A Round of “Did You Know” with Movie Executive Johanna Byer `05

Johanna Byer `05 is a Country Day lifer who moved to Los Angeles right after graduation to pursue her dream of bringing movies to life. She attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she studied the business of cinematic arts. After completing her first internship, she knew that producing movies was what she was meant to do. And now, as the executive vice president of motion pictures at Will Packer Productions, she oversees every aspect of their slate of films, including producing their latest movie, Italianna.

Just before she and her family packed up to spend a few months in Italy filming the movie, we caught up with Johanna to find out more about her career in the movie industry.

DID YOU KNOW… she produced her first film at the age of 25?

When I was an assistant working at a production company called Working Title Films, I had the idea that we should make a movie about a DJ. It was a time when electronic dance music was just beginning to go mainstream, music festivals were popping up everywhere, and I realized that most people would never have the opportunity to actually go to a music festival, so I thought, “Why not bring that experience to them?” That movie ended up being We Are Your Friends, starring Zac Efron.

It's one of the proudest moments in my career. I had achieved what I had set out to do – produce a theatrical movie. We had the rare wide release, where the film would play at over 3,000 theaters. We traveled the world on a press tour and then crickets… nobody went to see it. It was an epic failure financially but so influential to my career. I learned the very important lesson that we learn more from failure than our success. I was lucky, though, that film really jump-started my career, because at 25 I had on-the-ground experience of producing a Hollywood film, and once you have that, you have it for the rest of your life.

DID YOU KNOW… being a producer is a lot like being a CEO?

I like to compare the roles of a producer to that of a CEO. They build the movie. They find the story. They hire the crew. They pull all the pieces together, and then they trust and oversee the process. Once the team is in place, we shift to becoming the ultimate problem solver; we may not have the expertise in every department, but we steer the ship and move the icebergs so the brilliant people on the crew can do what they do best.

DID YOU KNOW… Johanna’s new movie, Italianna, is inspired by rom-coms from the 90s and early 2000s?

Growing up, I loved movies, especially romantic comedies like Notting Hill, Love Actually, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. But with the advent of streaming, the industry stopped making them for movie theaters. Gen Z hadn’t had their generation-defining rom-com until Anyone But You [2023 movie featuring Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney]; so, we’re hoping to target a similar audience with our nostalgic story, our beautiful Italian backdrop, and a wonderful, present-day twist.

Italianna, which stars Halle Bailey (The Little Mermaid) and Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton), is about a directionless young girl who finally follows her dream to Italy. Once there, she not only finds herself, but also love and the stepping stones to her future.

DID YOU KNOW… Johanna thinks a career in the film industry might not come easily but is attainable?

If you really, really want to work in the film industry and there's nothing else you can see yourself doing, then never stop fighting for it. It is a long, difficult, and competitive journey. You have to outwork and have more grit than everyone else around you. Most people have the talent, but very few have the work ethic that it takes to succeed.

DID YOU KNOW… Country Day prepared her to succeed in Hollywood?

More than anything, Country Day grounded me. Without that, I never would have been able to go out and succeed in Hollywood. I left Country Day with an unwavering sense of who I am, what I want, and what is important to me. I learned the importance of showing up every day and working hard, to have empathy, and the power of personal responsibility. When you're dealing with an industry that's as Wild-Westy as Hollywood is, I probably would have lost myself if I didn’t have those values firmly established.