Director Jorge Gutierrez is continuing production on Maya and the Three during the new coronavirus crisis, as Netflix Animation has developed a setup that allows him to use his work computer and digital tablet at his home studio, the director tells The Hollywood Reporter.
The limited series, which drops on Netflix in the summer of 2021, is a four-and-a-half-hour epic that will be released in 30-minute episodes. Inspired by Mesoamerican mythology and its female heroes, it follows Maya, a Mesoamerican warrior princess who embarks on a journey to save the world of gods and man with three legendary fighters.
The Book of Life director reports that he’s keeping work hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT and production is up and running "with almost everyone, including editorial, working from home." The team includes hundreds of artists at Tangent Animation, based in both Toronto and Winnipeg.
"We're all connected to the work network and it's pretty amazing," Gutierrez said, adding that he’s been working with this international team since 2018, "so we're pretty used to working remotely." For reviews, the team uses tools such as Google Hangouts, SyncSketch and CineSync.
"It's like I'm at my office directing but with a quirky 10-year-old co-worker (my son Luka) and a really understanding producer (wife Sandra Equihua)," Gutierrez says, though he laments, "I really miss eating with my crew every day."
He adds, "With everything kids are currently living through, now more than ever, I am so happy and thankful we get to make things to help them cope and hopefully inspire them to follow their dreams."
