It has been 30 years since the release of Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park,” a film that revolutionized cinema and changed the way audiences perceived special effects. The movie, based on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, introduced pioneering computer-generated imagery (CGI) to bring dinosaurs to life on the big screen. “Jurassic Park” quickly became a must-see event, leaving audiences amazed by the spectacle of seeing believable dinosaurs. The film not only made giant leaps in special-effects filmmaking but also paved the way for myriad subsequent productions that featured beasts of all shapes and sizes.
The story of “Jurassic Park” began in 1983 when Michael Crichton wrote a screenplay about a dinosaur-themed amusement park. The story first found publication as the novel “Jurassic Park,” which was released in 1990 and became a bestseller. It was then brought to the attention of Steven Spielberg, who was already well-known for producing effects-heavy but story-led films. Spielberg’s adaptation, written by Crichton and David Koepp, changed a number of aspects of the novel’s ending to provide a satisfactory conclusion to the film, yet leave enough loose ends for further exploration in the franchise.
The Evolution of CGI in “Jurassic Park”
Although “Jurassic Park” wasn’t the first film to feature dinosaurs, it was the first to use a combination of stop-motion animation and animatronic puppets for close-up shots. However, Spielberg and his team were keen to push the boundaries of what was possible, and they turned to Dennis Muren from the visual effects company, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), who had previously worked on “The Abyss” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” to produce a test sequence of skeletal dinosaurs using CGI modeling and animation. This technique built the model of the dinosaur from bones, added muscle, and then finally, the skin.
The success of the CGI in “Jurassic Park” is seen in the iconic T. rex attack scene. A number of animatronic shots feature close-ups of the T. rex before the full-height shots provide the creature’s threat and power. Spielberg orchestrates the scene, from the atmospheric, tension building of the rainstorm, through the initial reveal and reactions, the prolonged attack and subsequent escape, taking the audience through a range of emotions. Although the CGI sections are relatively short, they have a huge impact on the overall storytelling, not to mention the believability that the event is actually happening in front of us. It’s a true representation of the power of cinema.
On release, “Jurassic Park” became an instant box-office success, becoming the highest-grossing film ever at that time. It paved the way for a revolution in the use of CGI in filmmaking. From those six minutes of animated dinosaurs, CGI has become so integrated into the industry to the extent that nearly all film and television productions feature some form of CGI practice.
The film inspired a number of similarly themed movies such as Disney’s “Dinosaur” and the award-winning BBC television series “Walking with Dinosaurs”. But more than that, it helped bring about a revolution in the use of CGI in filmmaking. The thrill of seeing the stampede of Gallimimus, the horror of the T. rex attack, and the suspense of the Velociraptor hunt captivated audiences across the globe.
In conclusion, “Jurassic Park” was a significant point in the history of cinema that successfully announced that CGI creatures had arrived, paving the way for the following thirty years of fantasy filmmaking. It is a testament to the creativity, skill, and innovation of the filmmakers and effects teams who brought these prehistoric creatures to life. Three decades later, “Jurassic Park” remains a classic and a benchmark for all future filmmakers to strive for.
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