RE: Dinosaur Planet

["Sticht, Aaron" <Aaron.Sticht@qwest.com>]

I have to agree with Jane's observation about the volcanoes.  Granted there was 
a segment of the show depicting a pyroclastic flow that was pretty intriguing 
which helped connect how a bunch of Maiasaura were discovered covered in ash 
and mud, however I think that having a smoking mountain in the background of 
every show depicting prehistoric times is a bit clichéd.  Overall however 
considering there were some really really bad dinosaur programs produced in the 
late 80's and early nineties, having fresh new approaches to the lives and 
times of our saurian friends presented to us even with the flaws in the 
presentation is a good thing.  Can anyone recall the series Dinosaur! Narrated 
by Christopher Reeve?  Not the best in animation or in detail, it all seemed so 
early 70's Land of the Lost to me!  Watching Dinosaur Planet and the other 
recent Dinosaur programs remind me a lot of the book Raptor Red by Robert 
Bakker, almost a Survival Anglia safari in the African Serengeti typ!
 e !
of presentation except with Daspletosaurus and Velociraptor replacing the Lions 
and Cheetah's.  

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu] On Behalf Of Jane 
P. Davidson
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 12:28 PM
To: Danvarner@aol.com
Cc: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: RE: Dinosaur Planet

Dan and Aaron make good points about techniques for animation and
budgetary constraints being factors.  Paleontology illustration has always
been a work in progress and I think, uneven in its results.  That is not a
criticism as such, just an observation.  As you know, with single cell
animation it is possible to literally interpret drawing by drawing the
frames of an actual motion picture. A trifle hard to make movies of
dinosaurs, but when other things/animals/persons are filmed and then
redrawn into animation cells, the results can be wonderful. To say nothing
of expensive and time-consuming.
But pleeese  can't we ditch the obligatory cliche volcanoes going off all
over the place :)  Jane D

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