The Creature in the Computer

When Steven Speilberg began making Jurassic Park in 1990, he had a totally different movie in mind. He envisioned a process called ‘stop and go” motion, known now simply as “stop motion” and cites among his inspirations The Lost World, originally made in 1925 and Jason and the Argonauts, made in 1963. Both of these films employed early forms of stop motion and were thought to be the epitome of special effects in their time. When Speilberg heard Michael Crichton was writing a book about dinosaurs and DNA, he was immediately interested. As he read the book he drew out storyboards, already considering the challenges of animating life-sized dinosaurs in a way that would impress modern day movie goers. Before Jurassic Park in fact, the only evidence of computer manipulated graphics in film where The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2 (1991), and another film of Speilberg’s, (1985). As the movie came to conceptual reality, however, Speilberg learned that to impress modern audiences, he was going to have to turn to technology.

One of the things that first inspired Speilberg the director to make Jurassic Park was one of the very creations Scott Bukatman was talking about in his article, “Zooming In and Out”. Universal Studios is a veritable playground inside a movie set. One of the attractions there features King Kong grabbing at the ride tram in front of a Universal Studios back drop. The animatronics of this life sized, giant ape inspired Speilberg who was then considering animating his dinosaurs by way of stop animation. The 7-ton 30 foot tall Kong creation, conceptualized by Bob Gear was the largest and most complex animatronic figure in existence for many years. At those specs, it is not difficult to understand why Speilberg eventually made the decision he did.
The design team, consisting of Stan Winson, Phil Tippett, Dennis Muren, and Michael Lantieri came up with all sorts of ideas, branching off from life sized animatronics, small clay models and the “animatics” which were essentially 3D storyboards put together by Phil Tippett. The process even involved the expertise of famed paleontologist, Jack Horner, who advised the design team on the realism of their creations. Horner, one of the foremost theorists on how we view dinosaurs had some very pertinent advice to give when it came to creating models to mock real dinosaur behavior. “In one of the scenes, some of the model makers had made the tongue come out, like a lizard or a snake, had that been left in the scene, all the work into making these things bird like would have been gone.”

Until this point, all of the wide shot of the dinosaurs were set to be shot using Phil Tippett’s ‘go motion technique”. But Speilberg wanted to push the envelope just a bit further.
“Phil Tippett had perfected the motion blur, which gave go motion a closer resemblance to real life, but it wasn’t 100 percent. I come home with my kids and go over this stuff again and again and again and they go ‘whoa dad! It’s a real dinosaur’, but I still saw the jerks, there was still something a bit “go motion” about it.”

It was here that Dennis Muren, of Industrial Light and Magic stepped in. His previous projects included T2 and he had limited knowledge of computer animation software. He proposed that Speilberg let him have a go at the animation. Muren, and ILM build a skeletal model of a T Rex and had the model scanned in at Cyberware labs using a revolving laser beam that transfers topographical data into the computer for manipulation. “The T1000 was easy, but the dinos needed skin, dirty spots, yellow teeth, watery eyes, muscle movement ect…” He used three different types of technology: Sock, for the individual pieces, Envelope, to animate beneath the skin, and SoftImage, which provided greater animation control and allow animators to move pieces individually without reanimating.

The result was something audiences hadn’t seen in 60 million years. Not only were people able to re-engage with a species long extinct from the world, but once again people were brought to higher awareness through technology. But it remains with a warning. As the actors in the movie interact with these technological marvels, our fragility is no more present in the scenes in which the actors are fighting for their lives. In a literal sense, technology should never be bigger than we can manage, lest we become extinct ourselves.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Kong_Encounter
http://library.thinkquest.org/3496/zjurassic.html
Jurassic Park DVD “The Making of Jurassic Park”

