Part of the magic of the Jurassic Park franchise is the impressive use of practical effects, and Jurassic World is no exception. Though there was a lot of CGI, so much so that some reviewers criticized the film for its use, but there were also custom-built dinosaurs to bolster the sense of wonder. With Jurassic World still crushing box-office records, a new video has hit the web showing how the use of practical effects created one of the more impressive dinosaurs, the Apatosaurus.
In Jurassic World, the first genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, the Indominus Rex, breaks free from its cage and ravages the island and the park-goers. Amid the chaos, the creature slaughters a herd of Apatosaurus just for sport. Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire Dearing watched in horror, as did we, as this gentle creature took its last few breaths. According to the folks at Legacy Effects, a special effects company, it was their job to make this as emotionally charged as possible and to get the audiences to feel compassion for the dying creature.
As shown in the video above, a model of the Apathosaurus was first created out of foam, based on concept renderings. From there, it was painted and sculpted by a team of artists, but Steven Spielberg, who was a producer on the film, thought it would be best to use a larger model. So the team upped the scale, but they didn’t have to start from scratch. They scanned the model into the computer, and after this stage, the artists could create a 3D printing of their original work in whatever scale was asked. The next stage is molding, which is where the team figures out which pieces of the model can singled out to help bring life to this creature. The more specific details include a throat apparatus to mimic breathing, teeth, and even gums.
Jurassic World featured a bevy of fearsome and immense dinosaurs, including the Great White Shark-eating Mosasaur, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Dimorphodon and, of course, the Velociraptors and T. Rex. Practical effects were also utilized to create some of the raptor scenes, while others used motion capture, but the Apathosaurus was one of the more life-like creations.
Hopefully these techniques will be brought into the inevitable sequel; while a follow-up hasn’t formally been announced yet, Jurassic World has dominated the box office, even besting Pixar’s latest movie, Inside Out. Pratt also said that he signed on for additional films in the franchise, so a follow up is all but guaranteed. Let’s just hope this post-Jurassic World world doesn’t fall into the pattern of lackluster sequels like with The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3.
