Dear Super-Duper Casting Directors!

Chasing The George

Happy SAG Awards weekend! Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners! In today’s blog entry, I continue the journey of achieving my goal of booking supporting roles in feature films produced and distributed by independent or mid-sized studios like A24, Neon, Focus Features, Sony Pictures Classics, Searchlight Pictures, etc. My latest round of administration (aka action items) was to start getting on the radar of the super-duper, wonderful, and amazing casting directors behind these films!

As I mentioned two weeks ago, I identified and wrote down my favorite/impactful films that were nominated during the 2019 to 2024 awards season (and most of these films were produced and distributed by the above movie studios.) I identified and wrote down the casting directors for those films. I emailed my agent the list of casting directors to see if they have a relationship with them and to put an introduction for me (and forward my communication to them regarding the film(s) they cast.) If they cast these types of films, chances are they will cast similar ones in the future. Keep reading below 🙂

This past week, I created a Google Spreadsheet to type in the names and contact info for these casting directors. In addition, I also typed in the names of the casting associates and casting assistants who were involved in casting these films as well. As a result, my target list grew and I ended up with a total of 73 names! Once I typed everyone’s names into the Google Spreadsheet, I utilized different resources from IMDB Pro to social media to get contact info for them. This took a MINUTE to do, but it was worth it in the end. I had to think of the bigger picture! I ended up getting contact info for 65 people. I will reach out to my relationship map for help on the 8 people I was unable to get contact info for. Keep reading below 🙂

Next, I began drafting my communications. And I knew that these couldn’t be generic and general communications. They had to be specific and authentic about how their casting impacted me. After sending out a few communications this past week, I realized this would take a little longer than expected because of the specificity and personalization of each communication. So, I need to write and send out at least one communication every day to move through this list with intention. Keep reading below 🙂

As I continue sending out communications to each casting team, I’m already thinking ahead to the next round of career administration for this particular 2024 goal. I already highlighted the next section of administration in my Declaration of Independence (business plan) that I want to tackle after I finish sending out these communications. This highlighted section also includes a couple more things to tackle with my list of casting directors so that I can continue getting on their radar and get called in for future films they will be casting.

The Oscar For Original Screenplay Goes To…

Chasing The George

Hello, my fellow artists! It’s time for another exciting blog entry from yours truly. In today’s edition, I wanted to bring some love to my second goal of 2024: Finish the 1st draft of the “Third Act” feature film script with Kelly Tighe. Once that’s done, do a table read, get feedback, and complete additional drafts. Keep reading below 🙂

“Third Act” came to life back in September 2019 when the Professional Development Program 3.0 class decided to turn into a production company to workshop ideas and bring them to life. The idea for this script came from Richard Lawson, and it was based on an article he read many years ago about a scandalous incident that occurred in a nursing home. Over the next few years, the company met every Wednesday at 12pm to carve out this idea. We did tons of research, asked tons of questions, put forth tons of ideas, watched many films, put together look books, created character breakdowns, wrote scenes, scrapped scenes, wrote scenes again, etc. We even had Jeffrey Schechter, who wrote “My Story Can Beat Up Your Story”, read our outline and then come into class to provide us with feedback. Keep reading below 🙂

Throughout it all, the whole process was one of incredible respect, asking the next question, and “yes, and…” There was never a time where one of us shot down someone else’s ideas or writings or were critical over someone else’s work or research. And that’s a testament to the culture that Richard and the company created and instilled over the years. Our mindset was always on the bigger picture, the pursuit of excellence and collaboration, and the love of creating art. It’s why directors like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino work with the same people in front of and behind the camera all the time: Because they are NOT PAINS IN THE ASS. Keep reading below 🙂

At some point, with the plethora of notes and research gathered over the years, it was time to appoint a couple of individuals to make sense of it all and take the reins of writing a complete first draft. Kelly Tighe and I were appointed to be those individuals, and we started the process in the middle of 2022. She and I met every Wednesday to begin the bold, colossal step of distilling, editing, and striking pages worth of story ideas, notes, characters, scenes already written by the company, etc. We continued asking the next question, did more research, and combed through everything (and I mean, everything) one piece at a time with the patience of a saint LOL. We repeatedly edited the logline, the central questions, and the plot points. We kept referencing “My Story Can Beat Up Your Story”. Each action provided just a little more clarity. The entire process took a long time, and we still hadn’t written ANYTHING yet. Not one page! However, we knew that all this work was vital. We knew that we couldn’t tackle the writing until we knew what story we wanted to tell. Keep reading below 🙂

