HELL CREEK | Sci-Fi Horror | Dinosaur Short Film

A time traveler is hunted by a dinosaur...
HELL CREEK is a sci-fi horror dinosaur short film that takes place in the Jurassic period. It acts as a prologue to a feature length story that's centered around the Cretaceous and Hell Creek, MT. If you enjoy it, please help us share it around!
In Sep/Oct 2020 I installed Blender for the first time, knowing nothing about CGI. I started learning with Blender Guru's donut tutorials and worked up from there, teaching myself as much as I could as quickly as I could. I had previously been scared to even try CGI, as it seemed like a skillset that was completely beyond my abilities, but after about a month of hard work and hours of tutorials, I had a usable 3D character. A few months after that, I was able to make the dinosaur that I used in this short film. It took me several weeks to model and just as long to rig and weight paint. Then I started learning how to animate it. I studied all sorts of animal videos, watched Jurassic Park, Walking with Dinosaurs, and other pieces of dinosaur media to try to get a good understanding of realistic movement. Simultaneously I was planning out the short film. I storyboarded everything in meticulous detail, and by spring 2021, my fiancée, Casey, and I had scouted locations, and my friend Paul Houston and I were ready to shoot. We filmed the short in 2 days with a 2 person crew. Later, I licensed music from a talented musician called Paleowolf: / paleowolf . After filming, I spent many months on my computer, animating, compositing, mixing, coloring, and doing everything else that had to be done to finish the film. It's been a long time coming and I'm really excited to show everyone. I think it's probably the thing I'm the most proud of making. Dinosaurs started my obsession with movies when I was a little kid, and this project feels like coming full circle 30-some years later.
Writer | Director | VFX - Danny Donahue
Cinematography - Paul Houston
Music - Paleowolf
Special Thanks to Casey Fichtner, Michael Matzur, Ryan Godoy, and Thomas Asher

[@dannyfdonahue]

For anyone wondering, YES, this takes place in the Jurassic. It’s a prologue to a feature length version I hope to make that takes place in the Cretaceous, hence the title “Hell Creek”. Help us share it around if you enjoyed it! The response so far has been really wonderful, so thank you all!

[@genzmaincdid]

Ok thats cool

[@j.mendezphotography8684]

Interesting choice of both a title and a well known fossil site.

[@cadenligma8140]

Love it!

[@geraldjohnson7937]

Looking forward to more of your projects...If they're on par with the Hell Creek short, they'll be awesome!

[@oleandreasjensen5263]

I sent you a comment but unluckily it was deleted by a mistake, so I send it once again. - Once again beautiful work. - I love this fillm. So perfect !!!

[@RivyBeAsT]

The way the dino twists its head to look at him.. sent chills down my spine. Amazing work Mr. Donahue and Co.!

[@dannyfdonahue]

It really makes me happy to hear that haha

[@cyclopes683]

This was my favorite scene in the whole short!

[@tompotter8703]

It really highlights how flexible these animals can be.

[@bossturner9540]

I like how it moved sort of like a bird. (For them practically being bird\lizards)

[@rastfaliar9345]

The way a secretary looks a snake , so basically like a Bird , extra points imo

[@RickRaptor105]

I get a Dan Trachtenberg/David F. Sandberg vibe of "5-10 years from now we'll see Hollywood movies directed by this guy"

[@dannyfdonahue]

I hope you're right! And thanks for checking it out!

[@DinoDiego16]

Love the "show, don't tell" aspect of this whole thing. And the effects are insane! Hope we can see more of this in the future!

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thanks a lot! Really happy you enjoyed it!

[@costlylimejacoborivasperez8500]

Dino Diego! I was just watching one of your videos, it’s always very surprising to find KZbinrs in random comments

[@mb_allo-3023]

Wait why a allosaurus and not a Rex or dakotaraptor because allosaurus did not live in the hell creek formation but t rex and Dakotaraptor did

[@costlylimejacoborivasperez8500]

@@mb_allo-3023 he’s not a paleontologist; plus it’s not supposed to be in hell creek, I think 🤔

[@dannyfdonahue]

Huwayie Huwayie it’s a prologue/flashback to a longer story that takes place in the Cretaceous, which is why it’s called Hell Creek

[@UMIF001]

I really like the design of the Allosaurus in here. Perfectly balanced between a bird an a Lizard and not extremely shrink-wrapped like an average movie monster

[@kathyt55]

The bird-like movements were spot on! I would have liked to seen the dinosaur with feathers, as paleontologists have found that many dinosaurs had them. They are the ancestors of our modern day birds!

[@julievonhaeften8323]

They're not birds, stop being a sheep and believe nonsense.

