The Ballad of Big Al (2001) (TV)

Writers:

Kate Bartlett (writer)
Michael Olmert (writer)

Release Date:

4 January 2001 (Finland)

Genre:

Documentary | Short

Plot:

This new, extra chapter of _Walking with Dinosaurs (1999) (TV)_ focuses on an allosaurus later discovered in 1999 affectionately called "Big Al"...

Plot Keywords:

Dinosaur | Allosaurus | Dinosaur Bone

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Kenneth Branagh	...	Narrator (UK version) (voice)
Avery Brooks	...	Narrator (US version) (voice)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kate Bartlett		writer
Michael Olmert		writer

Produced by
Tim Haines	....	animation producer
Mick Kaczorowski	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Ben Bartlett

Film Editing by
Andrew Wilks

Makeup Department
Shaune Harrison	....	sculptor

Production Management
Anna Mishcon	....	production manager
Jackie Williamson	....	unit manager

Art Department
Josh Weston	....	sculptor

Sound Department
Ashley Bates	....	sound editor
Victor Chainey	....	sound editor
Michael Danks	....	sound editor
Simon Gotel	....	sound editor
Michael Keinath	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dave Lezynski	....	sound editor
Joel Reidy	....	sound editor
Andrew Sherriff	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Jamie Campbell	....	physical effects
Richard Gregory	....	animatronic designer
Jez Harris	....	animatronics supervisor
Lindsay Harris	....	animatronic designer
Stuart Leach	....	animatronic designer
Jason Reed	....	animatronic designer
Tristan Schoonraad	....	animatronic designer
Ty Senior	....	animatronic designer
Colin Shulver	....	key animatronic advisor
Colin Shulver	....	key animatronic designer
Carl Wilson	....	animatronic designer

Visual Effects by
Avtar Bains	....	digital artist
David Booth	....	visual effects supervisor
Will Braithwaite	....	software development
Adam Burnett	....	technical director
Alex Burt	....	animator: Framestore CFC
Darren Byford	....	technical director
Peter Clayton	....	animator
Ben Cronin	....	digital artist
Michael Davis	....	visual effects coordinator
Richard Dexter	....	animator
Theo Facey	....	technical director
Jane Gratkowski	....	technical director
Timothy Greenwood	....	visual effects supervisor (as Tim Greenwood)
Scott Griffin	....	visual effects line producer
Karen Halliwell	....	technical director
Rebekah Hay	....	post production producers
Daren Horley	....	digital artist
Daren Horley	....	dinosaur skin designer
Wayne Howe	....	animator
Sophie Lodge	....	animator
Andy Lomas	....	software development
Martin Macrae	....	dinosaur skin designer
Virgil Manning	....	animator
David Marsh	....	CG model supervisor: Framestore
Mike Milne	....	director of computer animation
Alex Parkinson	....	software development
Sirio Quintavalle	....	digital artist
Sharon Reed	....	computer animation executive producer
George Roper	....	digital artist
Carlos M. Rosas	....	supervising animator
Pedro Sabrosa	....	digital artist
William Sargent	....	computer animation executive producer
Jane Thomason	....	visual effects coordinator
Sean Varney	....	3D scanning
Fiona Walkinshaw	....	post production producers
Angus Wilson	....	digital artist
Kate Windibank	....	digital artist

Camera and Electrical Department
John Howarth	....	camera operator
Tim Platten	....	camera operator: macro photography
Peter Thorn	....	assistant camera

Other crew
Brent Breithaupt	....	scientific advisor
Adam Britton	....	scientific advisor
Paul Bybee	....	scientific advisor
Ken Carpenter	....	scientific advisor
Paul Chambers	....	researcher
Dan Chure	....	scientific advisor
Alexandria Freeman	....	researcher
Vanessa Fry	....	production secretary
Rebecca Hanna	....	scientific advisor
Paul Ralph	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• BS Asahi
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Discovery Channel
• Pro 7
• TV Asahi

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Discovery Channel
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Special Effects

• Framestore

Other Companies

• Adelphoi  sound design
• Crawley Creatures and Associates  animatronics

Also Known As:

Allosaurus: A 'Walking with Dinosaurs' Special

Runtime:

USA:29 min

Country:

UK

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-7 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

BS Asahi

Trivia:

The Allosaurus got a complete visual make-over for this special. They look much different from their original appearance in the second episode of "Walking with Dinosaurs" (1999).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Near the end of the big Diplodocus hunt-scene, as the giant animal rears up on its hind legs, take a look at the second Allosaurus to run into view: it is actually transparent.

Movie Connections:

Spin off from "Walking with Dinosaurs" (1999)

We've had fun, now comes some information - without being boring.

The Ballad of Big Al is really the follow-up that greatly increases the class of "Walking with Dinosaurs".

Big Al MUST be seen in combination with the second part of the special (The Science of Big Al). This way you at last get an idea of what clues we have on Dinosaurs and how the clues have been put together to get an idea of how the Dinosaurs might have lived.

Using the clues found within the skeleton of an Allosaurus (Big Al), the team has put together something like "This is your life", Big Al. Big Al is born, grows up, hunts and dies. Although the story is (of course) only speculation, it is very interesting and put together with a lot of love. Unlike the series (Walking with Dinosaurs), the Ballad of Big Al really tells the viewer that this is only an assumption of Big Al's life while also letting the viewer in on many of the key reasons for this assumption.

All in all this is a great follow-up. It's just too bad that "Walking with Dinosaurs" didn't have more of Big Al and the qualities of the follow-up.