I’ll never forget the day when Kelly and I finished combing through the entire outline and things finally made sense! We cheered and cheered and cheered! This was a huge win and moment for us! The outline was clear, and as a result, we were empowered to start writing. And again, our meetings were always positive, encouraging, and “yes, and…” We asked each other questions. We never invalidated each other. We never thought an idea was too stupid or ridiculous. The plot points within the outline became our guide and compass. The writing began to flow from us. We would assign ourselves a plot point and write the scene(s) for it throughout the week. When we would reconvene on Wednesdays, it was so cool to witness how synchronistic our writing ended up. For example, how something she set up in her scene paid off in my scene and vice versa. Or how her scene transitioned seamlessly into my scene and vice versa. Keep reading below 🙂

There were moments where we hit walls and roadblocks too. Moments were life took over and we couldn’t meet. Moments where we didn’t have any clue on how to write a particular scene(s) for a plot point. But understanding that writing is a process, we gave ourselves grace and encouragement. We also continued to ask the next question. When we did these things, clarity occurred. And currently, we have six more plot points left to write scenes for, and then we will be done with our first draft! And to give context, there are a total of 44 plot points in our script (this is the number of plot points that “My Story Can Beat Up Your Story” says is required to fulfill a feature film script.) Kelly mentioned this past Wednesday, February 14th, that it has taken us a long time to get to this point, but then she quickly remembered a friend who mentioned that it took her friend six years to write their musical. And I thought about other writers who took years to finish their scripts too. So, we’re doing good! Keep reading below 🙂

Kelly and I can’t wait to finish this first draft so that we can present it to our PDP 3.0 company and take the next steps. We are also interested in presenting the script to the Thursday Scene Study class so that students can see an example of the sustained effort it takes to create something from scratch. See picture below 🙂

Picture from: https://www.oscars.org/oscars/statuette

Am I A Movie Star Yet?!

Chasing The George

Hello, my fellow artists! The adventures of Jorge (“George”) Ortiz continues! Last week, I shared two of my goals for the year. One of my goals was to book supporting roles in feature films produced and distributed by independent or mid-sized studios like A24, Neon, Focus Features, Sony Pictures Classics, Searchlight Pictures, etc. So, am I a movie star yet???? Yes, in my heart, mind, and postulates! Did I become a movie star yet this past week? No! But I’m still a movie star in my heart, mind, and postulates. Keep reading below 🙂

I love film. I originally came out to Los Angeles because I wanted a career in film. Film is in my heart. Film is a medium and process I enjoy. And as I look at the above studios and films they produce and distribute in particular, this is what attracts me to them: These films excite me! They turn me on! They are on another level of artistic excellence and expression. These studios release daring, provocative, left of center, smart, intelligent, imaginative, visceral, impinging films that make people FEEL something. They get people TALKING. These films have incredible creative freedom and license. They break the rules. And at the end of the day, these films are driven by complex human stories, connections, and relationships.

Here’s what I tackled this past week to achieve my goals. I shared my goals with my agent so that they are aware of what I am after this year. I identified and wrote down my favorite/impactful films that were nominated during the 2019 to 2024 awards season. I identified and wrote down the casting directors for those films. I emailed my agent the list of casting directors to see if they have a relationship with them and to put an introduction for me (and forward my communication to them regarding the film(s) they cast.) Keep reading below 🙂

Done. Straightforward administration. Clear. Doable. Fun. One building block and action item at a time. This week, I will continue tackling and checking off the next set of action items for this goal. Also, for this week, I will work on my action items for my second goal of the year: Finish the 1st draft of the “Third Act” feature film script with Kelly Tighe. Once that’s done, do a table read, get feedback, and complete additional drafts. Keep reading below :)

Am I movie star yet???? See picture below 🙂

2024, Here We Go!

Chasing The George

I’m back!!! I hope all of you artistic badass warriors are having a great 2024. You may (or may not) be asking yourself, “Why the hell did Jorge (“George”) wait till February to post his first blog entry of 2024?” That’s an excellent question. Keep reading below 🙂

In December 2023, I knew I wanted to revamp my entire Declaration of Independence (aka DOIN, aka business plan) from top to bottom. My DOIN is supposed to be a living document, and I wanted to ensure that I hadn’t allowed it to become stale or something I took for granted. In this new unit of time, what was true for me? What still resonated with me? What do I keep? What do I get rid of? What do I make more specific? Do I change the font to make the words pop more? Keep reading below 🙂

I gave myself a deadline to complete my revamped DOIN by December 31st, 2023: “I MUST have my DOIN revamped and ready to unleash to the world by January 1st!!!!” LOL. I then realized that was unrealistic. Why rush it? Take my time, but be intentional. Let things sink in and digest. My DOIN has to resonate and be alive for me. So, I gave myself permission to keep revamping it during January 2024. I’m glad I did that because I got clear and excited about what I wanted to do this year. And the one area I needed help with was my administration plans (aka action items to achieve my goals.) I had a good foundation, but I knew more was possible. To address this, I had the pleasure of meeting separately with two of my career administration group colleagues (and friends), Lindsay Hopper and Kelly Tighe. They asked me the next question and generated additional ideas for my administration plans. They were an incredible help because the DOIN document was right in my face, so it was a little challenging to step back and see other possibilities with my administration plans. Lindsay and Kelly were powerful outside eyes who helped me see more. The teacher became the student, and I couldn’t be happier 🙂 Keep reading below 🙂

