Jack Ewins Reveals Jurassic World’s Marketing Magic

To mark a decade of Jurassic World, I speak with Jack Ewins of Chronicle the creative force behind its viral marketing and canon to uncover the secrets, stories, and behind-the-scenes magic that shaped the canon development for the franchise.

“I’m insanely proud of the work we did, but back at the start we had no idea the influence we’d have especially given the internal work we’d do to help shape the Jurassic canon.”

Jack Ewins

In this second article celebrating Jurassic World’s 10th anniversary I interview Jack Ewins who along with Timothy Glover are responsible for the viral marketing and canon for the Jurassic World franchise. This interview delves into Jack’s work on the viral marketing websites Masrani Global and Jurassic World resort and covers Jacks memories, feelings and thoughts about Jurassic World ten years on from when it first released.

Crafting Jurassic’s Digital Legacy: An Interview with Jack Ewins

Reflections on Jurassic World

1. Hello, Jack. It is a pleasure to speak with you in this interview. Considering that Jurassic World (2015) is now ten years old; how do you feel about the film a decade after its release? 

Hello James, thanks for inviting me for an interview! My thoughts and opinions on Jurassic World have only strengthened over the last ten years. I think it was the perfect way to take audiences back into the world of Jurassic after a 14-year hiatus, especially taking it to a much grander scale than what was previously seen.

I love that it has its cake and eats it, when it comes to the commentary on sequels and how they always have to go bigger, etc. And I really appreciate that it felt fresh whilst not ruining what came before.

The building upon the raptor intelligence and exploring their relationship with humans, as well as the film showing the world capitalising on the public’s interest in InGens dinosaurs (as seen in JP3) was really awesome. It’s such a fun movie. A real Aliens to JPs Alien. 

Favourite Character

2. Who is your favourite Jurassic World (2015) character and why?

It has got to be Owen. I love that he is a mix of Grant, Muldoon and Malcolm in his persona but feels new and ready to fight for what is right. He truly was a modern Indiana Jones and Pratt played him in such a way he sticks with you. Despite what some people would say I think he is a very grounded character, and I know if I was 8 years old watching these films Owen would have blown my mind. 

Iconic Moments

3. Is there a specific story element, character, or dinosaur moment in the film that you feel elevates it over the other sequels in the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World series?

Honestly, it is going to sound crazy but the end fight between the Tyrannosaur, the Indominus, Blue and ending with the Mosasaurus; was so mind-blowingly awesome it sticks out above all. It does this because it sums up Jurassic Worlds story in one scene without words.

The two iconic dinosaurs which everyone associated with classic Jurassic, the Velociraptor and the T.rex “team up” to take down this new unnatural monster which one would think represents the new sequel Jurassic World. But it is the new prehistoric icon of Jurassic World, the Mosasaurus, which eventually takes down the monster. It is spectacular and a great payoff for the story.

Palaeontology in Jurassic World

4. What is your opinion on the film’s educational portrayal of palaeontology within the Jurassic World theme park, as compared to its representation in the previous films?

I can’t exactly say as my knowledge of palaeontology is limited. But to this humbled fan it looks like it is no different to what came before in terms of education. Obviously, Jurassic World leans heavily into the genetic tampering side of things, so I think it’s very up front about the fiction of it all.

Viral Marketing Origins

5. Looking back when you started the viral marketing how do feel about the work that you did?

I’m insanely proud of the work we did, but back at the start we had no idea the influence we’d have especially given the internal work we’d do to help shape the Jurassic canon. That said concerning the websites, we knew we had a massive responsibility to respect, not only the filmmakers vision, but also fan expectations and hopes for what they wished to see from this franchise; and I think we did the best we could to balance everything whilst opening minds to new ideas. 

Pre-Production Concerns

6. How did you feel about Jurassic World’s pre-production in 2014. Was there anything you were worried about considering the franchise had been in development hell for 14 years?

In hindsight I think the wait was the correct call, after JP3 it does seem like a 2004 JP4 would have left a lot to be desired given the lack of momentum behind the scenes when it came to Jurassic, it would have been rushed out.

But in anticipation for JP4 I was worried about weapon wielding dinosaurs, after the Sayles script came out, and obviously human dinosaur hybrids were a big no no from me, still is for the most part. (Although seeing a failed dead human dinosaur hybrid might work if it’s tastefully handled). My biggest worry however was the film not feeling like it belonged in the same world as the earlier films. Fortunately, Jurassic World fit right in. 

Challenges in Marketing

7. What was the most challenging aspect of approaching the Jurassic World resort website and Masrani Global? 

I would have to say it was making sure the lore was as tight as possible. As these sites were in-universe and tailored towards the deep fans we knew that they would be overturning everything we wrote to make sure it all checked out. So, a lot of research was required as you can imagine, which also included watching the films extensively and listening to how characters say certain things and the words they use to gather intentions etc. A lot to take in even for us diehard fans!

