Tag: actors

SAG-AFTRA On Strike.

Chasing The George

SAG-AFTRA has officially gone on strike, and I am providing links to resources and FAQs to help my fellow actors during this time. With SAG-AFTRA and the WGA striking simultaneously, this is a crucial moment for our collective future as artists. I support our efforts and determination to protect our work, worth, talent, and future.

For frequently asked questions regarding the strike, picket times and locations, news updates, work you can and can not do, etc., please go to: https://www.sagaftrastrike.org/

Strike notice and order to all members of SAG-AFTRA: https://www.sagaftra.org/files/sa_documents/Strike%20Notice%20to%20Members.pdf

An Important TV/Theatrical/Streaming Strike Update: https://www.sagaftra.org/files/sa_documents/SAG-AFTRA_Negotiations_Status_7_13_23.pdf

There are many articles out there regarding the strike, what it means, and why it’s happening. Here is one that breaks it down in a clean, simple way: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a44506329/sag-aftra-actors-strike-hollywood-explained/

200 Blog Posts!

Chasing The George

WordPress alerted me recently that I have written 200 blog posts on their site!! Wow!! Also, Happy (early) Anniversary to Chasing The George!! I’m celebrating early! On July 15th, 2015, my teacher and mentor, Richard Lawson, encouraged me to write a weekly blog where I would share my artistic journey, advice, stories, and interests with other artists. A “Hollywood 101” if you will that reveals and shares the sustained effort, work, and fun it takes to have a career in this industry. Thank you, Richard! What a journey it has been! Walking the walk as you teach us to do. Fun fact: My blog originally started on Tumblr before I moved it over to WordPress (LOL for anyone who is doing the math and wondering how it’s only 200 blog posts since 2015…I switched platforms and also took a few breaks with my blogging.) Keep reading below 🙂

Thank you to everyone around the world who has supported my blog over the years. Thank you to everyone who has read, shared, commented, and continues to be inspired by this one artist’s bravery to put himself out there and share his artistic life and journey. Thank you for witnessing how I found and strengthened my voice through this blog. Thank you to those who encouraged me to blog again when I stopped for periods of time. I’ve shared wins. I’ve shared lessons. I’ve shared highs and lows. I’ve shared so many things from how to get an agent to how I got my script to James Franco to how I feel I can’t act when I start a new rehearsal process (and how I combat that) to how I outlined a feature screenplay in two weeks to how I booked a national commercial by following my impulse to cry. Keep reading below 🙂

Wow! 200 blog posts!! I am so grateful not only because of the sheer amount of writing I’ve produced, but because I’m still in the game. I achieved 200 blog posts because I’m still in the game. I haven’t given up. I won’t give up because I can’t live without my art. I NEED to be an artist, and I have a healthy, supportive career bus that keeps me going and holds me accountable. I have a wonderful community that I can lean on and grow with. I’m grateful to still be an artist in this industry. I’ll see you all next week! Onward and upward! Keep reading below 🙂

Which Writing Competitions To Submit To.

Chasing The George

For my fellow screenwriters and TV writers out there who are interested in submitting content to writing competitions, but don’t know where to start, I hope that my blog entry will help. I have been submitting to writing competitions this year (and in previous years.) And let me make it clear that because the writers strike is still going on, the information I’m providing is done with respect and support to their cause. The information provided does not go against the writers strike rules.

I read a great interview for pre-WGA writers titled, “Writers Strike Dos and Don’ts for Pre-WGA Writers, Explained by the WGA” that has confirmed and shaped how I’m writing today’s blog entry around writing competitions. Keep reading below 🙂

As with film festivals, there is a PLETHORA of writing competitions. It can feel daunting when looking at the myriad choices out there. For example, when I logged into my Coverfly account today, the dashboard listed 194 writing competitions. 194?! What?! By the way, “Coverfly is the industry’s largest screenwriter talent-discovery platform, connecting emerging screenwriters with literary managers, agents, producers and development executives.” It’s a central, convenient hub that contains a huge listing of different writing competitions. Keep reading below 🙂