[@citrusreality64]

@@julievonhaeften8323 he never said they were birds doe

[@Jay-jb2vr]

Go read a book and stay off the internet

[@stare4539]

Fr

[@luchinosalvieri6832]

As someone who absolutely loves horror, and has read a ton of horror novels, watched movies, etc etc: Holy shit. That head tilt, was genuinely one of the scariest things I have seen. It absolutely made me jump, and it was so well built-up. Not a jumpscare, but it didn't take too long either. A perfect balance of tension and release. Unbelievable.

[@Tarbtano]

I'm very intrigued to see where the continuation of this goes. The cinematography, sound effects, acting, and SFX. All of which I find extremely well done on an Indie film budget. This was well rendered and our lead does a good job conveying sheer fear and terror with extremely little dialogue. Extremely interested to see where the story picks up. Also that design is fantastic, the protofeather quills really add to it.

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thanks for all the kind words. Really happy to hear you liked it. I did a lot of reading about Allosaurus, Saurophaganax, etc. Seemed like there wasn't a clear consensus about feathers, so I figured maybe some protofeather filaments might be a good approach.

[@arekfelblade248]

@@dannyfdonahue I’m curious, what animals were used for the dino sound effects? I believe I heard some alligator/crocodile, and was curious as to What else and the reasoning for it?

[@dannyfdonahue]

Arek Felblade Lots of animals: big cats, alligators, horses, elephants, and then also some purchased dino effects mixed in that some other people created (from similar animal sounds no doubt). I chose them mostly because they had big bassy vocalizations that felt plausible for an animal of this size.

[@Martial-Mat]

No trees to dodge among - he gets eaten in about 4 seconds.

[@stare4539]

Yes

[@prestonestes1388]

This has a better plot, acting, storyline, characterization, and graphics than most Hollywood Feature films. Can’t wait to see more. I absolutely loved the tension and build up. Something that most films don’t have or don’t take advantage of.

[@-septimus]

Nicely done. Would love to see more dino horror since JP is science/fantasy it seems like.

[@dannyfdonahue]

Yeah 100%. Need more dinosaur movies in general, but dino horror/thriller stuff is the sweet spot for me.

[@-septimus]

@@dannyfdonahue Well, I think you're the one to do it. Loved your work for a long time, and it's been cool watching your journey.

[@kiryuthedragonwarrior2746]

Well this seems to be the direction the new movie is going

[@dlgodzilla6359]

Love your blood angel pfp! Simul Sanguinius!

[@-septimus]

@@dlgodzilla6359 Thanks. The Emperor Protects.

[@ZANTrav1]

The log sequence had me holding my breath in absolute terror. Another banger by Mr. Donahue

[@dannyfdonahue]

So glad! Thank you!

[@costlylimejacoborivasperez8500]

I love the Allosaurid design!

[@manuhache1732]

Many people have said this, but the sudden twist it makes to find him is just *chef's kiss* it is EVERYTHING. I also love the subtle details such as the little shakes of the head, the avian mannerisms, the doubtful lurking and double checking the Allo does... It's just a lot of moments and small things that differentiate this Allosaurus from the generic monstrous theropod we are so accustomed to. It acts like a real animal, albeit a dangerous one, not so dissimilar to a bear or tiger attack/persecution. There is no dialogue, just events and implications that birth tons of new questions about this world. I love this and I really hope we get to see a full motion picture about it! Keep up the excellent work ✨💖

[@PaleoEntertainment]

Please make more on this! Love the story and the thriller elements were so well executed! Especially the Allosaurus turning its head to the side to spot the poor guy. That was scary!

[@alphathorsten5045]

And there’s the biggest inaccurate part of this

[@rastfaliar9345]

@@alphathorsten5045 Why?

[@XxDurazxX]

That didnt looked like an Allosauraus. That looked like an Acrocanthasauraus.

[@PaleoEntertainment]

@@alphathorsten5045 I wouldn't necessarily say so. If you're a predator looking for food, you'd be keened into the slightest movement/noise. Hearing the unsheathing knife was like hearing a dinner bell, so I'd imagine even a large animal like Allosaurus could move that fast given the circumstances.

[@PaleoEntertainment]

​@@XxDurazxX While the head shape does look similar to an Acrocanthosaurus, the body and arm size definitely don't match what I can tell. I think Danny also confirmed it's an Allosaurus (or maybe even Saurophaganax/A. maximus) in an Instagram post.

[@cyclopes683]

This is awesome!! A 6 minute glimpse into an universe i already wanna know more about! That allosaur design is incredible too! Great job!

[@ThroughtheLensProductions]

Legit yelled at my screen, "RUN," when the dino finally eyes you. Well done and you should be really proud of this one. Thank you for being an inspiration to this filmmaker.