My main goals for this year: 1) Book supporting roles in feature films produced and distributed by independent or mid-sized studios like A24, Neon, Focus Features, Sony Pictures Classics, Searchlight Pictures, etc. (And knowing WHY I want to act in films from these companies.) 2) Finish the 1st draft of the “Third Act” feature film script with Kelly. Then, do a table read, get feedback, and complete additional drafts. (I will be doing other things such as scenes in class, but even those will be geared towards supporting the first goal.) Keep reading below 🙂

Join me every week as I take this exciting journey towards these goals. Hopefully, my actions and lessons learned will inspire you as you pursue your own goals. See below picture of me looking forward to 2024 🙂

My Wins Video For 2023!

Chasing The George

Hello, my fellow artists! My final blog entry of 2023 is here, and I’ve made a wins video for 2023. Check out a sampling of my wins below. Over the holiday break, I will be reading a few books and revamping my Declaration Of Independence (aka business plan.) See you all next year! Play video below 🙂

Returning Home From Yellowstone.

Chasing The George

Hello, my fellow artists! My penultimate blog entry of 2023 is here. One more to go after this! My scene from “Yellowstone” went up this past Thursday in the Richard Lawson Studios scene study class…and it went great! It was my first scene back on a stage and as a returning student in the Thursday class (remember, I did a scene from “Beverly Hills Cop 2” on November 7th in Kelly Tighe’s scene study class which takes place over Zoom.) It was a wonderful and solid first take that I am very proud of. My scene partner (Beth Berlin) and I delivered our product. We put in 20 hours of rehearsal into this first take, plus additional hours of our own individual work into this scene. I played Jamie. Beth played Beth 🙂

It felt great to be back on stage. It felt great to articulate what I was working on and to see it manifest and translate on stage. I’m honored to understand and apply an approach and nomenclature. Richard gave me a great assessment that started with how long it had been since I last put up a scene, why I took a break from class, my commitment and belief with acting, and the importance of Plan A vs. Plan B. And it culminated with him saying that he is certain that I am committed to my acting, to class, and to my journey. He then proceeded to assess my work in the scene and how he saw everything that I worked on. He also loved our fight choreography, which made us so thrilled because we worked so hard on it (the repetition of it, understanding the angles and lines of stage fights, why we are fighting, the progression and chapters of this fight, the story of this fight.) He said it was incredibly believable and violent. Richard said many wonderful things to Beth and I during our assessment, and we are excited to do a second take of our scene! Keep reading below 🙂

And going back to how he started his assessment with me, I am thrilled to look at what 2024 is going to be about for me as an artist.

From LA To Yellowstone.

Chasing The George

Hello, my fellow artists! I have a few more blog entries to go before 2023 ends. I can’t wait to end this year with a bang before embarking on a new year of artistic creation and goals. In this week’s blog entry, I wanted to revisit the other scene I’ve been working on for class. My scene partner and I have been rehearsing a scene from “Yellowstone”, and we are putting it up on November 30th! And what makes this different from my “Beverly Hills Cop 2” scene from a couple of weeks ago is that this will be on a stage versus Zoom.

My scene partner and I started rehearsing in the theater space this past Tuesday, and it was exciting. Starting rehearsals over Zoom to transitioning to in-person rehearsals at my scene partner’s home to being in the theater space has been an adjustment of understanding the stage I’m on. The work done on this scene is still present. The foundation is secure. I just had to know and understand how to walk and talk in these different environments. Keep reading below 🙂

For example, when we rehearsed in the theater space, we did paint-by-the-numbers blocking and choreography several times to understand the dimensions of this space, get comfortable with it, make adjustments as needed, and get those adjustments into our bodies. We also got to finally implement some things that could only be done in the theater space. For example, we implemented a long walk that our characters take from the house to the barn. And, in terms of asking the next question, what exactly happens during that walk to the barn? I solidified my sightlines at the top of the scene. I also had to adjust my voice in the theater space to be heard in the back row. I rehearsed with the shoes I’ll be wearing in the scene to see if I would be safe from slipping during any blocking and choreography. The theater space gave us more permission and space to take our characters further. Keep reading below 🙂

See you all next week when I share how our scene went!

Giving Thanks!

