Meet Alec Clawson | Filmmaker & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alec Clawson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alec, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business was plain and simple; do the work while the world is stuck inside. When COVID was on the rise, I began venturing into my prodcution company. I was in between what I was used to my whole life, which was dancing, choreographing and creative directing, and my dream of becoming a writer/director.

The time alone in my house, pondering my next steps, were what struck a cord inside me. It’s something I’ve tried doing with other people in my life but it always fell short. This would be my first opportunity to conduct business and creative endeavors MY way and on MY time.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Since I was basically a baby, I’ve grown up in the arts. My dad was a choreographer and dance teacher, and I grew up as a dance studio kid competing in competitions throughout the East coast. At around 15 years old, I was putting performances together for stage in Los Angeles, as well as creating short dance films on my off time. I then joined Michael Jackson ONE By Cirque du Soleil at 22, and that’s where I had an opportunity to really learn how creative direction and stage direction worked.

The thing I’m most proud of, or should I say thankful for, is switching gears in my career to focus on a future that I can withstand for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, dance has a shelf life and although I will still choreograph throughout the course of time, filmmaking / writing is something that I visualize doing forever. I chose the hardest profession to break into as far as “making it in the industry” goes, but there’s still a lot of time and I am very patient.

None of what I have or continue to do will be an easy task. I could spend 3 years writing a screenplay, get it made, and have zero response from it. Then I will start back in the writing room and do it all over again. That cheesy phrase of “it’s not the destination, but it is the journey” pops into my head a lot. I don’t do thisfor the recognition or the money. My love for art has no ending, and so I will continue to push towards becoming my most honest self within the craft.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
So, living in Las Vegas has it’s perks when it comes to doing fun things. As an introvert, this place is a nightmare. However, the best things to do in this town, for me, is eat.

I met my wife at a restaurant off the strip called Imperial Tacos & Beer. Hands down the best tacos in town (and maybe anywhere). I could spend hours there drinking pints of margaritas and talking to good friends.

There’s one place in Vegas that’s super dope and has the wildest immersive art installation and that’s Omega Mart by Meow Wolf. It seems like a grocery store on the outside but when you start to figure out there are secret portals to this otherwordly dimension of art and interactive rooms it’s like being a kid again. What’s so great is that all of these local artists came in to help build and create it, which is why it holds a special place in my heart.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The main reason I am where I am in my company’s journey is because of my Wife, Dominique. Without her support, care and overall selflessness is why I am even pursuing a future with my filmmaking future.

In regards to how I’ve learned the skills to do what’s required within this career, I’d love to give a shoutout to YouTube. I know…that sounds hilarious, but hear me out. The stigma nowadays with going to film school is the main reason I never cared to go to college and get a degree in film. We live in an age where if I want to learn what a follow focus is and how to use it, or a lighting setup, or how to distiguish the differences between OBJECTIVE and SUBJECTIVE storytelling for a screenplay, I can go on “YouTube University” as I like to call it, and learn. Every thing I’ve made is either from trial and error or because the internet has given me the knowledge to get things accomplished.

Website: anomalyfilm.net

Instagram: @anomaly.film