We had the good fortune of connecting with Anthony Ortiz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anthony, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Well I grew up in a very entrepreneurial environment because of my mother. She started her own marketing business when the internet started booming in the 90’s. So when I became an adult and started to dabble in filmmaking I knew I wanted to do something in business. Becoming an entrepreneur myself came very natural and it just came down to finally taking that leap of faith to embrace the idea of leaving a 9 to 5 job and doing what I love full-time. It was horrifying to face, but I knew I would be okay to sustain myself because for quite a few years I was already doing a lot of networking and had a few clients since my business started as a side hustle.

No matter what, I knew it would be a risk. You just can’t escape it, so I decided to embrace it. Jim Carrey once said something along the lines of; “If you can fail at doing something you hate, you might as well take a chance and risk failing at something you love.”

Besides, life is short and I don’t want to grow up and become an old man with regrets.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ll never forget going to Blockbuster with my father as a kid. I cherish those memories of watching cult classic films and action movies. As a filmmaker, I take those experiences with me when I craft my own films today.

On high school graduation day, my grandparents gifted me a little Sony camcorder. I knew nothing about filmmaking, but I started to dabble with the camera and teach myself how to film and edit little videos. It was a fun time exploring a new hobby and expressing myself with it. That was back in 2012, 10 years ago. Over the years, I began to become more passionate about the craft and started taking it more seriously. I started to rewatch my favorite films like Inception, Blade Runner, Goodfellas, The Godfather, etc, but from a filmmakers perspective. When I started doing that, I knew that I wanted to be a film director executing my own vision and telling impactful stories. I love a lot of filmmakers, but Christopher Nolan stands to me as the most influential. I love his ability to craft and fuse arthouse/film noir sensibilities with Hollywood blockbuster scale filmmaking with his movies. I strive to bring that to my stories as well.

But the truth is, filmmaking is extremely difficult, but it’s also tremendously fulfilling. I’ve faced many challenges in my career and I’ve had days where I ask myself if I really want to do this. Being a filmmaker is a lot of responsibility, the pressures of everything can really test you, but if you stay strong and push through those trials, it will pay great dividends.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of the best things about living in Los Angeles is you have everything. The city, mountains, desert and beach are all in reach. If I was showing a friend from out of town the best time ever in my city for a whole week. This would be our itinerary on day one.

Morning – Hike in the Pasadena Hills.
Mid-Morning – Breakfast at Crepes & Grapes Cafe in Whittier.
Noon – Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Afternoon – Lunch at Olvera Street
Early Evening – Shop and Chill at The Grove.
Evening – Dinner at Bottega Louie in DTLA.
Night – Watch a movie at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Midnight – Bonfire at the beach with s’mores and friends.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to two very special people in my life:

1) My mother Marie. She is the strongest woman I know and she raised me into the strong man I am today. Without her wisdom, ambition and teachings, I have no idea where I’d be. My mother truly believed in me and pushed me to express myself.

2) Reyna. My girlfriend Reyna has been my super hero behind the scenes the past few years. She has pushed me to surpass my limits and has held my hand through my low points and high points. Together we are a strong team and push each other because we believe in each other so much.

Website: https://divergencestudios.wixsite.com/divergencestudios

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dvrg.tones/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/divergence-studios-/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivergenceStudios/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcll6KoxQ3WUXCywYvqWQkA

Other: Check out one of our latest big projects. A Neo-noir sci-fi music film. A concept we are building into a trans-media project. Stay tuned for more story in the world we’ve built! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgmXZQp4Gz0 Seen at the Santa Fe Springs Film Festival and Los Angeles Sci-Fi Film Festival!

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.