[@thylaconical2840]

Absolutely fantastically done. I love the design of the dinosaur as well as the suspense and general plot.

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thanks! Really appreciate that. Modeling the dinosaur was one of the hardest parts of the whole process, so I'm glad you liked how it came out

[@thylaconical2840]

@@dannyfdonahue is it of any specific genus or just nondescript theropod?

[@dannyfdonahue]

@@thylaconical2840 Saurophaganax. I modeled it over an Allosaurus skeleton and then bulked it up slightly in ways that I thought might be appropriate for the size.

[@thylaconical2840]

@@dannyfdonahue good to know! Isn’t Hell Creek a Cretaceous formation though?

[@dannyfdonahue]

@@thylaconical2840 Yes, you're correct. It's called Hell Creek because the time travelers are coming from present day Hell Creek, MT, and they also end up in the Cretaceous in the longer version of the story that this is essentially a prologue for.

[@horror_fanboi.3199]

This is, beautiful. And I love the Allosaurus being the dinosaur that gets screentime, it deserves it ^^

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thank you! Allosaurs are underrated!

[@riotheraptor7897]

That Allosaurus design is so accurate! Love how the wrists aren't pronated. But an allosaurus was faster than a human. It evolved to catch fast ornithopods like camptosaurus.

[@SirReelist]

“Boy I hate being right all the time,”. - Ian Malcolm. All you need is a flare. Very cool work! Beautiful cinematography. I love the concept! Sci-fi works well for you.

[@limitedmeansproductions6725]

Very cool! Hollywood is calling your name

[@Oozaru85]

Ah, my all time favorite. The mighty Allosaurus, the Jurassic Lion.

[@Ivan-dm5cw]

These Special Effects are 1000 times better than those of many current movies

[@NotAloneStudios]

Whoa! Didn't expect that!

[@anonosaurus4517]

Absolutely captures the pure terror that we would feel if we had to live with dinosaurs.

[@CyberSnakeStudios]

I'd definitely watch a full length movie of this, it did a perfect job of setting the scene with no words. And I agree with others that sudden head twist where it looked at him is perfect for a kind of horror vibe, the slow turns you see things do in movies is cool but there is something about just a sudden turned gaze. It's like one moment you think your fine, and in a second you know it's noticed you and your blood runs cold in a mere instant~

[@MrBEEP369]

I really appreciate how he knows something is approaching by birds,unlike Jurassic franchise the dinosaur just roars all the time and the way you show the dinosaur is more like an animal, love it great work

[@kendallchristoun]

This video makes Jurassic franchise extinct.

[@MrBEEP369]

@@kendallchristoun 🤣

[@INFINITESYKOSIS]

Interesting and entertaining

[@Wee_Gee]

I swear some of these “short horror film” channel videos are better than some movies in theaters.

[@EverNightDream]

From a filmmakers perspective... this is very well done! Good performance, great visual effects and very good cinematography! From the perspective of a dinosaur nerd... also very well done! The allosaurus is my favourite animal and the way it looked and moved was how I imagined it would. I especially liked how you handled the moment when he steps on the tree and how dust and dirt is falling on the actor. Little details like that really help sell the shot and make it more believable. Very well done shortfilm! I hope this gets more attention and recognition!

[@burtschmidt7323]

Unbelievable when he's laying down and looks up and sees the throat of the dinosaur great perspective

[@CretaceousCast]

Absolutely fantastic. The world needs this to be a feature length movie

[@danteanderson3394]

The amount of tension in this is incredible.

[@JackSlenderman]

I loved this, not only the accurate arm placement on the theropod (Always a plus) but the feeling of suspense and terror built up. I loved it. My heart stopped when it looked down with that so very birdlike tip of the head.

[@Chopawamsic]

ok when that Allosaurus snapped its head like that I felt my heart skip a beat

[@nateharder2286]

Finding direction using the sun, awesome detail.

[@slushy4289]

I love three movie designs, Si-fi, Action, and dinosaurs. This film is perfect!

[@Betweentheraindrops8]

That dino is a gorgeous model. Allosaur? The fallen tree sequence was really intense. Especially the POV of looking up at the underside of it. That was a fantastic scene. I can’t wait to see the rest.

[@Anthony-fd9il]

That CGI... those locations... that acting... looks so professional.

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thank you!

[@thebroschannel]

Amazing. Adored the inclusion of Saurophaganax in this

[@7-sBone-Pit]

Amen to that!

[@heuerbardemston4087]

that head turn to look when it heard the knife was freakin fantastic

[@EL_INDORAPTOR]

Holy crap! That was great!

[@PepedeaWolf]

i got literal chills when the allo turned its head to look down at him. this is so well done.

