What The Jurassic Park And World Movies Look Like Without Special Effects

The “Jurassic Park” trilogy is famously recognized for revolutionizing computer-generated imagery (CGI) as the main tool for special effects in movies. When viewers first witnessed the franchise’s emblematic T-Rex charging with full CGI might, they were undoubtedly astounded. The initial film demonstrated to movie executives that software-created visual effects were a promising technology, thereby validating the notion that computers had become sophisticated enough to realistically depict living organisms.

It’s surprising to note that, by today’s standards, only a small number of CGI scenes were used in the original “Jurassic Park” movie – just 63 computer-generated effects throughout the entire film. In contrast, most modern blockbusters like the “Jurassic World” series use around 2000 VFX shots. This indicates that the original production primarily relied on practical effects, such as puppets and large animatronics.

It’s impressive that even the newer sequels have continued the practice of using animatronics, as seen in the making of their grand action scenes. Despite the use of CGI, there is a significant amount of effort put into every aspect of filming, from risky stunts to wearing odd motion capture suits and combining CGI with partially-constructed animatronics. If you’re curious about how the “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World” films would appear without special effects, then this is the place for you.

Life-size animatronics were created for Jurassic Park

In essence, there are limited methods to capture dinosaurs on film, excluding cloning (as demonstrated in the “Jurassic Park” series, it isn’t advisable). Historically, stop-motion animation was employed for early dinosaur films like 1925’s “The Lost World” and 1933’s “King Kong.” Later productions used animatronics, such as in 1985’s “Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend.” The use of animatronics to create film dinosaurs reached its pinnacle in 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” directed by Steven Spielberg.

In the blockbuster movie “Jurassic Park,” the colossal mechanical T-Rex named Rexy, affectionately dubbed by the crew, stood approximately 40 feet in length and towered at about 24 feet high. This behemoth weighed an astounding 4.5 tons! The legs of this titan were mounted on tracks and moved independently from its main body, which was remotely operated. Moreover, a second, more intricately designed mechanical T-Rex, only from the waist up, was created. This smaller T-Rex was employed for close-up shots and scenes where actors needed to interact with the film’s unforgettable dinosaur. It is worth mentioning that some T-Rex scenes were entirely computer-generated by Industrial Light & Magic.

During an interview with Business Insider, ILM’s Steve Williams described the process they used to digitally create Rexy. He stated that they captured a 3D rubber prosthetic model using a laser, which provided the computer with the necessary data. Williams also mentioned that the initial shot he created was of the T-Rex running. It took him several months to perfect this run, but once accomplished, they reused the run data for the rest of the jeep-chase scenes and later for both sequels of ‘Jurassic Park’.

The T-Rex versus Spinosaurus fight in Jurassic Park III mixed animatronics with CGI

In 2001, “Jurassic Park III” marked the first installment in the series not directed by Steven Spielberg. At that time, Joe Johnston, who was famously known for “Jumanji,” stepped up to direct the sequel. Given his background as a former employee at ILM (Industrial Light & Magic), Johnston was perfectly suited for the task. One memorable scene from the film is the intense dinosaur battle between the legendary T-Rex and the new villain, the Spinosaurus, which was introduced in the third movie.

In this scenario, lifelike robots were employed during the massive fight sequence, and a Spinosaurus robot was specifically designed and crafted from the ground up. This creation measured an impressive 44 feet long and weighed approximately 12 tons. During filming, the conflict between the two dinosaurs escalated to such an extent that the Spinosaurus’ mechanical arm ended up damaging the T-Rex’s head.

It’s no secret that the production of “Jurassic Park III” was quite a spectacle, but the fights depicted in the movie appear even more authentic due to the magic of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). This film is somewhat underrated in the annals of CGI history, as it pioneered several groundbreaking techniques. For instance, it was the first to use ambient occlusion at a per-frame rate for animated creatures, which significantly enhanced the believability of the T-Rex versus Spinosaurus scene.

Some of the Velociraptors are actually people in carefully crafted suits

In the world of “Jurassic Park”, much discussion revolves around the fact that the science behind the Velociraptors portrayed in the franchise is no longer accurate. In truth, these dinosaurs were actually quite small and likely had feathers rather than scales. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that the raptor scenes in “Jurassic Park” appear incredibly lifelike and intense. So, how did they manage this? Similar to the T-Rex, a combination of CGI and animatronics were employed for the raptor. However, an additional method was utilized – using human performers dressed in rubber suits.

