header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 29
1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
Newhall Cowboys


| Thursday, Dec 18, 2014
Loading...

Animator and CalArts alumnus Jorge Gutierrez (Film/Video MFA 2000) was on campus on Dec. 11 to screen his directorial debut, “The Book of Life,” an animated film that takes place during the Mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). The film features the voice acting of stars Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana and Channing Tatum as old friends caught in a love triangle, and Kate del Castillo and Ron Perlman as gods placing bets on which of the men would win Maria’s (Saldana) hand.

The screening and Q&A at CalArts happened on the same day as Gutierrez’s Golden Globe nomination. He forgot that the nominations were going to be announced that morning and stayed up writing until 2 am. He was awoken around 5:20 am with more than 100 messages on his phone. The barrage of congratulatory messages for the Golden Globes only added to the accolades for the film, including a recent Annie Awards nomination and the distinction of being Mexico’s currently most pirated film.

Student Nak Yong Choi meets Jorge Gutierrez. Photo: CalArts

Student Nak Yong Choi meets Jorge Gutierrez. Photo: CalArts

When introducing the film to a full house in the Bijou Auditorium, Gutierrez said, “The film is a love letter to Mexico, my culture and to the Mexico that I remember.” He continued by saying that recent news coming out of his country paints it in an ugly light. “The Book of Life is also Mexico’s ambassador to the world, a reminder that there are beautiful things in the country,” he says.

After the screening, Gutierrez opened the Q&A session by speaking about the earnestness of the film. “We live in such cynical times…That the new punk rock is emotion,” he said. “The way to be rebellious is to be earnest.”

Gutierrez also discussed the challenges to making the film. He moved from Los Angeles to Dallas, Texas, in order to produce it with Reel FX, joking that there is something of the circus people in artists. “You have to go where they’ll let you perform.”

He described working with the small animation studio with a relatively small $50 million budget (“I soon found out that it wasn’t a lot of money for a feature film”). “One of the things I’ve learned is that the more money you have to make a movie, the less creative input you can have. Don’t look down on the little places, because that’s often where the most innovative things happen. And Pixar, Disney and Dreamworks used to be small places, too, so take chances.”

The Book of Life started out as a much darker story, he said, which made it very hard to market as an animated feature. Aside from death being ever-present in the film, the character Xibalba (voiced by Perlman) was initially supposed to be the Devil himself, making The Book of Life a story about Death and The Devil betting on humankind. One studio first offered to make Gutierrez’s movie—but only with major changes, including making it a a hip-hop reggaeton musical set in present day urban New York.

Gutierrez also had to jump through numerous hoops to obtain clearances for elements he felt were vital to the film’s success. Because the film features a lot of pop music, he had to deal with permissions and licensing.

Radiohead’s Creep is used in the film, and despite being told by several people that there was no way he was going to secure the license, Gutierrez, “drunk with ignorance,” sent a letter to Radiohead. Radiohead agreed, charging only the minimum fees. He had to beg Mumford & Sons for permission to use the song I Will Wait through an iPhone movie wherein Gutierrez did a whole spiel that included the phrase “Do it for the children of Mexico,” ending with a ranchero version of the song. The band finally gave in. “This movie,” Gutierrez declared with a smile, “was built on guilt.”

Gutierrez also shared stories about meeting the film’s producer, Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro for the first time. Gutierrez found himself pitching The Book of Life in five minutes to del Toro instead of the 20 minutes for which he had prepared. At the same time, he had to shout the pitch over a cacophony of lawn mowers from neighboring properties. When he finished, del Toro said, “Son, that was horrible. But there’s magic in it.” Del Toro then told Gutierrez that he and his daughters love El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, the award-winning TV series created by Gutierrez and his wife Sandra Equihua. Gutierrez only had one copy of The Book of Life‘s script with him, but he had spilled tequila on it. As he handed the copy to del Toro, the director smelled it and said, “I like it.”

The Book of Life is a visually and culturally dense movie. In addition to the main characters and their storylines, Gutierrez managed to squeeze in opera (with opera singer Placido Domingo voicing a character), soldaderas (women who fought in the Mexican Revolution), plus a priest who turns into a luchador.

“In this movie, I got to animate, I had a cameo (he played Skeleton Carmelo, one of Manolo’s relatives), I wrote a song and sang a song. I have no regrets.” Gutierrez said that he put everything into The Book of Life with the thought that it might be the only movie he’ll ever make. “No retreat, no surrender,” he said. “It’s a motto I share with the film’s three protagonists.”

Gutierrez is currently working on a new film about Mexican Kung-fu. “I was inspired by hybrids that I’ve seen. Tacos with Korean beef, Indian curry in burritos.”

When asked by a CalArts student where he sees himself in 10 years, he answered: “I want to make two animated films, then move on to live action, maybe a Mexican wrestler Citizen Kane… then return to Mexico to become a farmer.”

