I met actor Johnathan Clouser in a webinar a few weeks ago. I was impressed with his drive and charisma, and so I decided to make him my first ever interview subject! Some highlights from our talk:
- How he moved from video game design to acting because he “…loves to immerse [him]self in the worlds that [he] like[s] to observe and consume.”
- An in-depth discussion of his hilarious video about the guy who gets eaten by the raptor in Jurassic Park.
- How horror movies are “…a safe way to explore something unsafe.”
- Johnathan’s upcoming projects, including a short film and a YouTube challenge!
Listen to this interview on AnchorFM, or read the transcript below!
QM/CB: Welcome everybody, and my name (on this YouTube channel, anyway), is Queen Mab. That’s not my real name, but I don’t want my students to find this. And I’m very excited today because I have my first interview guest, Mr. Johnathan Clouser.
JC: Hey.
QM/CB: He’s an actor…welcome to the show! He lives in LA. I’m just really excited today to talk to him, so Johnathan, let’s start with…tell us your story!
JC: Okay, well…I was born in Texas, and I stayed there ’til I was 7. That’s Galveston, TX. It’s an Island just near the gulf of Mexico.
QM/CB: Right.
JC: And when I was 7, my mom decided to move to New Jersey. I was there for many years. And then you know, going through middle school and high school, um, not too much happened…nothing that I want to share right now, but once I went to community college when I was 19 years old, I started…I didn’t immediately go into acting. I started in game design because my entire life, I’ve always been a huge, huge gamer. And at that time, I was sort of interested in acting as well, because there was this show called “DeGrassi” which was my real high school experience, because I didn’t have the great experience that these characters had, but I would live vicariously through them.
And that’s when the sort of itch started to happen, but I was like…can I really be an actor? Is it…I don’t even know how to go about doing it, and that was…I’m not gonna say what time it was, but it was basically not now where you have all these avenues and all these platforms for you to act and just put yourself out there. So I didn’t know how to do it. So I was like “What am I going to pursue now?” I want to…I don’t just want to do the things that I want to do, and I’m referring to college. I want to meet people with similar interests, like minded people. So I’m like “Is it going to be acting, or is it going to be game design? And I chose game design, because I didn’t know anything about acting, and I just…gaming was more that world. And I love the game design except the math stuff. I did so bad in math, I failed the same math class like…four times. That’s how bad. And it was pre-calculus, but when I was there I dabbled in theater. I’m like, you know what, something happened. And I was a very shy kid, but something happened where I just…I wasn’t…I wasn’t scared of being onstage anymore. And I really…I sort of just snuck in…sort of just appeared in this acting class that I saw, and I was back there in the audience, and I was watching everyone acting. It was like “Hey you, what are you doing there?” I’m like “Oh, well I was just…I was just watching, I thought about, you know, going into this class, but I’m not sure. It’s like “Hey, why don’t you get up here? Get up here and…and show me some stuff!” So I…I acted along in the acting exercise, and that moment was when I knew that acting was something that I really wanted to do, and I had to do it. So from there, um, I took fine arts as a minor and I started acting more and more. I was doing student films and I was doing…I had a few drama classes, and it just kept going from there.
Now, because of my failed math, I didn’t get my associate’s degree in applied science, but eventually, I ended up moving to North Carolina because my mom had to you know, that was just her decision, and I couldn’t hack it on my own, you know, even as an adult, I didn’t really have any really practical skills, so I went with her to North Carolina. Before that, I did do some shows, and I did one show in Mt. Vernon, New York. But really when I went to North Carolina, that’s when things really changed for me, because I was, I found myself a community theater. That would be the Gilbert Theater in Fayetville. I started off as an understudy, but ended up being…they made me into like, a background character for this play, which kind of doesn’t happen, it’s…you’ll typically have background characters, they have ensemble, but…and then I started getting better roles. And then my ego started to get bigger, right, cuz like, “Oh, I have a leading role in community theater…I’m the…I’m the shit!”