Submitting to writing competitions as a way to get your work out there, to get noticed by the industry, and to receive feedback or coverage, can become expensive. Don’t just blindly submit because submission fees add up quickly. The best advice I can give you before you begin your journey is to do your homework and research. Aim for the big ones (because why not?) and aim for the ones geared to the type of script you have written for a more specific, bullseye approach. Not all competitions are equal and built the same way. Some have been around for a while and are highly-regarded and respected. Others are brand new and have only been in the game for a year. Some competitions come and go. Keep reading below 🙂

Some factors to consider: how long the competition has been in existence, its mission statement, its end goals for the writers who enter and win, the judges involved in the competition, the sponsors behind the competition, whether it is a genre-specific/niche competition that matches your script, etc. Do the research and decide for yourself. Listen to your instincts and use your common sense. Also, read the WGA interview at the end so that you understand the do’s and don’ts of writing competitions while they are on strike. Keep reading below 🙂

Below, I have listed 10 established, industry-recognized writing competitions that I have been submitting to this year (and in previous years.) Plus, I included a link to Coverfly. I found these writing competitions based upon industry colleague recommendations and through my own research. There may be a lot more established, industry-recognized writing competitions, but at least this list will get your wheels going. And with the exception of the Academy Nicholl Fellowships which only focuses on screenplays, the other competitions listed below accept both screenplays and TV scripts. If there is an asterisk (*) in front of a particular competition, it indicates that they have put out a written statement that they support the WGA’s strike efforts and will not go against their strike guidelines. For those competitions below (or any not listed here) that haven’t put out a written statement regarding their support of the writers strike, reach out to them directly. And before you submit, read what the WGA recommends in their interview below. Keep reading below 🙂

WGA Interview: https://www.moviemaker.com/writers-strike-rules-pre-wga/

1) Academy Nicholl Fellowships: https://www.oscars.org/nicholl

2) *Austin Film Festival: https://austinfilmfestival.com/submit/screenplay-and-teleplay-submissions-2/

3) *Final Draft Big Break: https://www.finaldraft.com/big-break-screenwriting-contest/

4) Page Awards: https://pageawards.com/

5) *ScreenCraft: https://screencraft.org/screenwriting-contests/

6) Scriptapalooza: https://scriptapalooza.com/

7) Script Pipeline: https://scriptpipeline.com

8) *Shore Scripts: https://www.shorescripts.com

9) *The Black List: https://blcklst.com/

10) Tracking Board Launch Pad: https://tblaunchpad.com/

11) Coverfly: https://www.coverfly.com/ “At Coverfly, we proudly support the rights of writers and the WGA’s efforts to ensure fair compensation for their work. Coverfly stands in solidarity with the WGA and its efforts to ensure fair, livable compensation for the work of writers. For information on how you can stay within the WGA strike rules and procedures while submitting for competitions, please contact the competition organization directly.”

My Major Revelation About Career Policies!

Chasing The George

Hello fellow artists! Here’s to another week of moving my acting and writing careers forward. My goals for this year are to continue booking theatrical and commercial work and to sign with a new literary agent. These goals are tied to a larger postulate of mine within my DOIN (Declaration of Independence aka business plan.)

As I pursue these goals, it’s important that I have policies in place. With any business, policies are essential to keep it running and operating on a high level. Policies keep it afloat and on track to achieving their various short-term and long-term goals. Here’s the definition of policy: a definite course of action adopted for the sake of expediency, facility, etc. a document embodying a contract of insurance. I’ve always understood this definition on an intellectual level and have had various degrees of success with implementing policies to keep my business (aka Jorge Ortiz Inc.) alive, healthy, and on track. Keep reading below 🙂

At the beginning of each year, I create a postulate DOIN for that year (A sub-DOIN from my main DOIN, if you will.) It’s a way for me to choose one postulate from the list and focus on it for the year. When I got to the policies section, I couldn’t help but feel uninspired and disconnected from what was there the year before. I had several policies listed that I wasn’t executing or honoring. These policies weren’t a contract of insurance. They weren’t things I had to do. Let alone, I didn’t even understand why I had to do them. For example, consume at least 50% organic food every day. Okay, I love organic food. I like being healthy. But WHY is this a policy? How is this policy connected to WHAT I’m trying to achieve as an artist? Why is this policy here in my DOIN? Keep reading below 🙂

