A Tale of Two Parks: 1993 Versus 2015

As cinematic technology improves so should the storytelling techniques that guides the picture. While modern cinema has gotten more immersive and in depth from a visual standpoint, it’s clear that some directors and producers don’t know how to leverage those visuals to serve the story.

Back in 1993, Universal released Jurassic Park to great critical and commercial success. Directed by legendary director Steven Spielberg, the film went on to make over 356 million dollars domestically, according to the NPD group. It pioneered special effects in the 1990s and was one of the first films to use CGI, computer generated images, to successful effect.

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Dino-Bites Spotlight: The Sail of the Sahara

The deserts of Northern Africa were quite different 100 million years ago. Vast coastal mangrove forests dotting huge swaths of tidal flats and channels covered what would become Egypt and Morocco.

The inland seas and rivers were a hotbed of life. Huge fish, ancient crocodiles and even some plesiosaurs swam those waters. Titanic sauropods like Paratitan and Aegyptosaurus walked the coastline.

One dinosaur was uniquely adapted to surviving this environment of constant change. It stalked the mangroves and swam the channels, hunting its prey. This was the domain of Spinosaurus. 

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Dino-Bites: What did Dinosaurs Really Look Like?

Modern popular culture has long presented the image of dinosaurs as scaly, stomping beasts. Going further back in time to the early to mid 20th century; dinosaurs were thought to be lizard-like with flicking tongues and strange upright postures.

However, modern science has revealed that dinosaurs may have appeared and behaved far different than originally, or even recently, imagined.

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Dino-Bites: When did the Dinosaurs Live?

Humanity has held dominion over the earth for a blink in the cosmic scale. Life has existed on this planet for 3.8 billion years, and we have only been here for around a 100,000 to 200,000 years. Civilization has only been a part of our history for around 5000 years.

The dinosaurs ruled the world for nearly 180 million years.

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Dino-Bites: What is a Dinosaur?

Imagine the variety of life on Earth now.

Mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, and so on. They’ve all been here a long time. Through the process of time and evolution they’ve changed drastically.

Some species, like sharks, have barely changed at all in millions of years. But some, like the sparrows and robins in your backyard, and the chickens on the farm down the road, can trace their lineage back to some of the largest and most impressive creatures to ever walk the Earth. The Dinosaurs.

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Introducing Dino-Bites: A Month of Dinosauria

 

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Jurassic Park film franchise, we will be posting a series of short (mostly) articles throughout the month about dinosaurs and the world they lived in.

These “Dino-Bites” will be intended to inform and clarify some newer discoveries, and also dispel some falsehoods in film and other media about these ancient creatures.

All of this leading to the launch of Jurassic World Evolution, and the premiere of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

So keep your battery charged with us as we dive back in time to the age of dinosaurs!

JP BFC

‘Jurassic World Evolution,’ Launch Date and New Trailer Details

Frontier Developments finally has revealed some details on the upcoming park-building simulation, Jurassic World Evolution, and like Ian Malcolm once said: “Oooh ahhh… That’s how it always starts… but then there’s running… and uh screaming…”

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A Mesozoic Proposal: Making Dinosaurs Relevant Again

Alright I have to ask the most important question, but first let me point something out:

Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for around 200 times longer than we have. They came in all shapes and sizes and survived in every type of environment. Some were as big as a Boeing 747, and some could fit into the palm of your hand. They shared our planet with some of the largest and most fascinating marine creatures to ever swim the oceans, while incredible flying reptiles glided through the skies above.

So that brings us back to my question:

Why do we have to suffer through the 500 trillionth zombie apocalypse movie or TV show when there’s literally 200 million years of awesome dinosaurs to pull from?

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Life Will Find a Way in New ‘Jurassic World’ Sim

Prepare to exclaim: “Bingo! Dino-DNA!” when Jurassic World Evolution stomps onto the gaming landscape next year.

Announced during Microsoft’s pre-Gamescom Presser, the new park-building game will see intrepid players building and managing their own versions of the titular park from the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films. Continue reading “Life Will Find a Way in New ‘Jurassic World’ Sim”

The Power of the Past: Nostalgia and “Coming Home”

Nostalgia is a powerful connection to the things we love.

Through all of our senses, it ties us to our memories. When you smell that food that brings you back to your childhood dinner table. When you hear the song that reminds you of that friend or family-member you don’t talk to anymore. Or even that movie that you saw as a child that conjures memories of those listless summer days when you recreated the hero’s adventures.

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