But then I ended up through community theater, I found out about this group called “Sweet Tea Shakespeare” who does, you know, they’re all classical stuff mostly, pretty much. And they told me about this scholarship at Fayetteville State University, so I went into their theater program. And they have a really strong program. They teach you the art and the craft, and they do really good work, and you will work in that program – so I’m not saying it’s for the faint of heart. They definitely don’t want to make it too hard on you, but they expect a lot from you, and I feel like in that program, I really learned a lot. And after I got my bachelor’s degree in theater, I’m like, “What am I going to do? I’m out of school, I’m in the middle of nowhere, North Carolina now.” And I was very depressed. My mom ended up moving back to New Jersey because she moves around a lot, and I’m like “Okay, well, I’m close to New York now! Maybe I can get something going there!” I’m in South Jersey…nowhere near New York…and I wasn’t getting any leverage or any avenue. I didn’t have much stability at home despite living with my parents, so I ended up saying “Forget this. I’m moving back to North Carolina. I’m going to see what I can do on my own,” because I can’t…no offense, I love my mom…I can’t deal with the instability. I have no foundation to make anything happen.” And then it’s like…I’m in the middle of nowhere phase again. What am I doing with myself? So I just said…I just really thought about it. I really didn’t want to go back to school, but I’m like, “I have to do something!”
So I remember the New York Film Academy, I found out about them when I was auditioning in New York City. And I was going to go for the Master’s Program. They didn’t have on in New York – they had one in LA, and that’s how it all started. I applied, I got some friends, they reached to me, I reached out to them…and they let me do my audition to get into the school. I thought it was terrible, but they liked it, and then I was in New York Film Academy. So from there, it…I went to school, the audition, the orientation process, it was great. My…it changed…it was amazing for me, because I had never been to LA, and not that I felt like I was starry-eyed and just…you know, “Oh, Hollywood!” but it…it was definitely a big step, because I never been 100% on my own, and it’s in the place that, you know, the place you think of when you think of, “Okay, I want to be an actor.” And overall, you know, going to this school, it was a great experience. There were some struggles. There were times where I cried. There are times where it’s like “How do I have this many assignments in this little time to do anything?” I didn’t see much of LA. And once my load started to lighten up a bit, you know, quarantine happened.
And quarantine…it was really devastating, because I was in the middle of doing a play. And the play did happen, but it was really a struggle in this COVID. At the time, I didn’t take it too seriously – this was before quarantine happened – because I’m like…anything you…most of the things you hear, whether it’s like the avian flu or SARS or this or ebola and all this stuff, I’m not saying I didn’t care, but I was just saying like “Okay, well I just expected these things to resolve.” It’s like I hear about it in the news, and the next minute I don’t, and things go back to normal. Obviously, that didn’t happen.
QM/CB: Yeah…
JC: So I was doing the play, and it’s everything…the play is just we are so close to opening night, and things aren’t where they are, and I get so stressed out, and the things that I have me and my stage manager. And then towards the end, we have somebody who was actually the…I forget what you call him…the stage technician or something…the one that helped build the set…but mostly, it was me and my stage manager doing the bulk of the work. I mean, she had more like 70-80%…but that 20% was a lot to me! And I’m like “How we going to do this?” And she’s frustrated at me, and I’m not a very organized person, I’m like “Uhhhhhh….”
QM/CB: (laughs)
JC: And then it finally came together. The day it opened, it’s raining. And I usually like the rain, but it was pouring down, and California doesn’t really rain, and it was just like…and the day before opening day, on Sunday…or, I don’t know if it was the day before opening day, but like, during the week of the show, Mark Crowley – because I was doing “The Boys in the Band,” that’s what the play was – he had passed away, and I’m like…all these bad omens! So I’m just like “Look, this has to happen.” And I find out the day of that we’re not going to get a second show. They will let us…they are letting us do the show the one time, and that’s it, but we can’t do a second one. It’s…everything’s on lockdown over.
So…anyway…skipping ahead…you know, I do that. Things are on Zoom. And it’s…and that makes it a struggle. My thesis film was a struggle…I mean, it was somewhat easy just because I could control a lot more, and I didn’t have to do as much and make it fully fledged, but I had to do pretty much everything, you know. I couldn’t get a, you know…people to edit, I couldn’t get people to do this and that, so…it was still a struggle. But after everything came together, I finished the rest of my classes, graduated, and a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. And then it became…now what?
