Chasing The George

Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. I have a big win to announce! Our feature film script, “The Third Act”, is headed to this year’s Cannes Film Festival!

But first, let me quickly catch you up on our script’s journey. It started in September 2019 when master teacher and actor Richard Lawson pitched a story idea to his Professional Development Program 3.0 Collective. The Collective worked together each week in class to develop Richard’s story idea. In mid-2022, the journey evolved when the Collective appointed Kelly and me to take over and write the actual script. Kelly and I devoted the rest of 2022 to making sense of all the extensive work, notes, and research that the Collective produced. We combed through various story ideas, numerous character possibilities and breakdowns, visuals, and other inspiring production design elements. We revised the logline and central question to reveal and support the story we ultimately decided to tell. In January 2023, we took the big step of writing the script. On May 9th, 2024, Kelly and I finished the first draft of the script. It came in at 166 pages LOL. Keep reading below 🙂

We then had a successful table read on July 14th, 2024. This reading proved that we had a special and viable story on our hands. Immediately after the reading, we continued to receive wonderful feedback from fellow artists and industry professionals who had also read the script, including Emmy-nominated writer Jeffrey Alan Schechter, further cementing the fact that we had a powerful story in our possession. The Collective met weekly again to read through and organize all the feedback we received. In addition, we had a director come to class to expand upon the notes he provided. We also had a prominent industry executive share his wisdom and expertise on marketing, distribution strategies, budgeting, pitch decks, and the various components that make a script engaging and commercially viable. Finally, Kelly and I received our marching orders to work on a second draft of the script. We carefully combed through the feedback and either implemented or discarded it. We met consistently to write. We then encountered life challenges that temporarily took us off the path. We overcame them and reunited to write again. We persisted through several ups and downs. Keep reading below 🙂

Recently, on March 24th, the Collective had a meeting during which Richard shared some exciting business developments for the script, including inroads to potential investor opportunities through an amazing program called Largo. Largo “benefits a feature film script by providing data-driven, scene-by-scene analysis to optimize storytelling, emotional intensity, and character consistency. It helps filmmakers identify genre, predict audience reception, and suggest suitable casting, allowing producers and writers to refine narratives for better financial and creative success. Additionally, Largo.ai hosts pitch competitions at major film festivals like the American Film Market, Berlin International Film Festival, and Cannes Film Festival. These events provide filmmakers with a platform to present their projects to a global audience of industry professionals, increasing their visibility and potential for funding and distribution deals.” Read the full article here. Richard informed us that he submitted “The Third Act” for Largo’s pitch competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival! Keep reading below 🙂

On April 8th, Richard reached out to the Collective to say he was selected to pitch “The Third Act”! The email notification said, “Thank you again for applying to Largo.ai’s pitching event at the Marché du Film in Cannes…We are very happy to announce that you have been selected to pitch The Third Act on stage!” Woo hoo! Out of the numerous submissions received, Largo only selected 20 people to pitch! Woo hoo! Richard also shared the incredible news the following day in his class. Richard, Kelly, and I met on April 13th to finalize the script and include it in the pitching package for Largo. Keep reading below 🙂

This pitch opportunity is an incredible win, and we are postulating amazing results. We are grateful. We are excited. I can’t underestimate how big this win is. It’s a testament to showing up and sustaining the effort. Richard told us that he’s pitching on May 14th. I looked at my calendar and told him that the 14th is “Ascension Day.” This day commemorates Jesus Christ ascending into heaven 40 days after resurrecting from the dead on Easter Sunday. I said that’s a beautiful, powerful day to pitch because God will literally be with us! Keep reading below 🙂

See you next week!

Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. We are now in the second quarter of the year. Are you still in it to win it? I hope so! If not, this is a call to battle.

