The Clutches of Ingenuity: Bringing 'Jurassic Park' to Life
The Wonder of Spielberg’s Jurassic Park
No film of its time captivated viewers like Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. In 1993, a masterpiece of technology, engineering, and storytelling would forever more change our expectations of cinema. It was held together not just by its captivating story, but also by its incredible visual effects.
The Dream of Bringing Dinosaurs to Life
Every effects artist wants to work on something that’s never been done before, and Jurassic Park offered the perfect opportunity to do just that. With its ambitious plot to bring extinct creatures back from the past, everyone involved saw the chance to do something incredibly special. The task of creating such creatures fell upon the special effects team, who has to build upon the pioneering work of Ray Harryhausen and Stan Winston.
Breaking the Boundaries of Technology & Design
A task this monumental required the utmost ingenuity and creativity. Through using groundbreaking technology, advances in robotics, innovative architecture, computer-generated imagery, and painstakingly detailed modelling, the filmmakers worked to create a world based on scientific research but pushed ever so slightly into the realm of fantasy - the perfect blend to make Jurassic Park the awe-inspiring movie it is today.
A Peek behind the Curtain
To properly showcase the scientific creativity employed in this production, let’s take a look at some of the films’ most remarkable aspects.
Robotic Models & Animatronics
Using a combination of robotic models and animatronics, Stan Winston and his team delivered a level of realism that cast and crew had never seen before. Each animatronic was built using over 400 parts, and designed to be operated up to 8 hours a day!
Sculpting the Dinos
The effects team also put great care into how each dinosaur actually looked, as they needed to walk a tightrope between accurate realism and exciting fantasy. For this, Stan Winston and his team created a series of sculptures which informed both the physical designs of the dinosaurs, as well as the film’s computer generated creatures.
The Immersive World of Jurassic Park
With the help of technological wizardry, the special effects team of Jurassic Park crafted an immersive world that continues to draw in viewers today. Without the mechanical & sculptural genius, the cinematic magic of the movie would have been lost. Our desire to explore the unknown and realize our dreams through the power of science and technology is what made this movie so special.