Today we’d like to introduce you to Chauncey Johnson.
Hi Chauncey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I wanted to be in entertainment since I was young, but I had no direction. People would tell me things like my opportunity was small or I don’t have what it takes. They likely said those things because they didn’t know any better or it was a reflection of their own failed dreams. But, that was when I decided to study journalism, I wanted to be a radio personality. I started working for the number 1 radio station in Detroit, MI, doing promotions and programming. When things started changing at the radio station, I took a job in Chicago working on mobile marketing tours, and it was by far one of the best experiences. I traveled the states promoting products, exploring cities, and going places I never dreamt of. While living and working in San Francisco, I was cast in a film, and the set, the people, the family-like atmosphere, and the feeling of creating something that’s bigger than me attacked me like a swarm of bees.
After a few more years of living on the road, I finally moved to NYC to become an actor. When I got to the city, I hit the ground running, getting audition after audition, and I didn’t book any of those jobs. I wasn’t in the union, no agent, and I worked on short Indie films, but like most starving actors in NYC, I got into doing theater. I was in theater productions that were so far off from broadway you couldn’t even smell the success of what was happening on broadway. Then I got a chance to audition for a theater production, but I needed a comedic monologue. So I wrote a monologue that was funny enough for me to get the part in this production. Once it was over, I started studying improv and sketch writing at UCB (Upright Citizen Brigade). Trained in theater improv classes with Second City alum Scotty Watson and got a private acting coach Mr. Anthony Abeson. I found myself in the union and working on shows like Shades Of Blue, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, a film called Soul Santa, and a few others. Then my Business partner Katherine Marie and I came together to create our own production company Alpha Stella Productions, and we found our place in this business. I wrote two awarding winning short films, Katherine was the best director nominee, and we have been to countless film festivals. However, we have bigger plans to put out a feature film called Between The Lines and create a tv series based on our more recent short film Control, which won the best thriller at The Manhattan Film Festival.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been smooth, but I think life is like that sometimes. People work hard to be in a position to do the things they want their way, and it is tough to succeed your way. As an actor with a disability living with hearing loss, there was a time when my agent would only submit me for roles where the characters shared my disability. I had situations where I could not get in the room to show my range as an actor. I kept going, I kept fighting to get seen, and now as a writer and director, I submit my projects to film festivals, and a lot of the main festivals I wanted to get in, our films were not selected. When you believe in what you’re doing, the road, no matter how rough it can get, will always be worth the ride if you believe in yourself and your goal. Some of the other challenges I had to face were being with the right people. The team you have behind you is just as important as your talent. It’s even more important when you’re putting a production team together and you want to start producing all of your own content. We don’t have to agree with everything, but we need to listen with an open heart and open mind. I have worked in a writer’s room before and sometimes your ideas don’t always work but you can’t look at that as being a dig at your level of intelligence, it’s just not the right idea at this moment. I’m sure no matter how successful I become, there will always be new challenges to overcome.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an actor, screenwriter, and director. For the last 3 years, I have been working on short films and a feature and been producing my works with my production company called Alpha Stella Productions. So far, we have made two award-winning short films, And Then There Was Damien and Control which won the best thriller award at the Manhattan Film Festival. That was indeed a very proud moment for me and my team, our director Katherine Marie was nominated for the best director award during the New York Woman’s International Film Festival. Winning the awards felt great but nothing topped the experience of seeing your work on the big screen. The Short Film Control was a personal film that I wrote and I played the main character, to see my face and my vision and my story on the big screen was worth it all. I like writing stories about how I feel about certain things and I like to get personal with my stories which is what I think sets me apart from others. Also, the thing that sets my production company apart from others is our level of conciseness toward our society and social issues. We’re inclusive and work with unknown actors, we want to give as many people as we can a chance to be in this business and we want to work with people that have something to say.
What makes you happy?
To be honest, I think what makes me happy outside of family and friends is the ability to look back at my life and see where I’ve been, and the things I’ve done, and can say without a doubt that I never gave up. I love the fact that I have done things in my life that no one can take from me, from working on the radio, traveling the states, traveling to other parts of the world, and letting my determination guide me. I’m happy that I can say I did it my way, and what will make my life even better will be the fact that others find inspiration from me and go against the grain to pave the way for their own legacy. I’m also happy when I get some really good pizza and can watch a good movie.
Contact Info:
- Website: Alphastellaproductions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alphastellaproductions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alphastellaproductions/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlphaStellaProd
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlphaStellaProductions
