Sustained Effort

Chasing The George

As an interviewer at the Richard Lawson Studios, I sit down and engage with potential students to find out what they’re looking for and to see if the studio is a fit for them.

Potential students ask me a myriad of questions about the studio and about the industry…and I am more than happy to answer their questions. One of the recurring questions that come up is “How long have you been in the industry for?” “How long does it take to make it?” “How long should I do this for?”

And I always answer: You gotta think of this career as a marathon race, not a sprint. Your career is about sustained effort. If this is your Plan A, then this is for life. You put the time and work in every day to sustain and maintain your career. Every career requires sustained effort and a career in the entertainment industry is no different. This is not a “I’ll give it six months” or “I’ll give it a year before I move back home” kind of deal.

First of all, why would you short change yourself like that? Six months? One year? Why wouldn’t you be in it to win it? Demand more from yourself. I never hear doctors or lawyers or other fields say that they’re going to give it six months. I never hear them say, “I’m going to practice medicine for a year or so.” They are in it for life. This is what they want to do. And they put in the time and effort to do so.

Sustained effort. The marathon race. There are no shortcuts. Yes, yes, yes, I know, I know, I know: Sometimes there are exceptions to the rule. But those are exceptions. Keep your nose on the grind. Devote the time to your craft. Take classes and get better. Create your own work outside of class with your community. Stay in the game. Stay sharp. Stay current. Do something specific for your career every single day. See the bigger picture and go after it in a systematic way.

Potential students will ask me: “Why and how are you still in it?”

I’m approaching 14 years in LA and I’m still in the game because of sustained effort. I have a wonderful DOIN’ (Declaration of Independence) aka business plan that keeps me focused and on the path. I have my raison d’être (reason for existence) that keeps me focused and on the path. I have a wonderful community of teachers, friends and mentors that keep me focused and on the path.

But most importantly, this is my Plan A. I have nothing else to fall back on. I LOVE what I do. I LOVE being an artist. And because I love my career, I go after it every day. And I define my growth and success by the things I am able to cross off my DOIN’. I can not, I will not and I do not define my success by comparing myself to how much work my friends and colleagues are booking. By comparing myself to what wins they are having. I can only define success by going after and achieving the things that I have laid out in my DOIN’.

Sustained effort means that when the acting is going slow, I have my writing projects to keep me on my path. When my writing projects are going slow, I have my acting projects to keep me on my path. I am always maintaining sustained effort.

Sustained effort means you put in the hours into your career. You can’t put in a few hours a week into your career and call it a day. Ask a lawyer how much time they put into their career. Ask a doctor how much time they put into their career. Fuck it, ask the Friday PDP 3.0 class how many hours they put into their careers? You are a business and you have to treat it as such. Otherwise, your business will fail and shut down.

You gotta stay in it for the long haul. And in this day and age, that’s a difficult concept for people to wrap their heads around. We live in an age of instant results: Social media, advances in technology, reality television, selfies, instant celebrities and instant fame…this NOW NOW NOW culture makes some people think that they can have a career overnight. And yes, it can and does happen.

I’d rather put in the consistent work and know how to sustain it then fizzle out quickly because I wasn’t really and truly prepared for the journey. I’m about to have a meeting with another manager that can be a game changer for my career. I’m gearing up for an incredible artist retreat that I was personally invited to with other kick-ass artists. People in the industry are reading my works as a writer. Etc.

These recent wins would not have been possible had I stopped and quit. Had I not put in the time. I see what my bigger picture is and I’m working towards it.

Stay in it because sustained effort is something that others will eventually see, recognize and acknowledge. Baby, you’re winning!

Chasing The George

A Blank Canvas.

As artists, we are powerful! We have the power to inspire. The power to change lives. To move people. To affect and create change. To make people think. To make people laugh. To make people cry. To make people rejoice.

Artists are one of the most important groups of people on the planet.

So with your blank canvas, create some art today. Don’t hold back. Be bold. Be brave. Be creative. Be daring. Shock yourself.

Write a song.

Write a poem.

Write a short story.

Dance.

Choreograph a dance.

Pick a scene from a play or a film and rehearse it with a scene partner.

Act.

Sing.

Paint.

Film something.

Go do five minutes of stand up comedy.

Go do five minutes at a poetry slam.

Get your musician friends together and create an improvised jam session.

Design an eco-friendly building.

With a blank canvas in front of you, the possibilities are endless. The world is yours.

Create some art today. Change someone’s life.

Chasing The George

A big thank you to the brilliantly talented actors who acted in my feature film script reading on August 6th! You brought the story and the characters to life. And thank you for asking the next question so that I can go back and make some wonderful and specific tweaks to the script. Thank you for asking the next question! James Franco and I thank you.

Thank you to the following brilliant actors:

Shaw Jones
Beth Pennington
Jenna Skeva
Eileen Galindo
Reed Iacarella
Shang Abrams
Craig Taggart
Donathan Walters
Lindsay Hopper
David Edelstien
Taylor Hawthorne
Jessica Ward

Life Imitates Art

Chasing The George

Life imitates art. As soon as I was wrapped from the set of a film on July 24th, I received an email that same night where life imitated art.

I played a writer repped by ICM who is given an ultimatum by his agent to take a four-day writing seminar to improve his writing or be dropped. The hilarious and touching journey my character goes on from being a loser to becoming a winner is documented in this film that I had the honor of executive producing, co-writing and co-starring in. I acted my ass off. I gave it my all.

As soon as I was wrapped, I immediately pulled over the side of the road and FaceTime’d into a production meeting for another film that I am involved in. That’s fucking BOSS.

As soon as I got home from the production meeting, I received an email from a contact that I have been in touch with for several years. He’s a literary agent at one of the top literary agencies in the world. He wrote,

“Dear Jorge,

We would love for you to join us Labor Day weekend as we are hosting a creative retreat…We are inviting all of our friends who are artists/writers/storytellers/musicians/creatively curious folks to unplug, get off the grid, enjoy nature and bond with other creative spirits…Please check out the registration link below. Let me know if you have any questions. We’d very much love for you to be part of what we hope to be a very special weekend.”

I laughed and nearly fell off my chair. Two hours after I was wrapped from set, two hours after playing a writer who is forced to go to a writing seminar, I received this email! The story of my character came to life. The energy and power of collaboration on this film literally translated into this wonderful, real-life opportunity. I am honored for the invitation. And I’m honored that it’s a positive invitation versus an ultimatum given to me by ICM to take a writing seminar or be dropped. The universe is giving me an opportunity to take my artistry to the next level.

I am learning more and more to trust and not question the power of the universe. To receive. To be open. To just put things out there because it will definitely come back in beautiful ways.

Now, I need to write and shoot a film where my character wins millions of dollars…

Until next time!

Chasing The George

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Chasing The George turns 1 today! (Actual birthday July 10th!)

That’s right! It’s unbelievable how quickly time flies by. Chasing The George is growing up right before our eyes. I feel like a proud parent!

What started off as a recommendation by my teacher Richard Lawson to chronicle my weekly journey as an artist and to share my advice and wisdom with others, has beautifully blossomed into a destination of inspiration for people around the world.

I want to thank all my family, friends, classmates, colleagues, peers, strangers and human beings for being on this wonderful, funny, touching, irreverent and inspiring journey with me for the last year.

I want to thank God.

I want to thank Jesus (my cousin Jesus Ortiz, that is)

I want to thank the Academy.

I want to thank all off the gramur Nazi’s who pointted out all of my spelling errors and inccorrect usage of the english language. Let’s go to lunch and conversate.

I want to thank all the people who publicly and privately wrote in and criticized my blog in which I declared I have artistic tourettes. Here’s the link again because the irony and intention went over your heads: http://wp.me/p8uI5M-2V

I want to thank Madonna. You are my ultimate artistic inspiration and hero, now and forever.

I want to thank RuPaul and his fabulous show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, for helping me re-connect with my inner queen.

I want to thank Trader Joe’s and their sinfully delicious chocolate bundt cakes.

I want to thank Harvey Weinstein, Guy Oseary and Megan Ellison for our brilliant film collaborations.

I want to thank my agents at WME (William Morris Endeavor)

And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my fans! You make this all possible! I love you all!

xoxo

From Dead Last to Top 3!

Chasing The George

Am I talking about being dead last on RuPaul’s Drag Race (You know, the wildly-addictive, funny and touching reality show that looks for America’s next drag superstar)? Am I talking about the drag queens who get eliminated on the first episode of every season like Porkchop, Shangela, Penny Tration, Kelly Mantle, Magnolia Crawford, Tempest DuJour, etc.?

Nope!

I’m talking about being dead last when my classmates and I in the Professional Development Program 3.0 class created a comprehensive points system in January 2016 to track our progression as the CEO’s of ourselves as artistic businesses. The points system covers many different categories of career administration and the value of the points varies from one category to the next. For example, putting up a scene in class is worth a certain amount of points whereas booking a guest star role on a TV series is worth a higher amount of points. Mailing out postcards is worth a certain amount of points and making an industry phone call is worth another amount of points.

What I love about the points system is that it gives me an accurate picture of where I am thriving as an artist and where I am not. Which areas I am strong in and which areas I need to put more attention on. And you have to be honest about giving yourself points in the different categories because it’s an honest look at your career administration. To cheat the points system in order to be ahead of others only hurts yourself. To cheat and add points that weren’t earned only hurts yourself in the long run. We are a business. We punch in and we punch out. The points system tracks our progress. It’s our profits and loss statements. It’s our growth statements. No point in cheating.

