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V isual E ffects
A Breed Above
ILM revisits and remixes its iconic digital creatures for the return visit to the land of dinosaurs in Jurassic World. By Bill Desowitz.
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hough barely a drop in the bucket on some raptor and they used other species to Alexander says. “But it was important to make the geologic scale of time in which fill in the gene sequence,” says visual-effects her a real dinosaur. They didn’t want people scientists discuss real-life dinosaurs, a supervisor Tim Alexander, whose previous to worry about her looking like a strange mulot has changed in the creation of the digital credits include Rango. “But the big reveal of tation.” Animation supervisor Glen McIntosh — no versions in the 14 years since moviegoers last the Indominus is that it’s part raptor.” Indeed, the other raptors initially side with stranger to the franchise, having been lead visited the world of Jurassic Park. animator on 2001’s Jurassic Park III — and And the visual-effects artists at Industrial Indominus — until it goes astray. Inevitably, the design process for Indomi- his crew analyzed the creature’s weight and Light & Magic have tapped into new animation, lighting and rendering capabilities to give Juras- nus rex was very long because of the crea- movement at great length. Realistic animalissic World, due in theaters June 12, a new breed ture’s uniqueness. The Indominus is larger tic behavior was important and the animators and faster than the T. rex, measuring 40 feet often used picture-in-picture comparisons of greatly improved digital dinosaurs. Director and co-writer Colin Trevorrow (Safe- by 20 feet and capable of running as fast as while working. And, as a result of adty Not Guaranteed) vanced tech, there is a wanted to recapture “We designed her head slightly smaller so she could full skeletal and muscle the spirit of director primarily use her hands and tail. But it was important structure underneath the Steven Spielberg’s skin of each dinosaur. original 1993 Jurasto make her a real dinosaur. They didn’t want people to “As they step forward, sic Park film but also worry about her looking like a strange mutation.” you’re going to see musgive it a contempocles flexing, skin sliding,” rary spin. In the new — Tim Alexander, visual-effects supervisor, Jurassic World Alexander says. “We’re movie, which stars doing extreme close-ups Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, the theme park tries to reverse 30 mph. It not only has a fierce bite but also on eyeballs, mouths; and the detailing on the declining attendance by creating something can pick up objects, which the T. rex with its skin, the teeth and in the mouth is way beyond bigger and more spectacular: an entirely new stumpy hands can’t do. Plus, it’s got a very what we’ve done in the past. But obviously, because it’s been 14 years since the last film, species of incredibly vicious dinosaur called hard skin, which makes it nearly bulletproof. “We designed her head slightly smaller so we had to rebuild them all. We had to decide Indominus rex. “It’s a hybrid of Tyrannosaurus rex and she could primarily use her hands and tail,” how to change them or change them back to 82 www.animationmagazine.net june 15
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