So after graduating from New York Film Academy, getting my master’s degree in acting for film, I’m trying to figure out what to do. And what people love to ask me as an artist is, “What do I want to do?” That’s not the right question to ask me. I mean, I get it. It comes from a good place, but if I were to tell you what I want to do, first of all, there’s a list ridiculously long. And you know, obviously…I’m an actor, writer, and content creator. I probably should have said that in the beginning. So I want to act, write, and content create. I’m also a huge gamer. That’s as big a part of my life as anything. I also like…I also love fitness and keep my body in shape, which I haven’t been so great with lately, but…and that’s just a couple things. But as it pertains to acting, people are like “What type of roles do you want to play?” I’m like…it’s not that I don’t know, but I’ll say “I want to play this, this, this, this,” and they’re like “Pick one thing,” and I’m like “Well, I don’t know, like!”
QM/CB: “Pick one thing”…isn’t that an awful question?
JC: Yeah..
QM/CB: Or not question, that’s a statement, but I get that a lot, too. “PICK SOMETHING!” And it’s like, “AAAAAAUUGGGHHHHH!”
JC: And I get it. These people have had way more experience than me in the business are telling me how the business looks at you, and they want to put you in categories. And I’m aware of that. And I can work with that, because I want to be successful.
QM/CB: Mm-hmmm…
JC: But a lot of people…Here’s what I’m getting at. Now, I sort of just lost the thought…that…you know, there was this point in time where I almost threw my hands up and said, “You know what, forget auditioning for all these people that I want to reach out to them, and they don’t even see me audition. Forget this. I’m going to write the movies that I want to be in. I’m just going to stand in front of a computer and content create. I’m going to do this.” And I’m like…now wait a minute. I think that’s masturbation.
QM/CB: Whoa! Okay, tell me more about that. Why would you say that creating your content is masturbation?
JC: Because…no, no, no…not creating my content, because I think…you know, as an artist, you know…you want to express yourselves, and I think anybody wanting to express themselves…that’s true art. But I really want to grow, and that requires me to work with other people and also be the vessel to help create their vision as well. So that’s the thing. In terms of just personal happiness and doing what I want to do and being true to myself, yeah. My art – my rules – my way – awesome, but I also want to just grow, and I can’t be just left to my own devices if I really want to grow as much as I can.
QM/CB: I hear that, that balance between working with others, playing the game in the business, and then doing the stuff that makes you happy. And that’s a, you know, it’s a tough balance to strike for sure.
JC: Yeah, um…I’m sorry if I used a word I wasn’t supposed to use…
QM/CB: Oh no! Dude, whatever. It’s all good. Even if my students find it, I’m sure they know what that is. But you know, there was something I wanted to ask you about that I found really fascinating about your story. And that was that you went from an interest in video games and gaming to an interest in acting, and that’s kind of an interesting bridge that I don’t really hear very often, and is there more than you can tell me about that? How you went from one to the other?
JC: Well, so you know, like I said, video games, it goes back to childhood. But before video games, I was like, a huge couch potato as a kid. Like I love movies, and shows. I didn’t just like to watch them; I liked to talk about them. I was a kid like “Oh, oh, there was this part in the movie where this thing had been…and that happened…and what do you think about this?” And some people look at me crazy like…”Why are you saying all this? Just watch the movie!” And then when I discovered video games, I was really into that and movies and shows. And the thing is, I look at these characters and these stories and I want to be a part of them. I want to tell the stories. I want to be the character in the stories. I don’t just want to live vicariously through these characters and beings and narratives. I want to be part of it. So I’m just creative like that, and you know, video games, that’s interactive art. You CAN be the character. And it…it’s empowering, in a way, and not to just get too off track, but you know…I love gaming and stuff like that. But the weakness to it is, and I’m not saying anything bad about gaming…but the drawback to it is, is that world is so fun and immersive because you have control.
QM/CB: Mmm-hmmm…
JC: You have control, like…the game is designed for you to succeed. So it’s easy to get lost in it. It may be hard, you may die a million times. You may be garbage at it. That game is set up for you to succeed. All you gotta do is get better. And if you…and if you…if you’re not that confident in your skill, and you want to have fun, lower the difficulty. Go from hard, put it on easy mode. If you’re playing against an actual person that’s destroying you…well, all you gotta do to beat them is get skill. You know…it’s…there’s so much you control. Life? I mean…it’s not like that. I look at it as a game in a sense, but everybody’s playing with different rules. And it’s not an “A + B = C” thing. So…I don’t know how well I answered the question, “How did that translate to acting?” But I’m just a creative person that loves to immerse myself in the worlds that I like to observe and consume.