We started the year strong! Everything was shiny and new back in January, full of exciting possibilities and promises for the year ahead. We felt as if we could conquer anything! We made passionate proclamations about what we would achieve from every rooftop and social media platform. The road was wide open, and it was pedal to the metal. Q1 was our ally and friend. And now, Q2 can potentially be our deflector and antagonist. Things may not feel so shiny and new anymore. There might be a bit of a slump. We may be in the thick of the woods and not see an end in sight. We have nine more long months to go. Q2 may even tell us, “Take a break. Slow down. Better yet, give up.” Keep reading below 🙂

How do I keep the “Chasing” part of the blog alive when the initial burst of yearly energy potentially fades? It reminds me of when I recently blogged about conquering the “re-entry” struggle after an exciting trip. So let me channel my inner warrior to call for a battle against Q2—this is worth repeating for myself and others. Keep reading below 🙂

O ye, stick to and utilize your DOIN (Declaration Of Independence, aka business plan). That is your tangible roadmap. And if needed, audit your DOIN. See where the missing pieces are. This action gave me the additional fuel needed to achieve my primary goal for the year. O ye, be part of a career administration group where you hold each other accountable for your weekly goals. Two or more heads are better than one. O ye, be part of a community of like-minded artists who understand the marathon and sustained effort it takes to maintain the ups and downs of a career. Get thee to a great artistic school like Richard Lawson Studios 🙂 O ye, read your raison d’être to remember why you are on this particular journey. O ye, remember to celebrate your wins. Taking the time to celebrate will solidify your wins and help you get back on the road with renewed energy and purpose. O ye, it’s okay to step away when you get stumped on a project. Go for a walk and clear your mind. Take a shower and clear your mind. Eat something healthy and clear your mind. Then, return to your project and attack it. O ye, keep writing. O ye, nourish your relationship map. Keep it strong and healthy. Meaningful connections are the building blocks of your career. O ye, do things that scare you. And then repeat. O ye, stay updated with what’s happening in this ever-evolving industry (e.g., vertical content). Keep reading below 🙂

See you next week!

Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. I recently wrote about returning from a high-octane trip and diving straight into an audit of my DOIN (Declaration Of Independence, aka business plan). That audit provided the honest, additional fuel I needed to conquer the “re-entry” struggle and move forward with achieving my primary goal for the year, which is to secure top-tier literary representation with agents who are energized by my voice and committed to my career.

Thanks to my DOIN audit, I saw the missing pieces and identified new action items to help me reach that milestone. One of those items was to finish the second draft of “The Third Act” script with my writing partner. Now you might be saying, “Wait a minute, you two have already been working on the second draft. That is not a new action item.” Yes, we have been working on the second draft. And yes, it is not a new action item. However, it has been a while since we last met to write. We temporarily fell off the path, and my audit helped me realize this was a missing piece of the puzzle. It shone a big spotlight on it. It grabbed a megaphone and shouted, “Hey! Remember this amazing script?! You two wanna finish it?!” Before the audit, we made wonderful progress applying and discarding the various notes we received from the table read and from other industry folks. We got halfway through the script and trimmed down many pages of unnecessary fat. Keep reading below 🙂

The audit inspired me to take a few actions. For example, I rewrote and restructured numerous scenes in the second half of the script. I reached out to my writing partner to schedule a meeting. I also asked her to email me a pivotal scene that she rewrote. After taking these actions, I surveyed the landscape and realized we had a few scenes left to finish the second draft. The finish line is now visible, and I want to thank my DOIN audit for kickstarting this writing journey again! By the way, my writing partner and I met on April 1st and had a fabulous and productive writing meeting. And from that meeting, we discovered that we only have four more scenes to rewrite!!!! Keep reading below 🙂

****One more thing! On March 24th, the PDP Collective had a meeting during which Richard Lawson shared some exciting business developments for the script, including inroads to potential investor opportunities. This meeting also provided an additional boost of adrenaline to finish the second draft. This script is a ticket to our party. This special story has heart and humanity. It captures interest and attention. Keep reading below 🙂

See you next week!

Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. We have reached the end of the first quarter, and I would like to take this opportunity to recap some of my wins. Reflecting upon these accomplishments helps to put things into perspective in terms of my progress. It also provides an opportunity to celebrate the things I have accomplished so far on my 2026 artistic journey. So join me as I recap seven of my first-quarter wins.

