Hidden Gems: Meet Antonio Ortiz of May Films

Today we’d like to introduce you to Antonio Ortiz.

Hi Antonio, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up around Los Angeles, I was always surrounded by the arts. Being inspired by my Mother, who was a business woman and took my sister and I to mixers, galleries and events, I aspired to be a creative business person myself after high school.

Shortly after getting my first camera as a graduation gift, I taught myself filmmaking and took it more seriously as I got further into my twenties. By 27, I was finally able to commit to my freelance videography business full-time, that last for about 2 years and I eventually burned out. Since it was the height of covid, the economy was rough and the freelance landscape was incredibly competitive. I started realizing I had poured myself into videography and not my true passion; films.

After taking a year hiatus, I gained clarity that I needed to focus on making films. My wife and I have since decided to start a new production company together; May Films. Now, we are in the process of launching May Films as a creative hub for filmmakers, photographers and content creators to cultivate a community where they can all meet collaborators and tell their stories.

Currently, May Films has 2 short films and a series in development.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been rocky to say the least, it’s actually safe to say the road completely broke down and had to be rebuilt from scratch LOL

My partner Rey, and I have definitely been faced with challenges and hard lessons together to get to this point. For me, it was my hiatus and finding my way back to realize what boundaries I needed to establish for myself and what I should be focusing my energy towards. I struggled with getting caught up in hustle culture and that took a toll on my mental health. Now, I know that I need my mornings to myself before I jump into work. And for my relationship, I know to clock out by 6pm and just be present with the family. These little things are important so I don’t end up burning out again or hurting my relationships.

Together, we’ve definitely made mistakes on some of our projects that took a while to recover from, whether it was financially, spiritually or creatively, the industry can definitely beat you down. And that’s just it, in this industry, you have to dust yourself off and get back in the game. Otherwise, you’re not gonna learn and you’re not gonna progress, you may become stagnant or lose the passion. Everyone has their own journey though, but at the end of the day, I’ve learned it’s okay to take a break and start over.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
May Films is a creative hub and community for filmmakers and creatives to learn, create and build their stories. By late 2026, we will have a studio space for set rentals, podcasting and workshops.

Currently, we are getting ready to launch our new podcast; Between Frames, where we’ll discuss not just success stories, but the process, setbacks, pivots, and what it really takes to build meaningful work. The podcast will be out by this summer.

In addition, we have 2 short films in development that my partner Rey and I have written and will be producing and directing ourselves. We also have “Chicas” in development, a series created by Rey Ortiz.

Anyone interested in receiving updates on the studio, workshops and resources can sign up to our newsletter on our website.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I once heard that “luck” is when preparation and opportunity meet. I think that statement makes a lot of sense. Sometimes you may be presented with an opportunity you’re not ready for and it seems to pass you by. Other times you may feel prepared, but no opportunities have presented themselves.

So what do we do? I believe it’s a matter of being prepared for what you want, so when the opportunity arrives, you’re ready and you take action. What if the opportunity isn’t coming? That’s when you have to create the opportunity for yourself.

If you want to be a professional painter that gets commissioned to paint. First, master your craft; become the exceptional painter you want to be. Then, don’t wait for people to tell you to paint, just start painting and share it with the world.

This is essentially what I’ve done in my life and business and I’ve had so many more opportunities present themselves to me then when I just sat and waited for something to happen. You’ve gotta make it happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mayfilms.studio/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MayFilms.Studio
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/dvrg.tones

Image Credits
German Sanchez