When we started tracking our points back in January, I was shocked to see that I was dead last in terms of points earned. Out of all my classmates, I was dead last for three or four weeks straight. I was mortified! How could I, of all people, be dead last in the areas of career administration?!?!?!?! I’m supposed to be Chasing The George every week!!!! I’m supposed to be the motherfucking man, careering gaily over the waves!!!!

Instead, I looked like the screaming man in the famous painting, “The Scream”, by expressionist artist Edvard Munch. The horrors! The horrors!

Instead of giving up, I decided to focus and study the facts. First of all, I wasn’t clear about what I wanted 2016 to be about on a professional level. That was problem number one. Public enemy number one. Without clarity, my career administration was general and uninspired. I didn’t have clearly-defined goals to work towards. So being dead last was a wake up call for me to get specific about what I wanted 2016 to be about.

Once I got specific about the professional design for 2016, I moved pretty quickly into the second to last position on the overall points earner list. I was earning more points in different categories and that excited me! The points system also forced me to administrate and take action in certain categories that were uncomfortable for me. Categories I had a flinch on. Why does this section have no points at at all? What am I scared of? Focus on this area. Confront it. Be a better artist at the end of the day because I am confronting uncomfortable categories.

As I gained momentum on my career administration, I continued to move up the overall points earner list. If I saw someone gaining up on me, I worked harder and pushed myself further. What risks could I take this week to stay ahead?

On July 8th, we assessed our six-month progress in class and it was really nice to hear the points list administrator acknowledge how cool it was to see me move up the list over the last six months. By the time we assessed our progress on July 8th, I was in the Top 3! I was positioned at #3!

In RuPaul’s Drag Race terms, I was the drag queen who made Top 3! I joined the ranks of past Top 3 Drag Race contestants like Nina Flowers, Alaska Thunderfuck, Roxxxy Andrews, Adore Delano, Courtney Act, Pearl, Ginger Minj, Kimchi, Naomi Smalls, etc. When you make Top 3 in RuPaul’s Drag Race, your career is pretty much set for life. Top 3 is still a rocking place to be even if you aren’t crowned America’s next drag superstar (the person who ultimately comes in at number one) Top 3 is an achievement. These three have shown consistency week to week on the show and also Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent. C.U.N…

Instead of being told to “Sashay away”, I was told, “Shantay, you stay”. Or, more importantly, I told myself to stay and keep fighting.

It was such a gratifying experience to see my hard work pay off.

On July 8th, the points system got revamped and became more streamlined. All our points have been reset and we’re all starting from ground zero again. I hope to be Top 3 again. I’d LOVE to be number one by the time 2016 comes to an end, but I’ll be just as happy with Top 3. Why? Because being Top 3 is still a cause for celebration. It’s still an indication that the work flow I’ve created and maintained for myself is working. It’s still an indication of how consistent my career administration is. Having a work consistency that produces results, that makes an impact and that is in alignment with what I’m about is more important to me.

And at the end of the day, I can rest assured knowing that if I make Top 3 again, I can come back for the All Stars Season…okay, okay, enough of these RuPaul’s Drag Race
references!

(By the way, RuPaul and Michelle Visage, I would LOVE to be a guest judge on a future season of Drag Race! xoxo)

Like A Virgin

Chasing The George

Like a virgin. Touched for the very first time.

On July 1st, I had the pleasure of seeing the first rough cut of a SAG film titled “Human Revolution” that I executive produced, co-wrote and co-starred in. As the lights began to fade and the screen came on, my heart started to race. I was excited and nervous. Excited and nervous because this was my first time watching the film after months of pre-production and filming. The wait was finally over! This was the first time seeing how the words in the script translated onto the screen. This was the first time seeing how the performances translated onto the screen. This was the first time seeing how different elements of production from direction to cinematography to wardrobe translated onto the screen.

Like a virgin. Touched for the very first time.

Watching the first rough cut is like a virgin. The anticipation. The excitement. The nervousness. The heart racing. Not knowing whether the first rough cut will be painful or enjoyable to experience.

As the film screened, there were many moments where I beamed. There were also moments where I wrote down notes for our fabulous director and editor. Being discerning and clear with my notes. Some notes were technical. Other notes were storytelling-based in terms of when I thought a moment was delivered and we could cut out or when I thought a moment could be heightened.

Overall, I was very pleased with the first rough cut! And because a lot of pre-production went into this film, it presented itself beautifully in the rough cut. I could clearly see where the film is headed and how the final product will look.

Our goal is to have a final cut by August 1st. By this date, notes will have been implemented, sound design and color correction will have been implemented, etc. After this date, we will start submitting Human Revolution to various film festivals from Cannes, Sundance, South By Southwest and Tribeca to Academy Award qualifying film festivals.

