ABOUT | WHY DINOSAURS?

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 senior undergraduate working at the UC Museum of Paleontology and applying to graduate school in paleontology. Tony owns and operates Pinto Productions, a video production company.

THE ORIGINAL TRAILER

THE LATEST 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 65+ seasoned paleontologists, fossil hunters, dino-artists, graduate students, and even a State Senator. We hope to inspire girls, boys, men and women of all ages to embrace Science, starting with a healthy dose of Dinosaur Paleontology.

In 2020, we raised over $34,000 from friends, family, and dinosaur enthusiasts via Indiegogo.

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:

Dr. Phil Currie - Paleontologist & Professor, University of Alberta, Canada
Dr. Scott Sampson - Paleontologist, Executive Director, California Academy of Sciences, “Dr. Scott” of Dinosaur Train and Dinosaur Planet
Dr. Dean Lomax - Paleontologist, Author, Adventurer & Science Communicator
Dr. Nizar Ibrahim - Paleontologist, Professor, National Geographic Explorer and TED Fellow
Dr. Jingmai O'Connor - Paleontologist, Field Museum

Colin Trevorrow - Director, Jurassic World & Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
Phil Tippett - Oscar winning stop-motion animator / Dinosaur Supervisor on Jurassic Park, Owner, Tippett Studios
Dean Cundey, A.S.C. - Oscar-nominated Cinematographer, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Apollo 13, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Jack Horner - Paleontologist and Jurassic Park / Jurassic World dinosaur advisor
Glen McIntosh - Animation Supervisor, Jurassic World & Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Dr. Luis Chiappe - Curator, Dinosaur Institute and Senior VP, Research U Collections, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
Dr. Don Henderson - Curator of Dinosaurs at Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Senator Kate Brophy McGee - Former Arizona State Senator; wrote State Dinosaur Bill
Dr. Charles Marshall - Director, UC Museum of Paleontology
Dr. Lorna O’Brien - Preparation Lab Supervisor at Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
Dr. Robert McCord - Curator of Natural History, Arizona Museum of Natural History
Dr. Caleb Brown - Curator of Dinosaur Systematics & Evolution at Royal Tyrrell Museum, Canada
Dr. Jim Kirkland - Paleontologist, Utah Geological Survey
Dr. Randall Irmis - Chief Curator and Curator of Paleontology, Natural History Museum of Utah
Dr. Andrew Farke - Director, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology
Dr. Debbie Colodner - Director of Conservation Education & Science, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Dr. Ellinor Michel - Paleontologist, Natural History Museum / Chair, Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs
Kallie Moore - Host of PBS Eons, Paleontology Collections Manager at University of Montana
Lyon Daniels - Dinosaur Enthusiast, Actor (We Can Be Heroes)
Dr. Kiersten Formoso - USC / Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
Gabriel-Philip Santos, MS - Collections Manager, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology
Carrie Levitt-Bussian, MS - Paleontology Collections Manager, Natural History Museum of Utah
Peter Larson - President, Black Hills Institute of Geological Research
Jessica Lippincott - Paleontologist / Former Director, Big Horn Basin Foundation
Angela Reddick - Paleontologist / Dig Site Manager, Wyoming Dinosaur Center
Matthew T. Mossbrucker - Director & Chief Curator, Morrison Natural History Museum
Scott Madsen - Fossil Preparer & Manager, The Utahraptor Project
Dr. Richard Thompson - Amateur Fossil Hunter, discovered Sonorasaurus
Rob Sula - Paleo Artist and Field Guide, Paleo Prospectors
Ryan Cieszkowski - Executive Producer / Dinosaur Enthusiast
Benji Paysnoe - Paleo Artist, Arizona Museum of Natural History
Keegan Kuhn - Paleo Artist, TRX Dinosaurs
Laura "Clever FanGirl" Peterson - Dinosaur Enthusiast / Influencer (@CleverFanGirl)
Tony "The Dinogeek" Campagna - World's largest collection of dinosaur toys & media
Bucky Derflinger - Amateur Fossil Hunter, discovered “Bucky” the T.rex
Lauren Billings - VP of Operations, The Dinosaur Company
Jerry Adloff - Dinosaur Enthusiast / Owner, Explorers Emporium
Elaine Howard - Executive Producer / Author & Dinosaur Enthusiast
Billie Guerrero - Outreach/Collections Assistant, Alf Museum of Paleontology
Marji Johns - Paleontology Collections Manager, Royal BC Museum
Gary Kaiser, MS - Research Associate at Royal BC Museum
Sarah Slaughter - Trustee, Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs
Garret Kruger - Dinosaur Enthusiast / Co-host of I Know Dino Podcast
Sabrina Ricci - Dinosaur Enthusiast / Co-host of I Know Dino Podcast
Jimmy Waldron, MA - Science Communicator, host of Dinosaurs Will Always Be Awesome podcast
Kathryn Abbott - 3D Scanning Technician & Museum Educator
Angie Guyen - Director, Wyoming Dinosaur Center
Dustin Baker - Dinosaur Trainer, Jurassic Quest
Aiden Rouse - Paleontology Consultant
Jax Weldon - Dinosaur Enthusiast; lobbied for Arizona’s Official State Dinosaur
Taylor Causer - Dinosaur Enthusiast, Jurassic Park Motor Pool
Nima "Neemz" Nakhshab - Dinosaur Enthusiast / influencer (@themovieposterguy, @jurassicyourworld)
Skye Walker - SciComm Manager, Field Technician, Elevation Science for Natural History Exploration
Lindsey Davis - Science Communicator / Museum & Park Educator

IN THE MEDIA

WHAT'S NEXT?

WHY DINOSAURS? is currently in post-production with a November 3rd Hollywood Premiere and an expected release date of Q1 2024.

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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