Program specifically, apply again! Don’t give up if you’re passionate about this entryway specifically. Speak to former and current Pages and get their advice on the application process and experience. If the Page Program opportunity isn’t for you, explore the tried-and-true agency route or a temp agency to get desk experience ASAP. Play the field and try out different areas of the business as early as you can because while you can always pivot and should remain open-minded to different opportunities along the way, the earlier you have a sense of direction, the quicker other assistants can help you get on a desk or you can find your next role.

In the same vein, try and focus on speaking to assistants, coordinators, and junior executives as they’ll be the ones to know about open positions before C-Suite executives will. Lastly, when you are ready to “settle down," try and work for an executive you enjoy being around. You’re likely going to spend more time talking to your exec than anyone else in your life, so it’s key to work for someone you respect and that treats you well. 

That's great advice. In terms of advice for your younger self, is there anything you wish you had developed or knew before taking on this role?

I wish I had watched even more films! It’s hard to compete with my boss who has probably seen every film ever made in the history of cinema, but once you’re on a desk and in the daily grind of reading and reviewing submissions or current projects, you don’t have a lot of time to watch films leisurely anymore. If you’re the film buff in your friend group back home and have also been humbled by working at a specialty film studio, I’m looking to start a support group…

Haha! I definitely haven't seen every film ever, but I've loved so many of Focus's recent critically-acclaimed hits including Belfast, Last Night in Soho, and Promising Young Woman, just to name a few. What’s been your favorite project to work on?

My favorite project to work on has been Tár! It’s one of the first films I’ve seen complete a full life cycle at Focus, and we’re nearing the end of our journey with it (at least as it relates to awards season). It gets better and better each time I see it, and it embodies a lot of what we strive to make. One of our upcoming films I’m most excited for is A.V. Rockwell’s feature debut called A Thousand and One, which just premiered at Sundance where it took home the Grand Jury Prize! It's beautiful and vibrant and watching our creative team shepherd it into existence along with the filmmakers was amazing. 

Where do you see your career in the future? Will you be the Chairwoman of Focus one day!?

If it wasn’t obvious, I thoroughly enjoy working at Focus, so I’d love to continue to grow here! I’m personally most passionate about the creative development space, but all in all, it’s amazing to work at a studio that is dedicated to fostering the theatrical movie going experience at large and is committed to telling authentic and inclusive stories. So, if we continue to do that, I’m happy to be a part of the ecosystem in any capacity.  

And how are you continuing to work on your career development?

I read everything I can, stay close to the creative team (which thankfully is necessary for the job), keep a pulse on new and exciting voices, and ask tons of questions! It’s tricky to balance the day-to-day desk job while also fostering your own professional development, but if the Page Program taught me anything, it’s to continue to learn, grow, and develop regardless of the role you’re in—and thankfully there is plenty to learn and very little time! 

Finally, is there any other parting wisdom you’d like to share with your fellow Hollywood assistants?

Keep going! Being an assistant in this industry is uniquely intense and not many people outside the Hollywood bubble understand the nuances and demands of the role. But there is light at the end of the assistant tunnel, and you will regain autonomy and thrive in your respective area of the business soon. Lean on your “industry” friends to remind you that you’re not crazy, lean on your “non-industry” friends to tell you that you are crazy, and lean on a mental health professional to sort out the in-between :) See you all at the movies!