Johnny Otto

Who is Johnny Otto?

Johnny Otto is an American film director, writer, actor, animation director, artist and musician living in Los Angeles, CA. Known for his quirky and unique films, and for shooting in a loose, improvisational way.

Otto developed a love for cinema early in his childhood when his family would gather in their basement to watch Heckle & Jeckle cartoons. When Otto was eight years old his father bought the kids a Bell & Howell Super 8mm camera and set him and his brothers and sister loose to begin creating their first films. Johnny and his brother Eric would make short, scary films and project them in their basement and charge the neighborhood kids a dime to come and watch. This early passion for filmmaker lead to a lifelong passion which continues to this day.

After attending film school in Ontario, Canada, Otto packed his bags and moved west to Hollywood and continued writing and making short films. In 1992 Otto option his first feature-length script entitled "Havoc" to Producer Joel Silver. A few years later, in 1998, Otto wrote a dark comedy called "Pop Life", which got the attention of agents over at Innovative Artists and the film was being packaged with hot, young talent. But, in 1999 Otto hit a stumbling block when production of "Pop Life", closely resembling the Columbine Shootings, was halted. Actress Rachael Leigh Cook who was set to star as a troubled cheerleader, withdrew from the project and, because of the sensitive nature of the subject material, the film was never made.