Like a virgin. Touched for the very first time.

The first time watching this was great. Not painful or traumatizing at all. Rather, it was exciting and orgasmic (Yes, I had to go there!)

My Meeting With A Manager

Chasing The George

As I continue to carve out my career, it’s important to have a team assembled that gets my vision and are willing to work together with me to achieve it. That no idea, no pursuit, no suggestion of mine is crazy. This marriage between us is “yes, and…” or “yes, and how about…”

And when I look at how big my dream is and how I want to marry acting, writing and producing together, I need strategic guidance and support along the way. Don’t get me wrong, I am great with administration and strategic planning, but it does make a difference to have a team on board hustling on your behalf as well.

This is where I have turned the spotlight on managers. A manager would be a great investment in helping me to MANAGE my interests and my dream. To strategically implement the phases of my career. To guide me along the way. Someone who gets the bigger picture. Who gets me.

In my research, I began targeting a list of managers that I could see myself working with. I looked at certain things like the company’s ranking on IMDB, the number of clients they had, the type of work their clients booked, etc. And if available, I read their mission statements to get a sense of what they are all about.

With a great, compelling cover letter and links to my website and reel on hand,
I started submitting to my target list of managers. I received some no’s. I received a yes and had a meeting on Tuesday, June 21st. It went great. I liked their energy. I liked that they asked me questions about my casting (which I broke down for them on both the dramatic and comedic sides) They also asked me about my ultimate dream (which I broke down for them as well and they were impressed)

My ultimate dream, by the way, is: A self-generating artist who creates, writes and stars in their own vehicles. I want to be up there with Tyler Perry, Lena Dunham, Cristela Alonzo, Mindy Kaling, Louis C.K., Tina Fey, etc.

From sharing my ultimate dream, they asked me to give examples of the writing
and producing opportunities I’ve had. I did so and they lit up with excitement.
They were also impressed that I had a lot of knowledge and awareness of the different components and departments that go into shooting a film or a TV series. That I’m not just an actor, but rather, an actor who is aware of the bigger picture when I’m on set. This makes me more valuable because I know how the components come together to create a product. I’m not in the way. Instead, I’m contributing. I know where the camera is and how to act on camera. I know about continuity and matching from take to take. I know where my marks are. I have an awareness of who is who on set and what they do. I have a great attitude on set and I am respectful of all the departments because THEY’RE ALL FUCKING IMPORTANT! Art is a community effort!

I also had an opportunity to ask them questions and I was very pleased with how aligned they were with what I’m looking for.

We had a 30-minute meeting and they decided at the end that they wanted to bring me in again for a second meeting.

I left feeling very happy and accomplished. I had a sense of certainty, but I also listened to them and kept myself open to any info they provided. I kept myself open because I am always willing to learn and grow.

And of course, I celebrated afterwards!

Stay tuned!

 

Chasing The George

Why I Write.

Nothing gives me more power than being able to write my own shit. The pen is
truly mightier than the sword. The keyboard is definitely mightier than the sword.

Writing allows my voice to be heard.

Writing gives me the opportunity to create compelling characters for myself that Hollywood wouldn’t necessarily give to me or see me in upon first glance. Or second glance. Or third glance. Or never. And not only can I write it, I can shoot it as well and present the evidence to others. Okay!

Writing gives me the opportunity to create compelling characters for my friends. I want to be on set with my friends!!!

As a writer, I made myself the boyfriend.

As a writer, I made myself the boyfriend to a transgender woman.

As a writer, I made myself the guy starting life all over again in the concrete jungle of NYC.

As a writer, I made myself the guy who stands up against James Franco.

As a writer, I made myself the guy who strikes up an unconventional relationship with a teenager.

As a writer, I made myself the guy trying to hold it together in a family business.

As a writer, I made myself the guy who maybe, just maybe, will finally follow his gut and his heart.

As a writer, I made myself the writer repped by ICM who has had wonderful success with his first two feature film scripts, but now needs help with his latest ones.

Writing allows me to be the things people don’t see me in, don’t want to see me in, can’t see me in, won’t consider me in, etc.

As a writer, I can defy the stereotypes that Hollywood places on Latino actors. I can write stories where I actually live in a beautiful home. Where I actually have a wonderful career. Where I actually have a college education. Where I actually have wonderful, informed conversations with Harvey Weinstein, Guy Oseary and Megan Ellison. Where I make decisions. Where I save the day. Where I save the world. Where I save a student. Where I save a community.

Writing means that the sky’s the limit.

Writing lets my imagination soar.

Writing allows me to show another side.

Writing allows me to be dangerous.

Writing allows me to make the world a little more colorful.

Writing allows me to play some amazing and cool fucking characters.

Amen. Amen. Amen.