Growing up as a queer boy in the NYC housing projects, I knew from an early age that my imagination would be my most powerful tool for escape and survival. I would transform the four walls of my bedroom into anything from concert stages for thousands of adoring fans to fantastical, mythical lands far, far away. Acting was a powerful form of escape, as well as writing. With pen, paper, keyboard, and screen, I could create and narrate my own worlds.
My upbringing in the projects influences me to write edgy, grounded, character-driven urban dramas and dramedies. Set against the backdrop of the big city or the hood, my stories feature everyday people embarking on urban odysseys to deal with and overcome some of life's biggest challenges with heart, spirit, and vibrancy. While this is my primary genre, I have also written sci-fi, comedy, and action scripts, which again, spotlight everyday people dealing with extraordinary circumstances.
Since graduating from Vassar College and moving to LA, I have written three feature films, two pilots, and numerous short films, and I have pitched one of my series to CBS/Showtime, Logo, Here, and YouTube. I am a Huffington Post Medium-published writer of a motivational industry blog called Chasing The George. Since 2015, my blog has highlighted my journey to build the artistic career I want while also sharing the advice and lessons I have learned along the way.
From Screenplay to Film
Below are a few examples of my writing work.
(What an adrenaline rush it is to see your words come to life!)
Chris/tina
Half-hour drama series. A teenage identical twin living in a middle-class thinking, Latin neighborhood with his all-American athlete brother and his politically ambitious mom is caught between the expectations of that world and with who he really is inside: a woman.
In this scene: The Maldonado family deals with the embarrassing aftermath of their cousin crashing their neighborhood celebration, and in the process, a revelation that one of their own has been secretly hanging out with him.
Human Revolution
Comedy short. Four strangers, who are forced to attend a 3-day transformation retreat to improve an aspect of their lives, ultimately discover that what they need to do to become better people is to lean into the program and open up to each other.
In this scene: Our four strangers finally meet each other and explain why they are attending this elite, transformational retreat.
The Doppelganger
Drama short. An Ivy-league art aficionado meets with a reformed gang member to utilize an innovative technological procedure that will finally help him achieve his life-long pursuit of physical beauty and happiness. But it comes with a price.
In this scene: Victor warns Jacob of the consequences he’ll face if he proceeds with the radical face-replacement procedure he wants to undergo.