1. I kicked off 2026 by updating my DOIN (Declaration Of Independence, aka business plan) and being clear about what I want this year to be about. Updating my DOIN helped me transition from planning to active execution, allowing me to hit the ground running in January.

2. My artistic website! After dealing with setbacks on a few platforms, including deleting an entire website draft and starting over, I successfully built and launched my site. I also decided to include both my acting and writing journeys to showcase and highlight myself as a multi-hyphenate artist.

3. Second draft rewrites continued with “The Third Act” feature film script. This script will be a ticket to our own party!

4. Pre-travel and post-trip career administration management. This management was a win because I maintained my career momentum before and after my trip to Las Vegas. Particularly notable was auditing my DOIN upon returning and discovering new action items to bring me closer to achieving my goals for this year.

5. Weekly career administration. With my administration plans and goals in place, I have been able to move my career forward from one week to the next. I am grateful for being able to do this and not allowing things to pull me off the path.

6. My weekly career administration meetings. We are still going strong, and I greatly value the accountability that these meetings provide. Truly a great way to start each week.

7. My celebration trip to Las Vegas. As important as career administration is, so too is celebration. I leaned into this trip and celebrated 100 percent. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and received a beautiful reset.

What are some of your wins from the first quarter of 2026? Let me know in the comments below!

Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. Last week, I wrote about returning from a high-octane trip and diving straight into an audit of my DOIN (Declaration Of Independence, aka business plan). That audit provided the honest, additional fuel I needed to move forward and conquer the “re-entry” struggle.

My primary goal for the year is to secure top-tier literary representation with agents who are energized by my voice and committed to my career. To achieve this, I’ve already executed a series of administrative action items that will move me closer to the finish line. Thanks to my DOIN audit, I saw the missing pieces and identified new action items to help me reach that milestone. Let’s take a walk together as I break down the “nitty-gritty” of what’s next. Keep reading below 🙂

From the audit to the administrative grind, here we go! 1) Identify more writing competitions for my latest feature film script. 2) Look up the staff rosters for production companies that align with my aesthetic. 3) Find literary agencies that accept queries. 4) Research ways to increase traffic for my website. 5) Find writer networking opportunities. 6) Choose a writer’s group to join. 7) Finish the second draft of “The Third Act” script with my writing partner, Kelly (we are halfway through the script). Keep reading below 🙂

These steps feel like the next logical progression. They fill the gaps found in my audit, raise my level of production and outflow, and force me to get out there even more. I’ve already tackled items 1 and 2 and have begun work on 3 and 7. Number 7 is a big one because this script is viable. This script resonated with everyone at the table read and with those we’ve shared it with since. This script will be the ticket to our own party! I became so energized that I edited several scenes from the script yesterday. Keep reading below 🙂

I’m excited to add these new action items to my completed list, alongside existing tasks I haven’t tackled yet. Auditing my DOIN proves that it is a living document. This document is not about being perfect, but staying in action. Keep reading below 🙂

See you next week!

Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. One minute, I’m cheering and chanting with 45,719 rugby fans from around the world at the spectacular, state-of-the-art Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Next, I’m staring at a blank laptop screen in my quiet office. Oh, how I miss the glitz, lights, and vibrancy of Vegas. How I miss the initial adrenaline rush of seeing my NRL and Super League rugby teams running out onto the field for the first time in person. How I miss the thrilling tries and field goal kicks. How I miss our hotel room on the 54th floor and the excitement that came along with it (by the way, I love hotel rooms.) Now that it’s over, how do I re-enter the real world and resume with the nitty-gritty details of my career administration? Do I have the willpower to switch from celebration mode to work mode? So what if my brain wants to stay on vacation forever? My career administration can wait another month or two. Right? Right?

