Three Grads are "Walking With Dinosaurs"
Alfie Fought, Matt Swift, and Nick Snyder are working with the popular live-action dinosaur show
from left: Alfie Fought, Matt Swift, Nick Snyder
Three Full Sail grads currently on tour with the Walking with Dinosaurs North American tour recently visited campus in between dates of the popular arena show. Touting 10 large mechanical dinosaurs, 5 suited dinosaurs, and 2 baby dinosaur puppets, the tour is powered by a cast and crew of 65, including Creature Drivers Matt Swift (Recording Arts ’02) and Nick Snyder (Show Production ’05) and Stage Manager Alfie Fought (Show Production ’99).
While all three grads have had their fair share of experience in the world of show production, the task of working with life-size prehistoric creatures has proven to be unique in more ways than one.
“Parking backstage can be a bit of a pain,” says Nick, who works alongside two voodoo puppeteers to control his dinosaur onstage. “And trying to maneuver a 50-foot dinosaur in a 47-foot backstage area can only be described as awkward. But we’ve got a really good crew and a nice budget. Everyone gets along – it’s good times.”
For professionals working in a live environment, handling last-minute technical difficulties and issues with the on-stage talent is nothing new. But the Walking with Dinosaurs crew needs to exercise a bit more care when it comes to dealing with temper tantrums and outbursts from its stars.
“Right before we left Columbia a few weeks ago, some portions of one of the creatures snapped, causing it to not be in the show. There have been times when we have to hold the house an extra few minutes just to do some last-minute testing to ensure that everything works,” says Alfie. “But we’re set up with several contingency plans. Let’s say the Allosaurus wasn’t in the show, and its portion takes up a full 15 minutes; we have a contingency that updates music, lighting, and automated cues so that everything can resume as normal without it.”
Then of course, there’s the occasional wild card thrown in when someone in the audience wants to re-enact their favorite scene from Jurassic Park.
“We did a show in London-Ontario, Canada, and out of nowhere a guy jumped out of the audience, climbed over our gear at the edge of the stage, jumped on the back of the Torosaurus and started hugging it,” Alfie laughs. “He said he had just always wanted to hug a dinosaur. Wow.”
“I was in the dinosaur right behind him, and watched him fall off and bounce right into the arms of security,” says Nick. “He should have waited just 15 minutes more for the T-Rex to come onstage. We could have eaten him.”
Surprise human attacks notwithstanding; all three visiting grads say that they’re having an amazing time touring with Walking With Dinosaurs.
“I’m learning something new here every day,” says Matt. “I’m far from a mechanic, but I’m kind of getting there, as part of my job is to build and maintain the gear. I’ve got zero opportunity to get bored because everything is new all the time.”
“This show is still relatively new, as it’s only been here in the US for close to two years. People seem to be skeptical about it at first, like it’s just for kids,” says Alfie. “But then parents come in here and are just completely stunned at what it is we do. No one else is doing this kind of show.”
While all three grads have had their fair share of experience in the world of show production, the task of working with life-size prehistoric creatures has proven to be unique in more ways than one.
“Parking backstage can be a bit of a pain,” says Nick, who works alongside two voodoo puppeteers to control his dinosaur onstage. “And trying to maneuver a 50-foot dinosaur in a 47-foot backstage area can only be described as awkward. But we’ve got a really good crew and a nice budget. Everyone gets along – it’s good times.”
For professionals working in a live environment, handling last-minute technical difficulties and issues with the on-stage talent is nothing new. But the Walking with Dinosaurs crew needs to exercise a bit more care when it comes to dealing with temper tantrums and outbursts from its stars.
“Right before we left Columbia a few weeks ago, some portions of one of the creatures snapped, causing it to not be in the show. There have been times when we have to hold the house an extra few minutes just to do some last-minute testing to ensure that everything works,” says Alfie. “But we’re set up with several contingency plans. Let’s say the Allosaurus wasn’t in the show, and its portion takes up a full 15 minutes; we have a contingency that updates music, lighting, and automated cues so that everything can resume as normal without it.”
Then of course, there’s the occasional wild card thrown in when someone in the audience wants to re-enact their favorite scene from Jurassic Park.
“We did a show in London-Ontario, Canada, and out of nowhere a guy jumped out of the audience, climbed over our gear at the edge of the stage, jumped on the back of the Torosaurus and started hugging it,” Alfie laughs. “He said he had just always wanted to hug a dinosaur. Wow.”
“I was in the dinosaur right behind him, and watched him fall off and bounce right into the arms of security,” says Nick. “He should have waited just 15 minutes more for the T-Rex to come onstage. We could have eaten him.”
Surprise human attacks notwithstanding; all three visiting grads say that they’re having an amazing time touring with Walking With Dinosaurs.
“I’m learning something new here every day,” says Matt. “I’m far from a mechanic, but I’m kind of getting there, as part of my job is to build and maintain the gear. I’ve got zero opportunity to get bored because everything is new all the time.”
“This show is still relatively new, as it’s only been here in the US for close to two years. People seem to be skeptical about it at first, like it’s just for kids,” says Alfie. “But then parents come in here and are just completely stunned at what it is we do. No one else is doing this kind of show.”