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

No Comments

    Leave a Comment


    ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LINKS
    ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
    Friday, Mar 22, 2024
    The Canyon Theatre Guild will open the musical "Xanadu" on Saturday, March 23 in Old Town Newhall. The show will run through April 27.
    Friday, Mar 22, 2024
    Robert Morgan Fisher will perform "A Night of Narrative Song" on Thursday, April 4, at 7 p.m. The show will be performed at The MAIN, 24266 Main St.,t Santa Clarita, CA 91321.
    Friday, Mar 22, 2024
    The MAIN Presents GO Jazz Big Band on Friday, March 29, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30. A number of professional players make the Santa Clarita Valley home and since 2011 the GO Jazz Big Band has been their launch pad.
    Friday, Mar 15, 2024
    Olive Branch Theatricals presents "Done to Death" on Friday, Saturday and Sunday March 15-17 and March 22-22 at The MAIN in Old Town Newhall.
    Thursday, Mar 14, 2024
    Auditions for "The Play that Goes Wrong" and "Neil Simon's Come Blown Your Horn" will be held at the Canyon Theatre Guild in Old Town Newhall.
    Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
    1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
    Newhall Cowboys
    Los Angeles County Public Works is updating the Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan.
    April 16:  County Bicycle Master Plan Virtual Community Meeting
    College of the Canyons mens golf got back on track during its return to conference play on Monday, carding a five-man score of 370 to top the eight-team field at Brookside Golf Course and maintain its unblemished conference mark.
    Cougars Win Again, Keep Conference Streak
    Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, reminds property owners that the second installment of the 2023-24 Annual Secured Property Taxes becomes  delinquent if not received by 5 p.m. Pacific Time or United States Postal Service postmarked on or before Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
    County Treasurer Reminds Property Owners of April 10 Due Date
    Local nonprofit Fostering Youth Independence is seeking “Allies” to support Santa Clarita youth who are aging out of the L.A. County foster care system.
    April 16: FYI Seeks Volunteers To Pair With Local Foster Youth
    The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today unveiled the latest L.A. County Health Survey, which gathers vital data on health behaviors, conditions, neighborhood settings, and the needs of L.A .County residents, informing future public health policies and programs.
    Public Health Unveils the 2023 L.A. County Health Survey Findings
    Due to the projected rain forecast, Eggstravaganza will now be held indoors at the Canyon Country Community Center beginning promptly at 10 a.m. on March 30.
    March 30: Eggstravaganza Now Being Held Indoors at Canyon Country Community Center
    To support the mental health of California's young people, the California Department of Public Health awarded $25 million to 28 tribal and community-based organizations across the state.
    California Announces $25 Million in Awards for Youth Mental Health
    The College of the Canyons Athletic Department will host a dedication ceremony to unveil the Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room in honor of the longtime board member and ardent softball program supporter’s nearly 40 years of service to the district.
    April 16: COC to Host Michele Jenkins Team Room Dedication Ceremony
    PFLAG Santa Clarita has announced the establishment of the Peggy and Jeff Stabile PFLAG SCV Scholarship. The scholarship will provide financial assistance to LGBTQIA+ students pursuing higher education and committed to advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights and promoting diversity and inclusion.
    PFLAG SCV Announces Stabile PFLAG Scholarship
    1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
    Bouquet Reservoir
    The California Department of Public Health launched the “Never a Bother” campaign, a youth suicide prevention public awareness and outreach campaign for youth, young adults, and their parents, caregivers, and allies.
    California Launches New Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
    The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites the community to "Let the Sunshine In," a delightful evening of food, wine and song at the annual Cabaret & Cabernet fundraising benefit.
    April 20: Santa Clarita Master Chorale’s Cabaret, Cabernet Fundraiser
    The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
    March 27 Ocean Water Warning
    As an integral ingredient necessary to help the Santa Clarita Valley to flourish, feedback from the business community is the secret sauce for achieving great things.
    SCVEDC Asks For the Business Community’s Opinion on Santa Clarita
    Raise your heart rate while raising funds for the Santa Clarita Sister Cities Dollars-for-Desks campaign to provide school desks for students in Sariaya, Santa Clarita's Sister City in the Philippines.
    April 13: Sister Cities Zumba-thon Fundraiser
    Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
    SCVEDC Company Spotlight: Drumming Up Big Business with Remo, Inc.
    California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) have introduced AB 3074 the "School or athletic team names: California Racial Mascots Act."
    Schiavo Introduces Bill to Prohibit ‘Derogatory’ School Mascot Names
    Los Angeles County’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department  in collaboration with Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Pitch Competition for the cohorts of JCOD's Incubation Academy.
    March 28: JCOD Incubation Academy Helps Grassroots Non-Profits For the Second Year
    Children’s Bureau is seeking foster families and now offers two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption.
    April 18: Children’s Bureau Hosts Virtual Orientation
    The Sunburst track was constructed in 1887 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was a part of the main line running between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
    Enjoy Spring With a Ride On The Sunburst Track
    California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a Personal Finance Summit today where he announced his support for Assembly Bill 2927 (McCarty), legislation that would require a personal finance education course for California high school graduation.
    State Superintendent Announces Support for Personal Finance Graduation Requirement
    1847 - Probable birth date of Pico Canyon oil driller Charles Alexander Mentry [story]
    C.A. Mentry
    SCVNews.com