This is the “re-entry”–that sometimes jarring experience/phenomenon of coming back from an exciting trip and facing the realities of “the grind.” It can be challenging to get back to work. It can be tempting to continue basking in the glow of celebration even though our DOIN (aka business plan) is yelling at us to continue our administration. Fortunately, and gratefully, I can return to the artistic journey as quickly as possible. First, it’s because I love being an artist. It’s who I am. What I am. I can’t live without my art, and I know that administration is key to fueling and supporting it. Secondly, I understand the importance of momentum. I need to keep moving. Otherwise, things will fall off and die. For example, before I left for Vegas, I created a list of things to tackle when I got back home. Creating that list ensured that I would keep the administration train running. As soon as I returned, I filled my calendar with productive and exciting things to execute. Keep reading below 🙂

Another thing that helped me overcome the “re-entry” struggle was to audit my DOIN. Coming back from this trip and approaching the end of the first quarter provided a perfect opportunity for me to assess my 2026 journey. What are my goals this year? What progress have I made so far with them? Are my action items truly leading me to the fulfillment of my 2026 goals? What obstacles have I faced? Where am I flinching? What new action items do I need to add to achieve my goals? I recognized the progress I’ve made so far and felt a tremendous sense of pride. I also saw the missing pieces and blanks I need to fill in. Auditing my DOIN provided that honest, additional fuel to keep moving forward. Keep reading below 🙂

See you next week!

Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. I conquered pre-travel admin panic and just returned from an exciting trip to Las Vegas, where I celebrated the season-opening games for the National Rugby League. The NRL is the top professional rugby league competition in Australasia, and for the third consecutive year, it has premiered its season-opening games in Vegas. Playing in Vegas at the Allegiant Stadium is part of their five-year plan to expand their presence and visibility within the US market. And for the second year in a row, the Super League, which is the top professional rugby league competition in Britain, joined the party. On the NRL side, it was Newcastle Knights vs. North Queensland Cowboys and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs. St George Illawarra Dragons. On the Super League side, it was Hull KR vs. Leeds Rhinos.

My partner and I have been fans of professional rugby since February 2022, and we knew we had to attend the Vegas games each year. Once again, we had a blast watching the games and celebrating with a wonderful community of fans from all over the world. And for the first time, we participated in events such as team meet-and-greets at the Zouk Nightclub at Resorts World, fan fests in the Fremont District, and talking with vendors and merchants from Australia who set up shop in the Resorts convention hall. In several instances, we ran into players throughout the day and took selfies with them. Super cool. Super awesome. I know they got a kick out of us because we were American fans. Below, I share some media from this incredible trip. Keep reading below 🙂

****But before I do, I wanted to share a quick, cool story! In a previous blog post, I mentioned meeting a prominent literary agent at work this past December (and I have remained in touch with them since then). Well, on the flight to Vegas, I spotted them! What a small world. I approached them, said hello, and quickly explained why I was heading to Vegas. Shortly afterwards, our flight was delayed for several minutes by a coyote on the runway! Fortunately, law enforcement was able to remove them, and we proceeded successfully to Las Vegas. Keep reading below 🙂

Swipe across to see the 12 pictures below:

Below video: Singing Erasure’s “A Little Respect” with my fellow Hull KR fans at the Fremont District fan fest in Las Vegas. This song is one of the team’s anthems!

5 Days, 2 Leagues, and 1 Runway Coyote: My Vegas NRL Takeover!

See you next week!

Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. I’m gearing up for an upcoming celebratory trip, and I had a moment of anxiety because I wasn’t sure I would be able to tackle my career administration beforehand. My new administration week starts every Monday. I leave for my trip on Wednesday. That’s in two days. Will I have time to execute my administration (aka to-do lists) before I leave? Will I have time to formulate a topic for my new blog entry? Can I be artistically productive while packing, vacuuming, taking down Valentine’s Day decorations, and all the other logistics I need to take care of before I leave? Ahhhh! Insert the frightening Psycho theme song here.

