FW: You know what we need? a "Walking with Dino-Birds" docu

[dale mcinnes <wdm1949@hotmail.com>]

 <DreamMail__143508_18678281580@smtp.fibertel.com.ar>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
MIME-Version: 1.0


People!! people!! people!! That's what happens when non-palaeos
take complete control of all the marketing in our field.=20
=20
Let me put it another way. Since the late 60s'=2C for nearly 4
decades now=2C space exploration has had so many sci-fi series
devoted to that genre=2C they are uncountable and doing as strong
as they ever have. The reason is quite simple. It is not just the human dra=
ma but the fact that the producers try to push each
new series to the edge of the current scientific envelope of what's possibl=
e. And in SPACE=2C so much is unexplored  that Producers find themselves wi=
th a near bottomless=2C inexhaustible supply of ideas. Each series on
space exploration seems to be a FRESH and NEW approach to old ideas.
=20
Now take palaeontology. A fresh=2C new approach seems to be something that =
was on the leading edge 20 YEARS AGO!! But how
would you possibly make palaeontology FRESH and NEW?? First=2C
by NOT dragging out the same animals=2C the same scenarios=2C time
and time again. Good grief folks!! Let it rest. We have what??
550 to 700 my of vertebrate evolution to draw upon?? Over 160 my of dinosau=
r history?? The only scenarios that I can envision that could possibly give=
 SPACE melodramas a real run for their
$$$$$$=2C would be for Producers to begin a sci-fi series on a
palaeontological time voyage with a "lost crew" whose personal
stories would not eclipse the drama of the palaeo environments
that they would find themselves involved with.=20
=20
Take a long term approach. Forget the bottom line. Produce a series that wo=
uld create a scenario that would place the audience in a single STAGE of ge=
ological time for 2-3 episodes=2C before moving on to the next STAGE. Explo=
re everything we currently know of the palaeobiota of that STAGE and not be=
 afraid to push the boundaries. The series at once becomes immensely educat=
ional as well as dramatic. Every week night the
audience is constantly in suspence of what is going to take place in the ne=
xt STAGE. The Mesozoic alone would cover years
(23 episodes/yr). NO MORE of this "Everything there is to know in verte-pal=
aeo" in one episode. Do you ever see any series on SPACE do this?? It simpl=
y shows a lack of interest/knowledge on the part of most Producers.
=20
Within each 3-episode STAGE=2C the actors would explore nearly
everything we know (from flora to fauna=2C from continental to
marine and aerial environments: if you were interested primarily
in pterosaurs=2C each STAGE would follow their evolution back ----
you would ALWAYS be interested in "catching" the next episode so
as to not miss anything on the cotinuing drama with these aerial
denizens).
=20
Such a series is best left to child actors with the innocence
(?sic) that such a series deserves. Palaeo would be in front of
us every evening=2C once a week=2C holding its own=2C with SPACE.
=20
And for once. The public might actually learn about the true depth and plac=
ement of time!! --dale =20

----------------------------------------
> Date: Mon=2C 28 Sep 2009 14:35:08 -0300
> From: lor@fibertel.com.ar
> To: dinosaur@usc.edu
> Subject: RE: You know what we need? a "Walking with Dino-Birds" docu
>
> I recently learned that ITV has cancelled the next season of "Primeval"=
=2C a sci-fi series based in CGI prehistoric beasts=2C due to high costs an=
d the fact that thier audience has gone down from 6 million viewers for the=
 first season to a mere 5 million in their third year=2C so there is not mu=
ch hope for an update of WWD=2C I'm afraid...
>
>
> Luis Oscar Romero=2C lor@fibertel.com.ar
> 2009-09-28
> ----- Receiving the following content -----
> From: Mark Witton
> Receiver: dinosaur
> Time: 2009-09-28=2C 07:35:59
> Subject: RE: You know what we need? a "Walking with Dino-Birds" docu
>
>
> I wouldn't hold your breath: Impossible Pictures seem a bit deluded with =
CG-dinodocs: apparently the market for them isn't anywhere near as hungry a=
s it used to be. The novelty has worn off=2C so they say=2C and the enormou=
s costs involved are nowhere near as well justified as they used to be.
>
>
> --
>
> Dr. Mark Witton
>
> Palaeobiology Research Group
> School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
> University of Portsmouth
> Burnaby Building
> Burnaby Road
> Portsmouth
> PO1 3QL                                         =0A=
_________________________________________________________________=0A=
Windows Live helps you keep up with all your friends=2C in one place.=0A=
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=3D9660826=