And then, I had a major revelation. I realized that policies are connected to a specific postulate! BOOM! I am on a journey to achieve a postulate. A postulate sits at the very top of the mountain. So, what policies do I need to establish to help me get there? BOOM! It all made so much sense to me. Of course! Armed with this revelation, I identified five policies that I felt would support my journey towards my postulate. I understood the WHY behind these policies. I understood WHY I needed to do them. These five are enough for now. If I add a few more arbitrarily, I will set myself up for disappointment. I need doable, tangible, executable policies that SERVE my postulate. Below, please see the postulate I’m focusing on for this year and the five policies attached to it. Keep reading below 🙂

Postulate: I am one of the top, consistently working, bankable, and respected actors, writers, & executive producers in Hollywood. Keep reading below 🙂

  1. Execute at least one item of career administration Monday through Friday. Administration means the actions I’m taking to achieve my acting and writing goals. I know when to execute these actions each day. I know what these actions will consist of because I pull them from the administration plans written within my DOIN (On Sundays, I look over my DOIN and write out my administration for the week in my calendar.)
  2. Use social media as a platform to engage with others and to share about myself at least once on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Pretty self-explanatory! I’m consistent about the times I post on social media and what exactly I post on it.
  3. Practice and memorize sides once a week. I know which day of the week I do this on. This is important to keep my mind sharp.
  4. Return communications within 24 hrs. In terms of how I want to be seen and respected in this industry, this is a must.
  5. Take Lion’s Mane Mushroom supplements every morning at 8am. Healthy brain regiment so that I can operate at the highest level possible as an actor and writer. Keep reading below 🙂

Those are my policies! And here’s the other thing that I realized about the power of policies. For the last two weeks, I’ve felt somewhat uninspired and discouraged. I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything. And then I remembered what Richard Lawson once said about policies: “If you don’t do your policies, you take a loss on them…Policies also determine the quality of the trip and the consistency of it. These things help to sustain the effort of the trip when they are applied, and when you start breaking policies–policies are directly connected to statistics. If you keep statistics of certain things, you will notice that your statistics will drop when your policies deteriorate.” Keep reading below 🙂

Of course! I fell off my policies for the last two weeks. That’s why I felt uninspired. My administration statistics went down because I got off track with my policies. DUH! That being said, the beauty of this is that I can quickly get back on my policies. (My apologies to anyone if I didn’t return communications to you within 24 hours over these last two weeks!) Keep reading below 🙂

What policies are keeping you on track towards your dreams? Let me know in the comments section below!

How A Teacher’s Letter Impacted My Career.

Chasing The George

Hello artists! Something compelled me recently to pull out my Vassar yearbook. Perhaps I wanted to look at my senior year photo (I did, and LOL, I had a full head of hair.) Anyway, a handwritten letter fell out of my yearbook. It was a letter from a teacher I had in fourth grade named Ms. Rosen. I totally forgot about her letter and the fact that I tucked it away into my yearbook.

In elementary school, I wrote several short stories where I reimagined/adapted existing movies or TV shows like “Nightmare On Elm Street” and “The Bionic Woman”. There was something so wonderful about writing these worlds and being able to escape into them. As soon as I finished a short story, I shared it with Ms. Rosen. After sharing several short stories with Ms. Rosen, she wrote me a letter. Keep reading below 🙂

