"In a world where cookie-cutter presentations overwhelm mainstream moviemaking, Otto has reminded us that movies are extensions of the moviemaker, not the other way around."

- Michael Walsh, MovieMaker Magazine



"Johnny Otto is no stranger to the difficulties moviemakers face when trying to turn aspirations into reality. Armed with only a suitcase and a few hundred bucks, Otto took off for Los Angeles in 1990. Since then, he’s done everything, from hosting underground art exhibits to releasing a full-length album to creating award-winning animations with partner-in-crime Michael Morrison. This fall, Otto premieres his latest project, “Slimdunce,” an accomplishment he describes as “the single most amazing thing” he has created to date. In a world where cookie-cutter presentations overwhelm mainstream moviemaking, Otto has reminded us that movies are extensions of the moviemaker, not the other way around. “Slimdunce” features seven short films, all of which were shot in one day a week for seven consecutive weeks, a concept Otto derived from 24-hour film contests. Otto took the time to tell MM all about “Slimdunce,” from its origin as the unexpected offspring of a deadline’s extension to the realization of a dream no amount of pinching has been able to end." - MovieMaker Magazine,   

MovieMaker Magazine Article

Johnny Otto
Writer/Director/Producer/DP/Editor

Johnny Otto is an award-winning Writer and Director with over 30 years of experience. After attending Film School in Canada, and working as a Teaching Assistant in the film department at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Otto moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking. He optioned his first screenplay to Joel Silver (Silver Pictures) when he was 26 years old. He has won awards from Klasky-Csupo and Animation Magazine’s WACFEST (World Animation Celebration).

Early notoriety came with the cult classic “Bring Me The Head of Walt Disney”, a documentary Otto wrote, directed and edited about the search for Disney’s frozen head. Following this came Slimdunce, a project that had Otto making seven short films in a seven week period. This project grabbed the attention of MovieMaker Magazine who featured him and sponsored several screenings around Los Angeles.

Otto has written for Netflix/PBS (“Human: The World Within”) and in 2020 he founded Out Draw Animation, which developed and created “Zombies, Whatever”, “Izzy & Zan”, “Family Time Travel” and “Sean The Worm”, all of which Otto wrote, directed, edited and created voices for. Oh, and he created all the characters and all of the animation.

He has written and directed over a dozen short films and directed music videos for many artists including Shirley Levi and Jess Barish.



When he was 19 he attended film school in Canada where he made the experimental, award-winning short "The Ecstasy Barbershop".



Johnny Otto wrote on Episodes 2 and 4 of the new Netflix Series, "Human, The World Within".


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