 PREHISTORIC TALES -- Paleontologist Robert Bakker describes the anatomical characteristics of a Stegosaurus for a video crew taping at the University of Wyoming Geological Museum. Bakker and the video crew recently visited the museum to gather information for educational videos to be used in conjunction with a Jurassic Park Institute traveling theme park scheduled to open this summer in Japan. (UW Photo) |
JURASSIC PARK VIDEO CREW VISITS UW GEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
May 20, 2003 -- Dinosaur exhibits at the University of Wyoming Geological Museum will be featured in educational videos used in conjunction with a Jurassic Park Institute traveling theme park scheduled to open this summer in Japan.
Paleontologist Robert Bakker and a video crew for Nakashima International of Irvine, Calif., visited the museum in April to shoot production footage of the various dinosaur fossils on display, including a stegosaurus, apatosaurus, and the world-renowned allosaurus, "Big Al." Nakashima International is overseeing creation of the theme park for the Jurassic Park Institute which was formed by Universal and Amblin Entertainment to develop entertainment, educational and research projects based on the "Jurassic Park" movie franchise.
Bakker, who is serving as a consultant for Nakashima International, often uses the UW Geological Museum for television programs about dinosaurs.
"It is the most TV friendly museum in the nation," Bakker says. "It is compact, has plenty of wonderful, special dinosaur specimens, and museum director Brent Breithaupt always makes visitors feel welcome."
The UW Geological Museum and its staff have made numerous appearances on television.
"From Walter Cronkite to NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw to the BBC to Canadian, Japanese and Spanish film crews, the museum's programs can be seen on dinosaur shows on a regular basis worldwide," Breithaupt says.
Ken Nakashima, a director for Nakashima International, says only two museums were used for the educational materials -- the American Museum of Natural History and the UW Geological Museum.
"Bob (Bakker) told us about this museum in Wyoming and that we needed to go there," Nakashima said. "He was right."
Nakashima says video of the museum exhibits featuring Bakker's descriptions of various dinosaurs and paleontological research also will be shown on Japanese commercial and public television stations. The traveling theme park is approximately 50,000 square-feet.
"The park will provide both a scientific background on the science of dinosaurs and an entertaining tour featuring encounters with robotic dinosaurs more realistic than those in the 'Jurassic Park' movies," he says.
After opening in Japan, the theme park will tour Asia then Europe with a possibility it might come to the U.S., Nakashima says.
The UW Geological Museum is open year round, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Call (307) 766-2646 or visit www.uwyo.edu/geomuseum for more information.