As we know, teachers can play a pivotal role in our lives. And sometimes, it can be for better or for worse. Teachers can make or break us at any point in our educational journey. They can make or break our dreams, our confidence, our ability to see further, our sense of possibilities and havingness. I’ve met many students with a deferred dream or failed purpose because they had teachers who discouraged them and tore them down. Fortunately, Ms. Rosen’s letter was uplifting and encouraging. She praised my writing and challenged me to tap into my point of view and imagination moving forward. She knew that I had more interesting, original stories to tell. What does JORGE have to say? What is UNIQUE and PERSONAL to him? What is in Jorge’s IMAGINATION? Create new worlds, don’t be derivative. Ms. Rosen’s letter wasn’t a “make wrong”. Her letter impacted me and laid the groundwork for writing about things that are personal to me, compelling, different, and a little dangerous. Her letter also laid the groundwork for the type of teaching and instruction I respect and admire (it’s why I have studied with Richard Lawson for so long. He he draws out my voice, uniqueness, and imagination by asking the next question.) Fun side note: I attended Vassar because of my guidance counselor. I knew nothing about the college application process. I didn’t know what colleges to research. I walked into my guidance counselor’s office one day during my junior year with all these brochures I randomly picked up at a college fair my high school was hosting. My guidance counselor looked through the brochures, put them aside, and said, “No. You can do better than these. You’re going to Vassar.” She saw something in me. She knew I was worthy of something higher. She added Vassar to the list and helped me identify other great schools that best fit me and what I wanted. Thank you so much, Ms. Ham! Keep reading below 🙂

Below is the front and back of Ms. Rosen’s letter. In case you can’t read her handwriting, I transcribed her message below the pictures. Thank you so much, Ms. Rosen! Time to keep moving forward with the first draft of a feature film I’m currently writing with my friend and colleague. Keep reading below 🙂

Dear Jorge, First of all, let me apologize. I am so sorry it took so long for me to get your story back to you. I hope it didn’t upset you or cause you any inconvenience. I also hope you will continue to share your work with me. I promise I will not delay in returning anything else to you. It gives me such pleasure to see how your writing is developing and I hope you will trust that I won’t let such time elapse again. As always, your descriptions and use of details are marvelous. You create vivid images, which all good writers in any genre need to do. You use powerful verbs which give your writing an energy-one that keeps the reader’s interest. Let me explain my feelings about gore and scary stories. It’s not that I don’t particularly like them. It’s more to do with my feelings that gory is not as original as other types of works. “Freddie” and “Bionics” are not new to literature. I believe that with your talent, your gift, you can, might, explore other avenues for where and how your writing may excel. I’m happy to learn that you are indeed branching out and have written a soap opera. It’d love to see your character development on that. I’m also interested in seeing your essays. Are you writing any for school? Is the soap opera for you or for an assignment? Please keep me posted. I wonder, have you given thought to writing news editorials or book reviews? Keep up the good work! Keep in touch. I have enjoyed speaking with you tremendously! Fondly, Ms. Rosen.

Time To Recap My 2023 Blog Entries!

Chasing The George

Hello fellow artists! I wanted to take this opportunity to recap all of the blog entries I’ve done so far in 2023. Why? Because Chasing The George is about the journey I’m on to carve out the career I want as an actor and writer, and this is a cool way for everyone to catch up or revisit past entries that document and reveal this pursuit. And personally, I get to see where I was when the year started, where I am now, and where I need to go next. From my celebrity friends dispensing practical advice to taking headshots to being back in class to what to do during the writers’ strike, I’ve listed them all in chronological order:

The Journey Continues: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/02/12/the-journey-continues/ Keep reading below 🙂

Advice From My Celebrity Friends: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/02/19/advice-from-my-celebrity-friends/ Keep reading below 🙂

One Of The Best Meetings I Didn’t Win: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/02/26/one-of-the-best-meetings-i-didnt-win/ Keep reading below 🙂

A Road To Taking Headshots: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/03/05/a-road-to-taking-headshots/ Keep reading below 🙂

It’s The Little Things That Count: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/03/12/its-the-little-things-that-count/ Keep reading below 🙂

7 Story Ideas in 7 Days. Part 1: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/03/19/7-story-ideas-in-7-days-part-1/ Keep reading below 🙂

7 Story Ideas in 7 Days. Part 2: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/03/26/7-story-ideas-in-7-days-part-2/ Keep reading below 🙂

The Final Chapter: 7 Story Ideas in 7 Days: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/04/02/the-final-chapter-7-story-ideas-in-7-days/ Keep reading below 🙂

What Are Your 1st Quarter Wins: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/04/08/what-are-your-1st-quarter-wins/ Keep reading below 🙂

What To Do If The Writers Strike: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/04/16/what-to-do-if-the-writers-strike/ Keep reading below 🙂

What Is Your Artistic Reason For Existence: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/04/23/what-is-your-artistic-reason-for-existence/ Keep reading below 🙂

