RE: The best dinosaur documentary possible

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>]

I'm all for what Mark said (especially massive paychecks for consultants...), 
but I think the more important answer is that there is
no ONE correct way to do this, just as there is no one single correct way to do 
a documentary on World War II, or whales, or
whatever.

So it would depend on the focus and scale of the documentary.

Is it a one-shot single hour? That is the appropriate format for a detailed 
examination of a single question or single find.

Is it a multi-episode one? That can be used to build up concept after concept.

There are more things that I would NOT want to see than I would want to see. 
Let's end the totally-pretend "science" scanners with
spinning CG models and random rolling digits and "computery" sounds: these 
serve no purpose. Unless the show is specifically a
WWD/Dino Planet/Dino Revolution "let's pretend we are filming in the Mesozoic", 
then cut the life restoration sequences WAY back and
show more of the real fossils. And field sites. And people.

And above all, LET THE DAMN SCIENTISTS SAY COMPLETE PARAGRAPHS!!!!! The sound 
bite is fine for the pre-credits "get people
interested" part and the closing "final thoughts", but science proceeds from 
step-by-step arguments, not from sound bites.

Personally, I've always imagined being able to do a Cosmos-like multipart 
series where I could go around the world and show off
different sites, discoveries, and concepts. (NOTE: anyone with millions of 
dollars in funding: call me, and we'll work out the
arrangements...)

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216                        
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661               

Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] 
> On Behalf Of Mark Witton
> Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2012 4:11 AM
> To: Dinosaur Mailing List
> Subject: Re: The best dinosaur documentary possible
> 
> Most of the content of Planet Dinosaur combined with the 
> rendering and animation of Dinosaur Revolution/Dinotasia, a 
> chance for the scientific advisors to check the script before 
> the show goes into production, and massive paychecks for the 
> consultants.
> 
> Mark
> 
> --
>
> >>> Renato Santos <dracontes@gmail.com> 8/27/2012 10:20 PM >>>
> Here's a question I'd find interesting to see answered by the 
> professionals for the edification of everyone here:
> 
> If there was no impediment to making a dinosaur documentary 
> except for your decisions what would these be?
> 
> --
> Renato Santos
> http://dracontes.deviantart.com
>