Frank Ortega

And I'm walking up to my horrible tram ride to Roosevelt Island, which is like the island of death. It was such a weird place back then. And I'm walking up, and there on the street, almost to mock me, is that whole Hollywood setup. You know, the trucks, the lights, the gaffers, the rigs, the equipment, the craft table, the whole thing. And I just, it made me like, ugh.

And I walk past it, and I walk... about a block, and this thing rises up in me. This whole, like, rebel yell comes up out of me, and it's like my body, without my mind, turns around and starts walking right back to the hive of the activity, the set. It was a restaurant, and the whole thing was focused in there. While I'm walking, I'm then having this quick conversation. What are we doing?

And I walk past it, and I walk... about a block, and this thing rises up in me. This whole, like, rebel yell comes up out of me, and it's like my body, without my mind, turns around and starts walking right back to the hive of the activity, the set. It was a restaurant, and the whole thing was focused in there. While I'm walking, I'm then having this quick conversation. What are we doing?

And I walk past it, and I walk... about a block, and this thing rises up in me. This whole, like, rebel yell comes up out of me, and it's like my body, without my mind, turns around and starts walking right back to the hive of the activity, the set. It was a restaurant, and the whole thing was focused in there. While I'm walking, I'm then having this quick conversation. What are we doing?

We're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna get a job. We're gonna do this. Well, what do you know? What are you good at? I'm good at, okay, I'm good at painting, and I'm good at building, and I'm good at, like, creating. Art, okay, so not lighting, not electricity, not, oh, okay, so art, art department.

We're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna get a job. We're gonna do this. Well, what do you know? What are you good at? I'm good at, okay, I'm good at painting, and I'm good at building, and I'm good at, like, creating. Art, okay, so not lighting, not electricity, not, oh, okay, so art, art department.

We're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna get a job. We're gonna do this. Well, what do you know? What are you good at? I'm good at, okay, I'm good at painting, and I'm good at building, and I'm good at, like, creating. Art, okay, so not lighting, not electricity, not, oh, okay, so art, art department.

Right about the time I got to, like, the first layer of people, I go, hey, yeah, hi, where's your art director? Oh, he's inside, but you don't want to talk to him now. I go, oh, no, no, I do, I do. What's his name? Well, it's James, of course. Yeah, okay, well, I've got to talk to him. He's in a really bad mood right now. Why? We're totally under budget. We're overstretched. It's a real disaster.

Right about the time I got to, like, the first layer of people, I go, hey, yeah, hi, where's your art director? Oh, he's inside, but you don't want to talk to him now. I go, oh, no, no, I do, I do. What's his name? Well, it's James, of course. Yeah, okay, well, I've got to talk to him. He's in a really bad mood right now. Why? We're totally under budget. We're overstretched. It's a real disaster.

Right about the time I got to, like, the first layer of people, I go, hey, yeah, hi, where's your art director? Oh, he's inside, but you don't want to talk to him now. I go, oh, no, no, I do, I do. What's his name? Well, it's James, of course. Yeah, okay, well, I've got to talk to him. He's in a really bad mood right now. Why? We're totally under budget. We're overstretched. It's a real disaster.

He's really mad. Okay, thanks. Where is he? Over there. I go right over there. Excuse me, where's James? I go right up to him. Hey, James. He goes, what the? Who are you? My name is Frank Ortega. I'm from Wisconsin, and I went, I studied film, and I'd love to work in movies. I want to work in movies. The fuck? What are you doing here? And I said, no, no, no, no, I can work for you.

He's really mad. Okay, thanks. Where is he? Over there. I go right over there. Excuse me, where's James? I go right up to him. Hey, James. He goes, what the? Who are you? My name is Frank Ortega. I'm from Wisconsin, and I went, I studied film, and I'd love to work in movies. I want to work in movies. The fuck? What are you doing here? And I said, no, no, no, no, I can work for you.

He's really mad. Okay, thanks. Where is he? Over there. I go right over there. Excuse me, where's James? I go right up to him. Hey, James. He goes, what the? Who are you? My name is Frank Ortega. I'm from Wisconsin, and I went, I studied film, and I'd love to work in movies. I want to work in movies. The fuck? What are you doing here? And I said, no, no, no, no, I can work for you.

He goes, no, the reason, no, we're crazy right now. I don't have, we're a mess right now. This is a disaster scene. Get the fuck out of here. I go, but no, no, I can work, and my brain was flying, and I go, I can work for free. And he froze. He froze. He was really a nervous guy. And he froze. He goes, what? And I said, I can work for free. And he just goes, oh. Let me go check with legal.

He goes, no, the reason, no, we're crazy right now. I don't have, we're a mess right now. This is a disaster scene. Get the fuck out of here. I go, but no, no, I can work, and my brain was flying, and I go, I can work for free. And he froze. He froze. He was really a nervous guy. And he froze. He goes, what? And I said, I can work for free. And he just goes, oh. Let me go check with legal.

He goes, no, the reason, no, we're crazy right now. I don't have, we're a mess right now. This is a disaster scene. Get the fuck out of here. I go, but no, no, I can work, and my brain was flying, and I go, I can work for free. And he froze. He froze. He was really a nervous guy. And he froze. He goes, what? And I said, I can work for free. And he just goes, oh. Let me go check with legal.

One second. And he goes away. And he comes back like a minute later. He goes, if you just sign the waivers here, you can work for us. You can work for me, a production assistant, for free. And I said, yeah. And he really said, and when can you start? And I had just worked, right, the whole night through. And I just, I love that moment because it's true. I said, right now. So I began working.

One second. And he goes away. And he comes back like a minute later. He goes, if you just sign the waivers here, you can work for us. You can work for me, a production assistant, for free. And I said, yeah. And he really said, and when can you start? And I had just worked, right, the whole night through. And I just, I love that moment because it's true. I said, right now. So I began working.

One second. And he goes away. And he comes back like a minute later. He goes, if you just sign the waivers here, you can work for us. You can work for me, a production assistant, for free. And I said, yeah. And he really said, and when can you start? And I had just worked, right, the whole night through. And I just, I love that moment because it's true. I said, right now. So I began working.

It was this horrific disaster of a movie. It's not on Netflix. It's... No, no, but it had Elliot Gould, Shelley Winters, Carol Kane, Margot Hemingway, Sid Caesar. I mean, it was over the Brooklyn Bridge. And so, okay, it was this epic education in guerrilla filmmaking because it was super low budget. What not to do, what to do. I got to meet everybody that was there.