Like A Virgin (Again) https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/04/30/like-a-virgin-again/ Keep reading below 🙂

A Song & Dance Creates The Keys To My Success: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/05/07/a-song-dance-creates-the-keys-to-my-success/ Keep reading below 🙂

Writers Strike: FAQs Answered By SAG-AFTRA: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/05/14/writers-strike-faqs-answered-by-sag-aftra/ Keep reading below 🙂

Let’s Get Personal (Monologue) https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/05/21/lets-get-personal-monologue/ Keep reading below 🙂

My (Unholy) Improvisation In Class: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/05/27/my-unholy-improvisation-in-class/ Keep reading below 🙂

How I Celebrated My Recent Wins: https://chasingthegeorge.com/2023/06/04/how-i-celebrated-my-recent-wins/

How I Celebrated My Recent Wins!

Chasing The George

Celebration is one of the cornerstones at the Richard Lawson Studios. As a student and teacher there, I understand the importance of it. A celebration means to observe (a day or event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing. Why is celebration important? Because, hopefully, whatever dream you are pursuing, you are doing so for the long run. And as you embark on this journey and continue on it, it’s vital to mark your wins and achievements through celebration. A celebration cements the work you are doing. It’s a pat on the back that reminds you that you have accomplished something and moved forward in your journey. It’s a ceremony of respect for yourself. Look, it can be easy to give up and quit. We can get so focused on what’s ahead that we forget to acknowledge all the steps we have taken. When we do that, we lose perspective. Celebration is your moment to check in, realize what a great job you have done, and stay in gratitude so that you can tackle the next steps of your journey with more energy, confidence, and enthusiasm. Keep reading below 🙂

Celebrations come in all sizes, and you get to decide what celebration goes with which win you have. Celebrations should be personal and specific to you. Something that you really give to yourself. I love being in my office and seeing various celebrations either on my wall in the form of paintings or on my desk in the form of cool ballpoint pens and coloring books. My DOIN (Declaration of Independence aka my business plan) contains a list of diverse celebrations. It’s almost like a menu: I get to open it and pick a celebration for my wins. And celebrations don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, by the way. They can be free. Keep reading below 🙂

Below are pictures of the celebrations I recently gave myself for a series of wins I’ve had in my scene study class. I purchased a lovely ballpoint pen by Parker to feel like the executive I am. I also acquired a fabulous 8×10 work on paper from a contemporary artist I follow on Instagram named Braxton J. Fuller. He is based in Kansas City and recently mailed the work on paper to me. Check out his exciting, visceral, and thought-provoking work at: https://www.instagram.com/braxtonjfuller/ Keep reading below 🙂

Here are the pictures of my celebrations:

AND OMG! When I received the above work on paper on June 3rd, Braxton included a surprise: Another 8×10 work on paper! I am still so blown away by this unexpected gift! That was really thoughtful of him to do that. And I love this work on paper too. See below 🙂

My (Unholy) Improvisation In Class.

Chasing The George

On May 25th, 2023, I completed the fourth and final exercise that is required for returning students of the Richard Lawson Studios. This exercise was an Improvisation. After re-reading the chapter in “Acting Class: Take a Seat”, I knew that I wanted to focus on being moment to moment, to play what was in front of me, and to “discover each moment anew, fresh, using their imagination, without preconception or roadmap or censorship.” In other words, to not be driven by a blueprint and just allowing the scene to occur.

I had a blast with the Improvisation! And what made this exercise so special was that this was the first time I worked opposite another actor on stage since being back in class. Kelly Tighe taught that evening and she called me and my fellow actor (Jayne Marin) up onto the stage. The stage was already set up with a foldable partition in the center and two chairs that were placed on either side of it. Kelly walked up to me and secretly gave me my prompt for the exercise. She said that I was a priest at a confessional booth. Ah! Now I understood the setup on stage. Kelly went over to Jayne and secretly gave her a prompt as well. Jayne and I took our seats, the lights went down, the stage manager called the exercise, and the lights came back on. Keep reading below 🙂