I took a breath and realized that there are several things I can do administratively before I leave. One, of course, was to have my weekly career administration meeting with my awesome admin partner. During that meeting, I gained more clarity and confidence that I could indeed tackle things before I leave. It was simply a matter of organization and planning. Write it down in the calendar. Condense the timeline and move things up that I would normally tackle later on in the week. Alternate between packing and conducting administration. I also realized that I could do simple, highly effective things while at the airport. For example, extensive relationship map outflow. Easy. I can also brainstorm and write down more action items for one of my writing goals. (This latter action will give me lots of productive things to do when I return.) Keep reading below 🙂

Is it possible to get administration done before a trip? Yes! Is it possible to perform administration while at the airport and on the plane? Yes! Is this a groundbreaking revelation? Probably not! LOL. But I don’t care! LOL. I just want to make sure I’m setting myself up for success before I leave and when I return. Momentum is everything…especially when I get back from my trip. However, and this is a big however, I also know that celebration is an important and vital part of the artistic journey, so I will definitely have fun and embrace this exciting trip. Keep reading below 🙂

Okay, it’s time to head to Las Vegas to watch the NRL and Super League opening season games! Keep reading below 🙂

See you next week!

Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. On February 1st, I posted a blog entry about going on a journey to create a website for my writing career. On February 15th, I posted a follow-up blog entry in which I expressed the frustrations and roadblocks of creating a website, as well as the breakthroughs and revelations I had during the process. I am proud to announce that I have finished my website and published it on February 18th!!!!!! WOO HOO! I am so proud of the work I have done on my website. I feel an immense sense of pride and joy as I navigate through each page within my website. Folks, I have a landing page, a one-stop shop, for my artistic life! And I own it!

When deciding on a domain name for my website, I settled on Jorge Ortiz Creator. The word “creator” truly encompasses the acting and writing aspects of my career. I am a creator through and through, and my creativity reveals itself through acting and writing. I also decided to keep the colors, fonts, and layouts simple and clean within my website. I want people to navigate my website easily and focus on the information within it. No distractions. No clever gimmicks. Let the content be the star. Keep reading below 🙂

A few takeaways from this process. 1) Don’t give up. There were moments when I wanted to give up on my website. I pushed through by finding a platform that made sense to me and allowed me to embrace the learning curve within it. 2) In putting together my website, I noticed the areas in my artistic portfolio that need to be updated and strengthened. Tackling these areas will be a good challenge. 3) At the same time, I enjoyed seeing some of my past works, things I’ve accomplished, where I am now, and WHERE I AM GOING. Where I am going excites me. I look forward to nourishing my website and watching it serve as a living testament of my artistic life. Keep reading below 🙂

Without further ado or hesitation, here is a link to my website !

See you next week!

Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. On February 1st, I posted a blog entry about going on a journey to create a writer’s website. Well, f#@k websites! LOL. In the days since that posting, I have toiled and struggled for hours to create one from scratch. I started with Wix because I created an actor website through them years ago, and I had a lovely experience. This time around, I found the whole process to be difficult, which is strange because when I created my actor’s website, I didn’t recall it being so difficult. Has website design become more complicated over the years? Does it have more bells and whistles than before? I got frustrated and irritated. I felt the hours passing by. I wanted to pull my hair out, but couldn’t because I have none! I thought about making a deal with God, and possibly with the devil himself, if God didn’t respond. Exhausted, I finally deleted the entire website because I was no longer happy with it. Hooray! I get to start from scratch all over again!

I decided to look up other website-building platforms, such as Canva Pro and WordPress, but I found them to be equally complicated. My eyes started spinning as I read more website lingo and looked through endless templates and designs. I wanted to give up and move on to another goal. However, I am so stubborn and committed to finishing something that I knew I couldn’t quit. I finally switched over to Squarespace and found this platform to be a little more intuitive and user-friendly for ME. Yes, there were definite learning curves along the way, and I still have a ton more to uncover with all the things this platform can do, but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made so far. Keep reading below 🙂

Several more hours into my website journey, I realized that I also wanted to include my acting journey on my website. It didn’t feel right to leave it out. Acting and writing mean the world to me, and they can both co-exist on my website. It just meant that I had to retool and redesign my website to include my acting. Keep reading below 🙂

As the pieces of the puzzle come together, I am getting more excited about my website. I feel a sense of pride and joy in what I am creating, and this website will be a one-stop creative hub, showcasing me as a multi-hyphenate artist. Currently, I am changing my tune from “f#@k websites” to “I like websites.” Perhaps I’ll use the word “love” when I finally hit publish, and my website goes live. Okay, it’s time for me to return to the lab and continue building my website. Keep reading below 🙂

See you next week!