John Rosengrant, our primary velociraptor actor, had the rubber suits tailored based on a mold of his body. In an entry for the Stan Winston School blog, he shared, “I’ve always been eager to wear these costumes. I believe that to excel in this role, one needs a touch of acting talent – even though the roles we embody usually revolve around a single objective: kill something. ‘I’m hungry. I must destroy.’ There isn’t much room for intricate emotional acting here! However, I do think it calls for some exceptional physical acting to pull this off, especially at the level Stan Winston expects.

The crew were scared of the T-Rex animatronics because they would sometimes move on their own

There’s a peculiar occurrence when actors playing alongside characters like The Muppets or similar puppets or animatronics often forget they’re not real co-stars. This disregard for their artificial nature is particularly surprising on set, especially since the puppeteers are clearly visible. It’s not exclusive to The Muppets; this phenomenon happens with various types of puppets and animatronics in numerous movies. For example, even the T-Rex from “Jurassic Park” films was treated as a genuine co-star by some actors.

In the initial movie production, the animatronic T-Rex would occasionally give the crew goosebumps, especially when it moved unexpectedly due to malfunctions triggered by rainwater. Producer Kathleen Kennedy shared this during an interview with Entertainment Weekly on the 20th anniversary of the film. “Sometimes, we’d be having lunch, and suddenly, the T-Rex would spring to life,” she said. “At first, we were puzzled about what was happening, and then we realized it was the rain. People would start screaming.” This made tasks like adding fake meat to the T-Rex’s teeth (as seen in a photo from the set of “Jurassic Park III”) even more nerve-wracking.

The glass domes on Jurassic World’s Gyrospheres were added by the CGI team

2015’s movie “Jurassic World” introduces us to a thriving dinosaur-themed amusement park within the Jurassic franchise, now named “Jurassic World,” rather than “Jurassic Park.” One of the main draws is the enclosed gyroscopic vehicles called “Gyrospheres,” which are used for a thrilling safari ride among herbivore herds. In this film, two brothers, Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson, who are the nieces and nephews of park manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), join the safari. However, things take a turn for the worse when they veer off course and encounter the Indominus-Rex, the movie’s genetically engineered monster dinosaur.

In this scene, the Indominus looks fantastic, but what’s equally remarkable isn’t just the CGI – the car windows shown as being made of glass weren’t physically present during shooting; instead, they were added digitally afterwards. This might seem apparent now, but avoiding reflections during filming would have been a hassle, so the production team opted to film the cars in their real form initially and add the glass later during post-production. It was likely more practical to deal with removing reflections of equipment and crew members in post rather than using digital technology to create a reflection-free environment on set.

The Velociraptors in Jurassic World relied more on CGI than the ones in the original trilogy

The advancements in digital visual effects over the past decades are quite significant, but it seems like the Velociraptor costumes have taken a step back, as suggested by these 2015 “Jurassic World” behind-the-scenes photos. Unlike the intricately designed rubber suits from earlier productions, which featured radio-controlled jaws and eyes, the actors in “Jurassic World” wear tight spandex suits with rudimentary raptor masks on their heads. To an observer unfamiliar with the context, it might appear as if a high school production of “Jurassic Park” was being filmed. However, it’s important to note that this is not entirely accurate, as in this case, the context plays a crucial role — these are motion capture suits, and the simple heads serve as placeholders for CGI replacements.

As a passionate fan, I can’t help but marvel at how the skilled animators meticulously study the actors’ movements in these gray suits, using their performances as a foundation for creating the CGI Velociraptor models during post-production. This suit, with its uniform gray color, is a godsend when it comes to rotoscoping (manually cutting elements out of the frame), as the stark contrast against more complex backgrounds makes it easy to separate the suit from the scene. Although these suits might not resemble the Velociraptors from the original movie, they provide a crucial tool for the actors, offering something tangible to perform against instead of just empty space.

Zara’s death in Jurassic World was a mixture of CGI and scary stunt work

In the 2015 film “Jurassic World”, one of the scenes that sparked much debate among viewers was the sequence where Zara Young (played by Katie McGrath) suffered a gruesome demise. This character, who serves as Claire’s personal assistant and temporarily takes care of her nephews during their park visit, meets an unfortunate end when chaos ensues, a common occurrence in the “Jurassic Park” series. Zara is seized by Pteranodons and subsequently dropped into the massive jaws of the Mosasaurus-like creature, leading many to feel that her death was excessively harsh. This particular fate seemed unwarranted given that she had not committed any wrongdoings. As one Reddit user on r/TrueFilm noted, “Nobody else, not even villains, receive such a horrific end.