QM/CB: That was what I heard, you know…I heard that for you, in a lot of ways, it’s about the story, right. That’s what you like about the games, and that’s also what you like about the acting, and I think that’s cool…you talk about “immersing yourself in that world.” Two questions came to mind. I’m gonna ask the first one is like, the easy one…then I’ll do the more complicated one. What kinds of games do you like to play? Like, what do you recommend? Because I’d love to get immersed in these worlds you’re telling me about.
JC: Okay, well…I have a couple favorite genres, like two or three. So fighting games…now that’s simple and straightforward. You pick a character, and you beat the other character up.
QM/CB: Right…
JC: And I like…and I’m sort of a competitive person, so it’s right up my alley, and I just like…it drives you to keep improving yourself.
QM/CB: So like, which ones? Which fighting games?
JC: Which fighting games?
QM/CB: Yeah!
JC: Smash Brothers is a big one…
QM/CB: Oh, nice!
JC: …though people debate if that’s actually a real fighting game. I also like the standard Street Fighter…
QM/CB: I was gonna say Street Fighter, but I was like, “Am I dating myself if I talk about Street Fighter?”
JC: I also like Mortal Kombat…I mean, there’s so many fighting games that I like. Now also, RPG’s. That’s a big one, because RPG’s, in case you don’t know, role-playing games…
QM/CB: Role-playing games, oh, I know…
JC: And it’s…I like that, because you get to level up and constantly improve your character. They put a lot of care into the story and things like that. And it’s very much character-based. And I don’t just play video games. I play table-top role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons and things like that. I like to build my character, improve them, and just get kind of lost in the story. So those are two big genres that I really like.
QM/CB: That’s awesome. My brother used to play this game called “Assassin’s Creed” – do you know this game?
JC: Oh yeah – yeah, I know it.
QM/CB: Yeah, and I used to always come in the living room, and he’d be playing this game. And you know, they’ve got all these details, and, you know…we already talked about masturbation, so we might as well talk about whores. You know, there’s whores in those games, and things like that. And I would see my brother play this game, and I’d be like “Wow! Like, that looks like so much fun! And I’d rather be doing that then like, living in this world!” So I hear what you’re saying about getting lost in it, because you have control right?
JC: And I love it, and I have no shame in playing games, but careful, now, because, it can be so addictive, like “Oh, my life is like a big mess…but in like, Grand Theft Auto, I have like, three mansions, and cars I can never afford.”
QM/CB: That’s funny. Yeah, so you gotta walk that line.
JC: Yeah, definitely. But I mean, that’s the case with anything. If you have more than one love or passion, you’ve got to put the right amount of care and at the right time to make your life balanced. And sometimes if you have a lot of things that you’re into like me, one thing gets more weight than the others, like…just be careful in balancing your life.
QM/CB: Yeah, it’s a challenge for sure. That leads me into the other question that I wanted to ask you, kind of about another interest that you’ve talked about. So I was checking out your YouTube. And you have this hilarious video about the guy who gets eaten by the raptor in Jurassic Park. I’m gonna make sure there’s a link so all the people that are watching can see this video, because it’s so funny. And you talk about your love of Jurassic Park, which, by the way, I also love…
JC: Okay…
QM/CB: And I feel relieved, because you’re younger than me, and you still know what Jurassic Park is, so…phew! But tell us about like, why you love movie and how you decided to make that video.
JC: Okay, so that…now that was “Lost World” Jurassic Park.
QM/CB: “Lost World,” okay.
JC: The original Jurassic Park is my favorite movie because it’s…I mean, I loved animals as a kid, and I loved dinosaurs…but this movie was…I looked at these things, and I’m like, “This is real!” Because the…the dinosaurs, they look so realistic. And they told a story that like, a six-year-old can understand. At least I understood it, so I’m like, “Oh, all they have to do is take the blood out of mosquitos, and do a bunch of other science-y stuff, and now you have dinosaurs!” Like, I totally understand this. At six years old, I’m like “This could definitely be real!” So it made me forget when I was watching it, like, that this is basically impossible science. But I’m like…it feels so real, and that’s…that’s I think, the key to anything, you know, art-wise…it makes it feel real. It’s truthful, in a way. So it just pulled me in. And obviously, the action and all the cool stuff that happens, you know…giant T-rex’s. You’ve got these cool over-the-top characters like Ian Malcolm…
QM/CB: Ian Malcolm…yep…
JC: And a bunch of cool kids in there. I thought the guy…Michael…I forget his name…Eric Something, but…the one who played the little kid…I thought he was the coolest kid when I was a kid. I was like, “I want to be that kid.”
