Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/14045
WHY DINOSAURS STILL RULE THE EARTH By: Edgard Zuniga A re you one of the unlucky few that never got the chance to catch dinosaurs in their farewell tour, more than 65 million years ago? Have you been fascinated by dinosaurs ever since their highly-acclaimed music video debut in Disney's Fantasia (1940)? Were three doses of Jurassic Park not enough? (Wait, there's fourth one on the way?!) Notwithstanding another Jurassic Park film, humans have always, always been fascinated by dinosaurs. They may have disappeared from the face of the Earth long before human culture first developed, but they have never ceased to amaze, inspire and, of course, entertain. While films depicting dinosaurs or monster movies featuring Godzilla have been a feast for the imagination, we're always left wondering what it would be like to see a real dinosaur in person (and survive to tell the tale!). Well, get ready because dinosaurs will roam the Earth once more as "Walking with Dinosaurs – The Arena Spectacular" makes its return to North America and Southern California, with eight performances scheduled in early September at the Honda Center, in Anaheim. And, just in case you miss them in Orange County, the dino- stars will invade Los Angeles for seven performances just a few days later at the Staples Center, in Downtown L.A. It is not the first time that Walking with Dinosaurs has stomped through the area, so those of you who saw it before can finally get another chance to see the $20-million dollar production that has played to audiences of 4.4 million worldwide and generated more than $210 million in overall ticket sales. To those of you who missed it the first time or never heard of Walking with Dinosaurs, it is an opportunity to not only bear witness to a global phenomenon, but to tantalize your imaginations while educating yourselves. Think back to when you were a kid and the first time you took a ride on the Disneyland Railroad. Yeah, the trip around the Magic Kingdom and through its different realms was cool, but nothing prepared you for the "Primeval World" diorama at the end. We all remember watching the dinosaurs with slack yawed fascination and were even spooked a bit. If you thought that was remarkable, you will be blown away by Walking with Dinosaurs, which features 17 roaring, snarling "live" dinosaurs that step onto the scene like they have been well-preserved in some hidden zoo, somewhere. The production is brought to North America by The Creature Production Company, headed by CEO Carmen Pavlovic, who claims the dinosaurs are "as awe-inspiring as when they first walked on Earth. The dinosaurs are life-size, making the show so immense it could only fit in arenas." In fact, the dinosaurs are so big that for the North American tour, the only building large enough to house rehearsals for the dinosaurs–with some as large as 36 ft.-tall by 56 ft.-long–was the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. For the live show, which was inspired by the award-winning BBC televisions series "Walking with Dinosaurs," no expense was spared in making the dinosaurs as meticulously life-like as possible. The aim was to captive young and old alike, and the work that went into building each dinosaur is amazing in itself. It took a team of 50 engineers, fabricators, skin makers, artists, painters and animatronics experts a year to build the original production. Among the beasts show attendants can expect to see are a representation that cover the entire 200-million-year reign of the dinosaurs, including Plateosaurus and Liliensternus from the Triassic period, Stegosaurus and ferocious Allosaurus from the Jurassic, and Torosaurus, Utahraptor and, the prize fighter of antiquity, Tyrannosaurus Rex from the Cretaceous. In order to make sure the dinos are as accurate as discerned by paleontologists, a lot of factors had to come together. First, the computer software and hardware developed to control the animatronics creatures is based on the systems used in feature films. Then, in order to give the dinos the look of actual living creatures, weighing anywhere from 6 to 20 tons, a system was developed called "muscle bags," which are made from stretch mesh fabric and filled with polystyrene balls, stretched across moving points on the body. When the creatures move, the muscle bags contract and stretch much like muscle, fat and skin do on real animals. Finally, to make the dinos move in seamless reality, puppeteers use "voodoo rigs," which are miniature versions of the dinosaurs with the same joints and range of motion as their larger versions. As the puppeteers move the voodoo rig, a computer interprets their movement and transmits a radio signal to hydraulic cylinders in the animatronics dinosaur, which then replicates the action. A driver, hidden below the animal, maneuvers it as it stomps around the arena floor. Suited puppeteer specialists, who are inside the creatures, operate five of the smaller dinos in quick and fluid motions that give the impression of living, breathing creatures scampering about. As if seeing these wonderful creatures in person wasn't enough of a treat, Walking with Dinosaurs follows a script that educates attendants as much as it entertains, in two acts. In the first half, a safari-suited paleontologist presents the dinos, which gnash and prance around the arena as they are introduced. The second half is geared for more action and concludes with an astonishing sight, as a momma T-Rex tears onto the scene to defend her baby from would-be predators. Much of the credit for the dinosaurs goes to Sonny Tilder, the head of creature design, who spearheaded the design of the dinos in a Melbourne Docklands workshop in Australia big enough to fit a 747 jumbo jet. "With Walking with Dinosaurs, we really believe we have created a new genre in entertainment and we hope to continue to bring new product to arenas for year to come," Pavlovic said. "The BBC series was a brilliant blend of special effects, escapism, excitement and information. Our show brings all of that, plus something extra–it's live!" Can you imagine what will go through an 8-year-old's mind when a dinosaur just lumbers out and roars defiantly right before their eyes? Of course you can. Among other adults, you might discuss the animatronics creatures as engineering marvels, but you know that deep down inside, there's a little kid screaming and jumping with joy at the awesome sight of dinosaurs thundering in full glory. Two Brachiosaurs with the narrator "Huxley" in a scene from WALKING WITH DINOSAURS - The Arena Spectacular Credit – Courtesy of Walking with Dinosaurs – The Arena Spectacular 48 LIVEMAGS.NET AUGUST>>10