ABOUT US
Tony and James Pinto are a father and son collaborating on their first feature documentary film.
Like most kids, James Pinto was obsessed with dinosaurs from an early age. He spent countless hours playing with dinosaur toys, watching movies and documentaries, and collecting fossils. But his passion for paleontology never stopped.
By the time he was 15, he had found fossils in Wyoming, North and South Dakota, and California, won first place in the California Science Fair, and started volunteering as one of the youngest docents and fossils preparators at the La Brea Tar Pits.
The film spans three and a half years of
his teenage life in a coming-of-age story that concludes with James heading off to the prestigious UC Berkeley to become a paleontologist. He is currently a Sophomore an interning at the UC Museum of Paleontology.
Tony owns and operates Pinto Productions, a video production & commercial photography studio.
THE ORIGINAL TRAILER
WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED
"WHY DINOSAURS?" started out as a short film--a simple father/son passion project. But over the past three and a half years, we've interviewed 60+ seasoned paleontologists, fossil hunters, dino-artists, graduate students, and even a State Senator!
James with legendary paleontologist, Dr. Phil Currie at University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.
In 2020, we raised over $34,000 from friends, family, and dinosaur enthusiasts via Indiegogo.
THE IMPACT
We hope to inspire girls, boys, men and women of all ages to embrace Science, starting with a healthy dose of Dinosaur Paleontology.
James teaching dinosaurs to a preschool class.
WHO WE'VE
INTERVIEWED
We've been fortunate to interview a wide variety of seasoned paleontologists, fossil hunters, paleontologists, dinosaur enthusiasts, and even a State Senator, including:
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Dr. Phil Currie - Paleontologist & Professor, University of Alberta, Canada
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Dr. Scott Sampson - Paleontologist, Executive Director, California Academy of Sciences, “Dr. Scott” of Dinosaur Train and Dinosaur Planet
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Dr. Dean Lomax - Paleontologist, Author, Adventurer & Science Communicator
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Dr. Nizar Ibrahim - Paleontologist, Professor, National Geographic Explorer and TED Fellow
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Dr. Jingmai O'Connor - Paleontologist, Field Museum
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Colin Trevorrow - Director, Jurassic World & Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
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Phil Tippett - Oscar winning stop-motion animator / Dinosaur Supervisor on Jurassic Park, Owner, Tippett Studios
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Dean Cundey, A.S.C. - Oscar-nominated Cinematographer, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Apollo 13, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
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Jack Horner, PhD - Paleontologist and Jurassic Park / Jurassic World dinosaur advisor
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Glen McIntosh - Animation Supervisor, Jurassic World & Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
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Dr. Luis Chiappe - Curator, Dinosaur Institute and Senior VP, Research U Collections, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
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Dr. Don Henderson - Curator of Dinosaurs at Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
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Senator Kate Brophy McGee - Former Arizona State Senator; wrote State Dinosaur Bill
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Dr. Charles Marshall - Director, UC Museum of Paleontology
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Dr. Lorna O’Brien - Preparation Lab Supervisor at Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
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Dr. Robert McCord - Curator of Natural History, Arizona Museum of Natural History
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Dr. Caleb Brown - Curator of Dinosaur Systematics & Evolution at Royal Tyrrell Museum, Canada
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Dr. Jim Kirkland - Paleontologist, Utah Geological Survey
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Dr. Randall Irmis - Chief Curator and Curator of Paleontology, Natural History Museum of Utah
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Dr. Andrew Farke - Director, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology
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Dr. Debbie Colodner - Director of Conservation Education & Science, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
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Dr. Ellinor Michel - Paleontologist, Natural History Museum / Chair, Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs
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Kallie Moore - Host of PBS Eons, Paleontology Collections Manager at University of Montana
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Lyon Daniels - Dinosaur Enthusiast, Actor (We Can Be Heroes)