Keeping Secrets

8. How difficult was it to keep quiet about the work you and Timothy Glover were doing on the websites at the time? Was there anything you really wanted to share but couldn’t? 

Naturally, there’s that urge to want to scream from the rooftops about all our involvement as it was super exciting, but for us it was easy to keep things under-wraps as we had each other to talk to. It was also made even easier by our nerves as we really didn’t want to ruin our relationship with the filmmakers and the studio. As time went on, and as you may know, we have ways of winking to the fandom that we’re up to something. To tease without spilling the beans.

Collaboration with Universal

9. What amount of planning was involved during website development and were the Masrani and Jurassic World websites the only ideas at that time?

Quite a lot! We had several meetings with Colin and Universal, both in person and through Skype at the time, and many between myself and Tim on what the Masrani website should deliver in terms of feeling like a real website. We had done a lot of leg work with the early Patel-Corp site which initially got us the job, but there were a lot of the nuances needed to embody the character of Masrani through the site.

We had to try and capture the feeling that he’s very diversified with what he owns which leads to his lack of oversight when it came to the creation of the Indominus; which is what audiences would see in the final film. To prepare for that meant reading the script and talking to Colin about his ideas for Masrani and the company he owned. Taking extensive notes and coming up with ideas on how to expand Masrani Global.

Director’s Influence

10. Were there any ideas for website content that were purely from the director Colin Trevorrow?

Yes! The InGen: Tomorrow Today short video starring BD Wong was written by Colin and Derek and he worked with Universal to deliver the video that would introduce the InGen page on our website. At the time we couldn’t believe the director himself wanted to dive deep into the viral as much as we did. But he absolutely LOVED this kind of stuff as much as we did. 

Franchise Lore

11. Is there a particular piece of Jurassic Park lore that you felt needed to be a part of the Masrani or Jurassic World websites?

The timeline was the big one. As fans may remember, back before the Masrani Terminal launched on the site, where fans could hack into the park system and catch a glimpse at internal documents, there was no official timeline of events for Jurassic. Fans were just guessing amongst themselves for the best part of two decades. So, we knew if we had the opportunity, we’d add a timeline to give the fans what they had been after for so long.

So, with the Terminal we added one, which has since gone on to become the backbone of Universals internal canon timeline document. It’s appeared in books, sticker books, video games and the films themselves! It’ll be interesting to see if it’s still adhered to in Rebirth given the lore that film is introducing. 

Jurassic World Brochure

12. Who came up with the Plan Your Visit aspect of the website? Was it always the plan to showcase the type of packages potential Jurassic World visitors could pay for?

The entire brochure side of the viral marketing was created by a company called Trailer Park. Our good friend Glenn Sanders was a big part of that team but I’m unsure whether he came up with the plan your visit idea. Myself and Tim only gave certain lore notes to their team to make sure the site was in good standing, but outside of that we were solely working on Masrani Global. 

Must-See Jurassic World Attractions

13. If you could visit Jurassic World what would you most want to see and why?

Honestly if I had to go it would be to see the Tyrannosaur as it is the most iconic dinosaur not only in Jurassic but in the real world too. I do not think anything else could compare to seeing a 7–8-ton predator like that in the flesh.

Memorable Working Moments

14. What was your most memorable moment from working on the viral marketing for Jurassic World.

Going to meet Colin Trevorrow and Frank Marshall at the Marshall Kennedy offices in Santa Monica to discuss our plans for the site, right at the beginning in September 2014. Walking through the hallways and seeing the original Phil Tippett stop motion Tyrannosaur and tour car, Stan Winston Compys and a Dilophosaurus maquette; plus having the meeting sat next to Marty Mcflys screen used Nikes from Back to the Future 2 was just every nerd’s dream. It was that moment which just blew my mind. Oh, and getting to meet Tim in person for the first time. That cuts deepest from that particular trip.

Jurassic World’s Legacy

15. What do you think Jurassic World’s legacy has been?

Jurassic World has become a household name, just as iconic in some respects as the original Jurassic Park. I think when it comes to the fourth movie in this series most people think of it fondly and know it equals a very good time. Owen, Claire and Blue were instant Jurassic stars thanks to that film, which have had a massive impact on pop culture over the past ten years. Jurassic World aka Jurassic Park 4 will age like a fine wine as time goes on and deservedly so! 

Raptor Your Heart Out

I hope you have enjoyed this deep dive into Jack’s work on the Jurassic World websites and franchise canon. As a fan myself, learning about his behind-the-scenes contributions has been truly fascinating! A huge thank you to Jack for sharing his insights and taking the time for this interview

The Jurassic World 10th anniversary celebrations continue! Stay tuned for an exclusive conversation with a leading palaeontologist, premiering on June 20th. Follow the website for the latest content drops and behind-the-scenes insights!

Explore the Jurassic World 10th Anniversary Hub for Exclusive Articles!