QM/CB: I wanted to be the girl who’s the hacker…I was like “Oh, I wanna be a hacker!”
JC: Yeah, that was…that was such a great movie. Nothing tops it. Now, the other movies afterwards I don’t think were as good, but I didn’t think they were bad. And “Lost World” – I’ve seen that movie so many times. And I always go back to that scene where they’re in the tall grass and they’re like, and the guy’s like “Don’t go in the long grass!” And they gotta go through it, and all the raptors are hunting them. And the one guy, he turns and he sees the raptor, and he’s like “AAAUUHGHHHHH!!” And I’m like…it’s so funny, because it’s so appropriate…like, what does your brain do when you see a giant raptor? It’s like…you’re not Jason Bourne, you’re gonna just sidestep him as soon as you see that…it’s just like…you’re brain is just doing…you’ve never experienced this before. And I…I think that guy…I don’t know who he is, but I think that people should know…
QM/CB: He needs to have an Instagram.
JC: Yeah…
QM/CB: That’s awesome. Okay, so another…okay…again, two questions, we’ll probably get to both of them. The first one is, I wanted to go back to when you were back at community college and you were starting to get interested in acting, and you would go to that acting class, and you would sit there, and then one day, the teacher’s like “Hey! Wanna join?” You know? And that was so interesting to me, because as a teacher, I often see like, the quiet kid, and it’s such a hard call as a teacher to know, okay, when do I just like let that kid be quiet, and when do I invite that kid to participate? And I was wondering if there was anything about like, the way that teacher asked you or like…where you were in your own process that made you finally say, “Okay…I’m gonna do this.”
JC: Well, it…it happened the first day, so it wasn’t like a thing that just kept going on. The teacher, he very much had this old school type of way. Very much like…it’s like what you see in the movies. “Hey, you there! You look like you know stuff about stuff! You do that.” And I think…I was hoping for it. I was hoping that he would say it’s okay for me to join them, because me being a already a major in game design, I was…it’s like I wanted permission. And I think that’s one of the weaknesses that I have. I always want permission for things because I’m kind of on the fence, and I need someone to push me to either side. Maybe in your heart, you really know what you really want to do or should do, but there’s that other thing that anxiety from the other side that’s keeping you from doing it. So I really wanted him to be invited in. And he pulled me in there.
QM/CB: That’s cool, okay. So I guess he read you accurately – that you wanted to do it.
JC: Yeah.
QM/CB: And that’s cool that he gave you that permission. I know what you’re talking about, by the way – the needing permission – because I’m thinking, “If I decide to do it, it must not be a good idea! Someone else has to tell me that it’s okay.”
JC: And by the way, the acting teacher, in case anyone knows him, is Igene Koma. He has…I don’t know what he’s doing right now at this moment, but he has a…he’s a seasoned actor, has plenty of credits under his belt.
QM/CB: Awesome! That’s cool, and so it’s even cooler that this person who had this intuition to give you permission was also someone who had that background and that street cred…like, that’s, you know…I bet that was a big deal for you, for him to be like, “Let’s go!’
JC: Yeah, yeah.
QM/CB: That’s awesome. So my next question for you is about, you know, we talked earlier about that annoying question, like “If you could do anything that you dreamed of, like, what would you be doing?” And you know, whatever answer we give, it’s like “Oh, but you have to pick something!” you know? So I wanted to try a different take on that question, which is…you know, you’ve talked about creating worlds. What kinds of worlds would you like to create?