It’s generally agreed that Zara’s death scene in the script wasn’t executed effectively, but let me clarify how it was actually pulled off. Although it appears heavily reliant on CGI, a real stuntwoman was involved. She was lifted and dropped by a mechanism similar to a slingshot ride at an amusement park. The stunt performer was secured with a harness and launched into the air using bungee cords, while a camera recorded her expressions as she fell back towards the sea of green fabric below. Later, Katie McGrath’s face was superimposed over the stuntwoman’s to create the final scene.

Bryce Dallas Howard and Justice Smith were put on a mini roller coaster for this Jurassic World scene

2018’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” directed by J.A. Bayona finds us back on the island that witnessed chaos in the last movie. A looming volcanic eruption raises a contentious issue – should Isla Nublar’s dinosaurs be rescued? The government votes against it, but John Hammond’s ex-partner organizes a clandestine operation to transfer the dinosaurs to another island instead.

In the movie, there’s a thrilling scene where Claire, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, and Franklin, the nerdy hacker portrayed by Justice Smith, end up in a damaged Gyrosphere. This Gyrosphere later rolls down the jungle and tumbles into some water during a chase, leading to a sequence. To make their reactions look real, they actually attached a Gyrosphere prop to a functioning roller coaster track.

Normally, such scenes are filmed in a rather sterile manner, often using green screens, powerful fans for wind effects, and devices to make the vehicle move in various directions. However, this method wouldn’t work here as they aimed to capture genuine fear on the actors’ faces. As producer Pat Crowley stated in a behind-the-scenes interview, “The only way to get that emotional performance from Bryce and Justice was by dropping them down.

The raptor close-ups in Jurassic World relied heavily on CGI

In the film “Jurassic World,” Chris Pratt’s character Owen Grady isn’t the only one handling raptors. His counterpart is Omar Sy’s Barry Sembène, who also displays a unique bond with these prehistoric creatures. A notable scene showcases Barry soothing a raptor by conversing with it and gently touching its head and neck. It appears that Sy genuinely cares for the dinosaur, an impression that becomes even more striking when you realize what he was dealing with behind the scenes: a white raptor’s head with eyes resembling glass. This prop might seem more fitting for a museum than a movie set, but actor Omar Sy skillfully convinces us that it is a real, alive creature. In fact, once the CGI team finished their work, it appeared just as we imagined – a living, breathing dinosaur.

2022’s film “Jurassic World Dominion” sees Sy reappearing, participating in a memorable scene – an illicit dinosaur market in Malta. In this instance, Barry is spearheading a French Intelligence operation within the island nation. The characters Owen and Claire are present as they search for Maisie, their adopted human clone who was abducted. During a raid on this black market, they discover caged Atrociraptors, which ultimately break free and cause chaos in the city. Without a doubt, this event is one of the most exciting moments in “Jurassic World Dominion.

Jurassic World Dominion continued the tradition of giant dinosaur animatronics

2022’s “Jurassic World Dominion” continues the practice of employing lifelike, full-size robots in production, particularly for scenes featuring its latest villain, the Giganotosaurus. Interestingly, all the current six Jurassic films have incorporated large-scale animatronics in one form or another. Although the recent trilogy relies heavily on CGI, with over 2000 visual effects shots per film, it’s reassuring to note that filmmakers haven’t completely forsaken traditional large-scale, rubber-skinned robotic animatronics. Not only are they a part of the franchise’s legacy, but when used thoughtfully, animatronics combined with CGI can yield the most impressive results.

Since the initial release of “Jurassic Park”, the animatronic Giganotosaurus in “Jurassic World Dominion” boasts significantly more features compared to Rexy. The head honcho at John Nolan Studio, John Nolan himself, shared in an interview with Animation World Network the sheer size of the Giganotosaurus. He stated that by combining visual effects, creature effects, and special effects, they created a colossal dinosaur standing 22 feet tall, possessing a head as large as a transit van, a tongue the dimensions of a surfboard, and eyes an impressive 12 inches in diameter. Essentially, it was monstrously big!

From the preview of “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” it seems that the next chapter will follow a similar pattern. It’s worth noting that “Jurassic Park” is just one of many major Hollywood franchises that rely heavily on computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create their on-screen worlds. If you’re interested in seeing more practical effects, take a look at what Marvel films appear like before the addition of special effects, and you might be surprised by the difference. Similarly, Disney’s live-action remakes could leave you amazed when you see them without any added special effects.

2025-03-15 14:31