Supporting a Monster

Throughout history, science has been represented in different ways to reflect our shifting culture. In the 1950’s there was the communist scare, the fear of radiation sickness and of nuclear warfare. In the 60’s and 70’s there where experimentations with psychedelic drugs that parodied the exploration of transcendental states. And in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the world witnessed the birth of the computer, a hallmark of the science fiction realm come to reality. What else changed? In his 1993 film adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel, Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg portrays Doctor Ellie Sattler as a strong, independent woman in a field of men. She is the only woman character we see actively studying the dinosaurs in the park and yet, through most of the film, she is seen by the sides of her male counterparts, offering advice and comfort throughout the power outage crisis. Similarly, in the 1954 film by director Gordon Douglas, Them, portrays its only woman scientist also in a supporting role, surrounded by men who are constantly undervaluing her worth and second guessing her authority. So how does it come to be that in these science fiction ‘monster’ movies, that gender roles play such an important part? In the following essay I will explore how the monstrous mutations depicted in these science fiction films both represent the paradigm shift of scientific thought and address the gender representations in this field.
As Dr. Patricia ‘Pat’ Medford in Them actress Joan Weldon is a regular Rosie Rivet. She is out in the field with the men, conducts analysis along with her father, and is the only scientist bodily able to traverse the dangerous ant tunnels with the other male soldiers. However, as she enters the scene (legs first) we get the sense by the reactions of the men in her company that she is one that will be both underrated and overtly desired. Agent Graham even has trouble addressing her as doctor and Dr. Medford politely has him address her as Pat, the singular, genderless adaptation of her full name. Her authority is constantly undermined and usually the men surrounding her ask her father for permission to let her join in as in the initial chase scene after the soldiers bomb the ant hill in the desert.
At her most feminine, Dr. Medford screams and shields herself from the gigantic ant as it bears down her. This is the only instance we see her need the support of the men. As Cornea points out, in this classic 1950’s model of a family, “At its most basic, the Freudian model of gender acquisition was based upon the bourgeois family and required the presence of both the father and mother…” (page 146) She goes on to describe Them as a model for later science fiction monster films that describe a leading/supporting female paradox.
The ants however are the result of nuclear testing in 1945, tests drawn out, and conducted by men. Without getting heavily into the predominately masculine fear of becoming disengendered by nuclear sickness, Cyndy Hendershot writes in her essay entitled, “The Invaded Body: Paranoia and Radiation Anxiety…” about the famous case of Paul Schreber a man who took it upon himself to write out his paranoiac experiences. Schreber writes about a fear of improvised men taking over the world and forcing him to become the only woman in order to repopulate the earth. This reflects the fear represented in film such as Them that show men in an uncomfortable state with women superiors. As the ants represent the disastrous affectations of male dominated technology, Dr.Patricial Medford stands as a beacon of stalwart intellectualism coming from a previously unacknowledged source.
This is not quite, but close to the scenario presented in Jurassic Park as Dr. Ellie Sattler is once again cast in a supporting role. However, this film takes place in the 90’s, well after the suffrage and equal rights movements of the previous era. Dr. Sattler is well aware that she is in a male dominated field and plays up the role by standing back and letting the competition take its course. Look for instance at the competition between Dr. Grant and Dr. Malcolm for Ellie’s attention. Dr. Sattler is already with Dr. Grant, but Dr. Malcolm holds not reserve about shamelessly flirting with Ellie, who says nothing, right in front of Dr. Grant. I think Ellie’s freedom to indulge in this casual flirtation without fear of retribution is a testament to this era’s independent women. She is also first to point out the nature of the poisonous nature of the prehistoric plants. Still she is nurturing and compassionate and takes care of the men around her. In one scene she is comforting the disgruntled Mr. Hammond as Dr. Grant is still at large with his grandchildren. Mr. Hammond is still defending the majesty of the scientific miracle he has created but Dr. Sattler sees it differently:
“I was overwhelmed by the power of this place; but I made a mistake, too. I didn't have enough respect for that power and it's out now. The only thing that matters now are the people we love: Alan and Lex and Tim. John, they're out there where people are dying.”
This is not the first time she applies a wise feminine rational to a troubling situation. As Dr. Malcolm and Dr. Grant puzzle over the morality of creating something like Jurassic Park when dinosaurs have been intentionally wiped out by the natural progression of things, Dr Malcolm applies: “God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs…” to which Dr. Sattler rebuts, “Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth...” Here, women is wiser, and therefore removed from the brunt of the conflict.
In Jurassic Park, as well as Them the monsters are products of a male and his unrepressed technological desires. The ants are the result of male organized nuclear tests, and the dinosaurs are the product of genetic cloning, a science not specific to men as at this time in history, men no longer dominated the field of science. However, in the lab depicted in Jurassic Park the head technician is a man. As hell breaks loose and mankind is made to pay for his oven indulgence by suffering the wrath of his creations, it is women that come to man’s aide. As history continues this trend is lessened by society’s change in attitude toward women, but nevertheless women still maintain supporting roles in both films.
Sources:
Them, Gordon Douglas, James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, James Arness 1954 DVD Warner Bros. 1954
Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg, Same Neil, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Arrenborough, 1993, Universal Pictures, 1993
Cornea, Christine Science Fiction Cinema New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2007 pages 51 & 149-151
Hendershot, Cyndy. “The Invaded Body: Paranoia and Radiation Anxiety in Invaders from Mars, It Came
from Outer Space, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Extrapolation: A Journal of Science Fiction and
Fantasy. 39.1 (Spring 1998) 26-39. (CR 37-43)