JC: Okay, well…I am really attached to sci-fi, horror, and fantasy. Not that the more realistic realm-y stuff is bad, because I love all of that stuff. But sci-fi, horror, and fantasy…I don’t know…something about that is just…something that pulls me in. Maybe it’s the fantasy of, you know, anything can happen…it’s always that chosen hero. So the regular guy that wasn’t ready for any of this stuff or girl just…or anything…you know…they get pulled into this world, and it’s like…they get taken into this adventure. And like I love the never ending story, page master, like…anything that’s like, you know, you have this grand…because everyone is the hero of their own story in real life. And they want that…and it’s very much an amazing sort of surreal thing when things start happening to you so…And I always want to be that. You know, I want to explore this adventurous side that I know is inside of me. And when it comes to sci-fi, the thing with that is…it’s…it sort of grounds everything in the reality, because what makes something sci-fi is all the crazy, unbelievable things that happen in fantasy happen in sci-fi, as well, but they explain it through science, and it’s more real. It’s like…it’s basically magic, but it’s science. And that idea of we can get to something amazing where we have flying cars…where everything we have…holograms on everything, or where something that was impossible…like dinosaurs existing…well, that’s a good idea…no, it’s a terrible idea…but it can happen, because the science gives it the possibility of happening. And, now horror…that is something that can fall into many different categories. It can be something realistic, it can be something sci-fi or fantasy. But the cool thing about horror is…I feel like it’s a safe way to explore something unsafe, you know? It’s like being on a roller coaster, which I’m not a big fan of roller coasters…
QM/CB: No, me either…
JC: But it’s…it’s something like that, you can explore that…that dark side, that side of you, whether it’s a dark side of you or just explore a situation that you never want to be in, but you can sort of explore it through horror. And it kind of makes you feel alive by just…you know they’re dealing with something, like…oh, this can kill you, this dangerous situation…it puts fear in you! But you’re watching it on a TV screen, so you can kind of just…so you’re safe from that, more or less. A lot of people don’t like horror films, and I totally get it…
QM/CB: Yeah, that’s me…that’s me…I’m like, “I’ll just watch the news if I want to be scared.” But I never thought of it the way you just said, like…making something unsafe to explore kind of safe. That’s interesting.
JC: Yeah…and by the way, I can’t watch the news…I can’t…I can’t stomach it! Sometimes I end up watching it, and then I regret it. But anyway.
QM/CB: Yeah, no. Same, same! So…I’m interested to know, because you told me that you’re working on some projects right now. Like, I think you mentioned a short film, and things like that. What do you have going on right now?
JC: The short film, it’s in the second draft. If I wanted to film it right now, I could, and people would be scratching out the typos, and maybe I would have a few things that I might want to change, but basically, it’s an eleven page, full-fledged short film that I have written. And it’s a comedy. It’s pretty raunchy. Some people read it, and they… I generally have good responses. One person’s like, “Oh…is this a comedy?” They were a little bit too offended, but I don’t…I talked to a friend who’s very aware of certain things, and he’s like “This is exactly the right level of offensive. It’s right on that little line where I don’t think it’s problematic, but it’s like right, right below that line.”
QM/CB: So what’s it about? Now I want to know!
JC: Well, it’s essentially about…and I’m terrible at the pitch…but like, it’s essentially about one kid spills accidentally he’s walking, and spills his entire lunch tray on this girl, and she being like the school bully, wants to fight him after school. And he’s trying that entire day to avoid that fight from happening, but nothing is seeming to work. So, um…
QM/CB: Wow! I like that. And that’s interesting, because you just talked about, you know, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, all these things…and then this thing that you’ve written…it’s taking place within like…within this world.
JC: Yeah, it is kind of funny. I never thought of it that way. I think that my sci-fi and fantasy stories are very…are very grand, so I don’t know how much…how well I’ll condense them into a short film, but I…I never thought about that. But a couple other things that I’m working on. I am working on…what I want to see in most of my work and the work today that other people do…I want to see more…I want to see more queer films and more queer shows, because I’m a queer person myself, and I don’t have any label whatsoever, you know…but I think that…I think Hollywood…I’m just gonna say it…I think Hollywood is too straight and too white. Sorry.
QM/CB: Nothing to be sorry for; it’s true!
JC: And I…and it’s funny, like…I think there could definitely be some queer fantasies and queer horror films and queer sci-fi films…but right now, the world, the market, it’s so small…for the LGBTQIA+ community that they kind of fit into their own genre, which I think is great that we have that now, but branch off into other…other things, and there’s a queer fantasy actually, too, that I’m working on right now. And I want to…I want to write a little each day and that’s going to take a little bit of time.