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Dr. Kiersten Formoso - USC / Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
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Gabriel-Philip Santos, MS - Collections Manager, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology
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Carrie Levitt-Bussian, MS - Paleontology Collections Manager, Natural History Museum of Utah
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Peter Larson - President, Black Hills Institute of Geological Research
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Jessica Lippincott - Paleontologist / Former Director, Big Horn Basin Foundation
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Angela Reddick - Paleontologist / Dig Site Manager, Wyoming Dinosaur Center
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Matthew T. Mossbrucker - Director & Chief Curator, Morrison Natural History Museum
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Scott Madsen - Fossil Preparer & Manager, The Utahraptor Project
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Dr. Richard Thompson - Amateur Fossil Hunter, discovered Sonorasaurus
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Rob Sula - Paleo Artist and Field Guide, Paleo Prospectors
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Ryan Cieszkowski - Executive Producer / Dinosaur Enthusiast
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Benji Paysnoe - Paleo Artist, Arizona Museum of Natural History
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Keegan Kuhn - Paleo Artist, TRX Dinosaurs
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Laura "Clever FanGirl" Peterson - Dinosaur Enthusiast / Influencer (@CleverFanGirl)
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Tony "The Dinogeek" Campagna - World's largest collection of dinosaur toys & media
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Bucky Derflinger - Amateur Fossil Hunter, discovered “Bucky” the T.rex
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Lauren Billings - VP of Operations, The Dinosaur Company
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Jerry Adloff - Dinosaur Enthusiast / Owner, Explorers Emporium
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Elaine Howard - Executive Producer / Author & Dinosaur Enthusiast
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Billie Guerrero - Outreach/Collections Assistant, Alf Museum of Paleontology
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Marji Johns - Paleontology Collections Manager, Royal BC Museum
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Gary Kaiser, MS - Research Associate at Royal BC Museum
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Sarah Slaughter - Trustee, Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs
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Garret Kruger - Dinosaur Enthusiast / Co-host of I Know Dino Podcast
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Sabrina Ricci - Dinosaur Enthusiast / Co-host of I Know Dino Podcast
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Jimmy Waldron, MA - Science Communicator, host of Dinosaurs Will Always Be Awesome podcast
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Kathryn Abbott - 3D Scanning Technician & Museum Educator
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Angie Guyen - Director, Wyoming Dinosaur Center
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Dustin Baker - Dinosaur Trainer, Jurassic Quest
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Aiden Rouse - Paleontology Consultant
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Jax Weldon - Dinosaur Enthusiast; lobbied for Arizona’s Official State Dinosaur
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Taylor Causer - Dinosaur Enthusiast, Jurassic Park Motor Pool
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Nima "Neemz" Nakhshab - Dinosaur Enthusiast / influencer (@themovieposterguy, @jurassicyourworld)
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Skye Walker - SciComm Manager, Field Technician, Elevation Science for Natural History Exploration
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Lindsey Davis - Science Communicator / Museum & Park Educator
IN THE MEDIA
WHAT'S NEXT?
Why Dinosaurs? is currently in post-production with an expected release date of Summer 2022.
For more information, please check out the Frequently Asked Questions.
For media inquiries, feel free to contact us.
BONUS VIDEOS!
Our first time being interviewed by Jimmy at DWABA.org!
This is a young James doing his best Sir David Attenborough impersonation at the Natural History Museum of LA with his Nonni.
James' first visit to Dinosaur National Monument in Vernal, Utah.
California State Science Fair judge commenting on James' First Place Spinosaurus experiment.
James receiving a Certificate of Commendation from Simi Valley Mayor Bob Huber for his First Place award in the California State Science Fair, as well as other County-level Science awards and recognition by the Coast Geological Society.
James volunteering in the Fossil Prep Lab at La Brea Tar Pits.
FOLLOW ALONG
Go behind-the-scenes, get exclusive info, and join us (and 62,000+ friends) on this epic journey!
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