Chasing The George

Good morning, fellow artists! As 2023 quickly begins to wind down, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the many artistic things I am thankful and grateful for. I am thankful for being artist and for still being in the game after all these years. I can’t think of any other profession or calling that fulfills me. As my mentor and master teacher Richard Lawson says, “Artists are the most powerful and important people on the planet. We create and affect change faster than anyone else.” Keep reading below 🙂

I want to thank my artistic family at the Richard Lawson Studios for always creating a space where art can occur and where we share a nomenclature that inspires us to excellence. It’s an honor to grow with all of you and to see the risks we take with our creativity and imagination. I also want to thank my fellow artists outside of the RLS who inspire me. I see you doing your thing as well! Keep reading below 🙂

I want to thank my partner, family, and friends for being on my career bus. Your support has been invaluable. This journey and career is tough, and you all have been by my side to ask the next question and inspire me. Keep reading below 🙂

I want to thank the members of SAG-AFTRA and WGA for demonstrating what resolve and tenacity looks like (118 days and 148 days of striking, respectively.) As an agent for advocacy and change, I was moved to be a part of this unified movement to protect our future and worth as viable artists. Keep reading below 🙂

I am thankful and grateful that even during the actor and writer strikes, I continued staying connected to my art: Scene study class, writing a feature film script every week with my friend and colleague, scene rehearsals, blogging, taking a screenwriting course at the Sundance Collab, teaching other artists, seeing plays and films that my friends and colleagues were in, relationship map support, submitting to WGA strike-approved writing competitions, etc. Keep reading below 🙂

I want to thank my best friends Madonna, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Chastain, Meryl Streep, RuPaul, and Riz Ahmed. I will see you all soon for dinner(s).

My First Scene Back!

Chasing The George

Hello, my fellow artists! I wanted to share that my first scene back as a returning student of the Richard Lawson Studios went up on November 7th! My scene partner and I put up a scene from “Beverly Hills Cop 2” in his Tuesday scene study class, and we both did a great job in our first take! We delivered the product that we locked in during the final 20 percent of our rehearsal process. Keep reading below 🙂

This class is a virtual one, so all of the scenes and exercises are performed via Zoom. And this works out beautifully because my scene partner lives in the U.K. The stage manager called our scene, and we started. I had to stop the scene after 10 seconds because I didn’t configure my screen correctly. I was looking out at a sea of classmate thumbnails, and I couldn’t find my scene partner LOL! I could hear him, but I couldn’t see him. I’m glad I stopped the scene to ensure I could deliver my product. Otherwise, I would have regretted it afterwards during my assessment. After I made the technical adjustments and verified that I could only see him, the stage manager called the scene again. Keep reading below 🙂

I felt great about our scene. I felt like we delivered our product. I was able to let the scene go once I called “scene”. I felt present during the assessment. I talked about what I worked on. I expressed that one of the things I wanted to explore in the second take was what physically happens to me after Axel Foley leaves my office? Do I have heartburn or indigestion? Do I pull a whiskey bottle from my desk drawer and take a shot? How does my exasperation with Axel reveal itself physically in that final chapter of the scene? We received a great assessment and are excited to apply the notes and bring the scene back for a second take. Keep reading below 🙂

My scene from “Yellowstone” is scheduled to go up in my Thursday scene study class on November 30th, and that will be in person on stage. I can’t wait to share how that goes as well. Until next time! And for fun, below is a screenshot of our final rehearsal:

Let’s Rehearse! The Finale.

Chasing The George

Hello, my fellow artists! I hope you’re all having a great week. For the past four weeks, I’ve been sharing my rehearsal process experiences for scenes I’m working on for my acting class at the Richard Lawson Studios. Keep reading below 🙂

In the finale, I wanted to quickly share the final 20 percent from the rehearsal process. 40/40/20 is a technique created by Richard Lawson to help us effectively utilize the time we have to work on something. The first 40 percent of the time you have to work on something consists of research and gathering information. The second 40 percent of the time you have to work on something involves implementing and applying the research and information you gathered in the first 40 percent (aka getting it up on its feet.) The last 20 percent of the time you have to work on something is devoted to locking in your product and coasting towards the finish line. Keep reading below 🙂

My first scene back as a returning student of the Richard Lawson Studios is going up on November 7th! It’s a scene from “Beverly Hills Cop 2”, and I am now in my 20 percent. I’ve made my choices. I’ve worked out my blocking. I’ve worked out my wardrobe. I know what I will talk about during my assessment. I am not changing anything around. I’ve locked it in, and I will continue working within this 20 percent with the remaining rehearsal(s) we have and when we perform the scene on Tuesday. (And with the other scene I’m doing from “Yellowstone”, which goes up on November 30th, I will also be approaching the final 20 percent soon.) Keep reading below 🙂

I’ll let you all know how the scene from “Beverly Hills Cop 2” went in next week’s blog entry!