The New Age of the Dinosaurs

During the early 90’s, a lot was happening in the world of science and computer technology. 1990 brought us the first user friendly internet browser and the beginning of the Human Genome Project. Therefore, it is understandable that by 1993, the year director Steven Spielberg released his box office smash Jurassic Park, the worlds of science and technology were still working out a few kinks. Originally written by Michael Critchon in 1990, given this historical context, Jurassic Park is an exemplary bit of cinema that preserved its original message which functions as a warning to the unknowing masses about the dangers of tinkering with nascent technology.

Throughout much of the film, scientists and philosophers alike are warning against the abuses of technology without prior experimentation and responsibility. During a dinner scene in which Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, Mr. Malcolm, and Mr. Hammond are having an argument about whether or not it is morally responsible to be operating a theme park with million year old attractions, Mr. Malcolm makes an interesting point:

“I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here: it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility... for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could and before you even knew what you had you patented it and packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now you're selling it, you want to sell it!”

It seems that part of the problem here is that before Mr. Hammond has taken the time to study the effects of his research, he wants to market it and sell it. He defends himself, proclaiming that this is an amusement park for everyone, however, Dr. Grant again points out that there is no saying what will happen:

“The world is changing so fast, and we're all running to catch up. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but look. Dinosaurs and man... two species separated by 65 million years of evolution, have suddenly been thrown into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea of what to expect?”

Also in the 1990’s, there is a big move to ensure the online security of individual browsers. Since the inception of a public friendly internet browser, cryptographers calling themselves ‘cyperpunks’ were desperate to find a way to ensure that data going from one point, could arrive safely on at another point without being loaded down with viruses, or encrypted so that the user it was intended to get to can no longer read it. (Wired pgs 1-3) This rise in demand for public security of an intangible variety is reflected several times in Jurassic Park as Dennis Nedry encrypts his computer so that he can steal the embryos and again when Lexie has to hack into his system to turn the security system back on. This also functions as a nod to the duality of technology being both a good and potentially evil force.

By 1993, little progress had been made by the Human Genome Project (HGP). According to Stanford research by 1993, besides an assortment of experiments on plants, the most successful thing to come to fruition was the development of an oligonucleotide synthesizer, which made sequencing less expensive. (http://med.stanford.edu/sgtc/general/history.html) The first cloned animal doesn’t even come into existence until 1997. So where did this idea come from and how did it come about? Around the same time that the movie came out, a research team in Montana led by Jack Horner found viable DNA inside a Tyrannosaurus Rex femur. Whether or not the DNA was usable was not determined by the publishing date, however, scientists had every reason to believe they could procure a working sample from it. (NY Times pgs 1-2)

While his total filmography indicates an interest in science fiction film (director of Jaws and E.T. prior to ’93 and A.I. and Minority Report after) it is interesting to note, that while Spielberg won three Oscars for Jurassic Park, it was in other 1993 film, Schindler’s List, which took best picture, best director and most of the other Oscars. Not matter, Jurassic Park still won Saturn Awards (that’s coming from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror) for best director, best science fiction film, best special effects (which also got the Oscar) and best writing.

Bibliography:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/ production info

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/awards award info

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.02/ Wired info

Levy, Steven “Crypto Rebels” Wired issue 1.02 May/June 1993 pages 1-14

http://med.stanford.edu/sgtc/general/history.html Stanford Genome Technology

http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/timeline2000.html a Sci Fi 90's timeline

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229/#director Spielsberg filmography

http://forums.sciflicks.com/showthread.php?t=7255 Movie vs. book comparison

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7DB173AF932A35754C0A965958260&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=1 NY Times article

Browne, Malcome “Cells of Dinosaur Apparently Found” New York Times, July 1, 1993, pages 1-2