QM/CB: Mmm-hmmm…
JC: So that…the two features, one feature I’m working on, I’m going to focus on right now. And then the short film that I’m trying to do something with are the two major things, and there’s also this thing that I’m going to be doing on my YouTube page. I cannot talk about it, because it will give it away…but I…I could tell you after this, but if I talk about it now, it’s going to give it away, but once I do it, it’s going to be this huge undertaking that’s going to take a lot of…okay, well, I can just say kind of what it is. It’s a challenge. It’s a challenge, but it’s not going to be a challenge that’s going to end up getting someone hurt or killed. I mean,
QM/CB: Okay…
JC: …these challenges are getting out of control. But it’s a challenge, and that I’m going to put out there for people, and it’s also going to be a challenge for myself. I can’t…I can’t talk about what it is, because it’ll totally give it away. But that’s one big thing that I’m going to do, so…when I’m going to do with my YouTube page, I probably might show this on Instagram too, yeah…and my short film, that I have to figure out what I’m going to do with, and you know, touch it up a little bit…and the feature. The feature is also something ideally that once I write it, I don’t just put it out there as a feature film, but I’m thinking of staging it first, because there’s a lot of venues and opportunities to do something. Well, I gotta double check on that, because COVID and everything…
QM/CB: Right…
JC: But if I get this story out there, I’m very confident that people will love it and get behind it, so.
QM/CB: Awesome!
JC: So these are things I’m working on right now.
QM/CB: Okay, so the mystery YouTube challenge, and the feature, and your short film. That’s a lot! You got a lot going on.
JC: Yeah.
QM/CB: That’s awesome, oh…go ahead.
JC: And one last thing in regards to that. I’m still acting right now. There’s a million areas of my life that need fixing, so I’m kind of working at that. I do…I am set up with a company with some background work, but I’m trying to…I’m trying to work on things, like I gotta update my headshot. I have to get various things with my life situated, like getting a day job, for example, to sort of make things work…but that’s still there, too. 100%.
QM/CM: Well, and I mean, I think those things, like I know what you’re talking about, because we all have those things, like those areas that need fixing, you know. I just think, I really get excited when people are working on the kinds of things you’re working on even though all those other small alligators are biting – you know what I’m saying? So that’s really cool, especially in these crazy times. So I hope you’ll keep me posted on what you’re doing, and I look forward to the next time I interview you, which is going to be about your YouTube challenge. You can give us all the details, because we’re all dying to hear what you’re going to do!
JC: …all the details.
QM/CB: Tell folks where they can find you like on the Internet, on Instagram, on Facebook, you know…your preferred methods of…talking to folks.
JC: So my preferred methods of you reaching out to me are…you can find me on Instagram…it’s Johnathan, J – O – H – N – A – T – H – A -N dot Clouser, C – L – O – U – S – E – R (@Johnathan.Clouser). I definitely want to make it something shorter, but…that’s my Instagram. And my YouTube, my name on YouTube is just Johnathan Clouser, same as mine, J – O – H – N – A – T – H – A -N. But the thing is, now, because of YouTube, because I made my name a long time ago, I can’t change it until I get 100 subscribers. So…subscribe. Now, but my name is actually ZekersaurusRex.
QM/CB: Zekersaurus – yeah, that’s where I think I watched the awesome raptor video.
JC: So Z-e-k-e-r-s-a-u-r-u-s…
QM/CB:…yep….
JC: Rex…R-E-X…at YouTube…it’s on YouTube.
QM/CB: It’s on YouTube. Okay, and what I’ll do is put links so people can find it.
JC: Yes, please put links, because we’re recording on Zoom right now, but I forget there’s going to be a whole YouTube video, so…
QM/CB: So I’ll put that there…
JC: I may have botched everything, my own YouTube, my own name, whatever…but you can see the links below, so.
QM/CB: Awesome, okay very, very cool. Well, Johnathan, I really appreciate you hanging out with me today, and I’m gonna be…I’m gonna be thinking about worlds all day long, and I hope that everybody else will, too. And, yeah…thanks for being on the show!
JC: Thanks for having me!
QM/CB: Okay!
JC: All right…bye!