And as the scene progressed in a patient, moment to moment way, I soon discovered that this married woman, who was confessing her strong desire and attraction for someone else, was actually talking about me. I was the object of her desire and attraction. And through her strong yes and my strong no, we created tension and humor. We created an Abbott and Costello. We created an experience where we impinged each other. We had a clear event and there was so much trust between Jayne and I. The scene ended with us kissing passionately and getting ready to make love. I had finally given in to her energy. I had finally given in to her. Keep reading below 🙂

Kelly opened it up to the class for comments about our work. I also asked for casting ideas and received quite a number of great suggestions. I’m grateful for the work I’ve been able to create through these four exercises over the last five weeks (Environmental With A Crisis, Song & Dance, Personal Monologue, and Improvisation.) I feel like I am placing my artistic stamp on the work and allowing myself to continue failing forward so that I can grow as an artist. And to also have joy and fun in the process! The next stop…SCENE WORK! Keep reading below 🙂

Let’s Get Personal (Monologue)

Chasing The George

On May 18th, 2023, I did my third exercise as a returning student of the Richard Lawson Studios. This exercise was called a Personal Monologue. This exercise helps us to understand what it means to be personal in our work as actors. You share a true story that costs you something. The definition of cost that I love the most is “whatever must be given, sacrificed, suffered, or forgone to secure a benefit or accomplish a result.” What a powerful definition! No pain, no gain. Right? So you share a true story that costs you something because it helps you connect to it in a visceral way. It evokes emotions that you allow yourself to experience. You discover what’s possible in terms of the depths of your emotional capabilities. And so the degree of personalization, emotions, and experience that you receive from this exercise is something you can then bring to your work as an actor. You can apply that same personalization to any script you pick up, and it will feel as if you wrote that script yourself. Keep reading below 🙂

The second part of this exercise is that you should be working something out in your story. You are confronting something that is personal and vulnerable, something that is holding you back from being all that you can be, and you take this journey to figure out how to get to the other side in order to be at cause with solutions. And all of this is done through the medium of art, through an artistic lens and approach. Keep reading below 🙂

I looked at the evolution of my voice. I shared six milestone moments that influenced and affected my voice over the years. And what I wanted to solve, and what I wanted to get to the other side of, was how to take my voice to the next level to continue being heard. I felt that my voice had plateaued. I felt that I wasn’t being heard anymore, particularly on social media. I got to the other side by realizing that acclamation and condemnation are the same animal on different sides of the same coin. I can’t be seduced by either. I just need to keep doing me, showing up, and doing the work. Keep reading below 🙂

I designed my Personal Monologue as the beginnings of a Ted Talk/one-man show (Fun fact: I’ve done two Personal Monologues before and they were also designed as the beginnings of a one-man show.) Utilizing Richard’s assessment from my Song & Dance exercise two weeks ago, my intention was to fail forward in this exercise. I gave myself permission to fail. Meaning, I took risks. I allowed myself to have an experience. I allowed myself to explore a full range of emotional colors. I made an artistic fool of myself. I took up space. I followed impulses that occurred in the moment. I allowed myself to take a personal and artistic ride because I wanted to get to the other side of what I was looking at. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I HAD FUN!!!!!! Keep reading below 🙂

Kelly Tighe taught that evening and her assessment was wonderful and powerful. She talked about the power of give, letting go of the results, who to focus on, the reality of social media, and taking a look at where social media serves me. She provided guidance so that I can continue staying on the other side of what I discovered in my Personal Monologue. She also opened it up to the room so that my fellow classmates both in person and on Zoom could comment on my work. Keep reading below 🙂

The evolution of Jorge Ortiz the actor and artist continues!

Writers Strike: FAQs Answered By SAG-AFTRA.

Chasing The George

“The WGAW and WGAE are on strike. SAG-AFTRA supports the Writers Guild of America in their fight to achieve a fair and equitable contract.” SAG-AFTRA has provided answers to frequently asked questions that actors have as it relates to the writers strike. Below is the link. When you click on the link, you will see the updated strike schedule for the new week, and below that, you will find the frequently asked questions. I hope these answers help my fellow actors in terms of how to support our fellow writers and also as it relates to the work we can and can not do during the strike:

https://www.sagaftra.org/get-involved/solidarity-wga