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thank you!!

[@landonstahmer713]

Danny you are insane. Really excellent stuff and I'm so interested in this location jumping tech in a dino world! I am always inspired and impressed by you.

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thanks man - means a lot coming from you. I really appreciate all of your feedback and stuff on it as well.

[@fistofthebrownstar]

This is one of those so much with so little movies that just work so well.

[@jocrek]

Such an amazing work, I love the camera work and how claustrophobic it feels while hiding under the tree, it really makes you wish the dinosaur just goes away or something making sounds again to distract him, also the unnerving part of the knife being taken and the sounds it produces really makes you think "don't be stupid, it hasn't seen you do not make more noise!"... It's fantastic, nothing is as badass and terrifying as dinosaurs.

[@scotth6814]

I don't think a knife was going to save him anyway.

[@sharkoftheskies3256]

I love the title's refrence to the famous fossilbed! That really sold me!

[@Jacobruxo]

This is so awesome! I always wanted to see a dinosaur-survivor movie. The cinematography and CGI are impressive. Also, I don't know which species was that, looks related to Allosaurus but a bit small. It's cool that you chose a not so common predator instead of the typical T-rex... I imagine that these smaller predators would be way more dangerous to us than the huge ones adapted to prey on large herbivores... I think they would not waste energy chasing us... but these smaller ones, hell yeah. =)

[@waranontwiwaha9385]

I think this is Allosaurus. They have a rather wide size range from 8-11 metres (if you includes Saurophaganax as Allosaurus).

[@CDawson428]

It's either saurophaganax or allosaurus

[@douglasbirlingmair726]

Awesome! You can really feel the almost paralyzing fear the character has. And when the carnosaur twists his head and spots him....shivers! Really professional work!

[@BURNTMILLROAD]

Great work something so instinctively terrifying about that last shot opening the jaws

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thanks! You guys would know!

[@Dinoboy-gv5fb]

It’s amazing how a small creator could create better vfx than some of today’s movies.

[@Indo-id3sm]

Awesome work, i love it

[@ronerreis4111]

I've seen thousand of dinosaur movies but none of them shows this true fear and the true incarnation of an real Allosauridean race, everything in this short movie shows the true horror of facing an beast like this. I have to congratulate about the amazing work and the expontaneous acting too. The CGI effects looks so real that makes me fear it and respect it all the way! Congratulations Mr. Donahue......you deserve to make an complete movie.......i'm your great fan now!

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thanks so much!

[@darkonyx6995]

Allosaurus*

[@ElPakozoico]

This is completely stunning! Good job!!

[@williamjordan5554]

Great representation of an often overlooked feature -- the narrowness of many theropods' heads.

[@danielway886]

Awesome!

[@jonathanporter5223]

That was rad! I loved after the time jump, he had that momentarily sigh of relief, only for it to be short lived as we see his greatest fear come crashing through after him.

[@ravagerlizard9800]

This was awesome! Do more!

[@Ricky-ce3jo]

I have so much to say. I love the time traveling concept, Hell Creek as a location is an amazing idea, and this is probably the only time I've seen people portray mid-sized theropods as intelligent and not just lumbering dullards

[@dannyfdonahue]

Awesome to hear that - thank you!

[@sherriehaynes8811]

I love a good dinosaur movie!!

[@pequenotamandua5712]

3:42 that scene in particular gave me the chills.

[@mr.phillips]

I wanna see a full movie of this

[@seangambone8534]

I will be honest, having no merit as a critic in the first place, I wasn't expecting much from this video appearing in my feed. However, that was a spectacle that drew me in for several reasons, namely the idea of dinosaur horror done well. I would definitely pay theater ticket and snack prices to enjoy a full length movie of this on the big screen.

[@dannyfdonahue]

That’s awesome to hear! Thank you very much! Glad you liked it

[@notjustincohan9553]

Bloody hell that was cool. Quite a departure from your other work but a damn good one at that. Not enough dinosaur content out there these days

[@offgridrvliving]

This needs to be picked up and funded by the big guns. An alternative to the JP franchise is needed. The audience is enormous for this genre. Well done!

[@chancegivens9390]

Easily better than most dinosaur movies today, well done.

[@cinemassfilms]

I think I speak for everyone when I say that I want to watch a prequel and a sequel to this short film.

[@BuriedHatchetProductions]

Sweet stuff. Insanely brave of you to make a dinosaur film, and that risk paid off very much. Really loved the fast paced shots inside your mind, those stuck well with me. As always, Paul killed it with camera work and the dolly pans were sick. Love it.

[@mesozoicfishing2308]

Everything about this is perfect. The Allosaurus render is one of the best CGI dinos I've ever seen.

[@bossturner9540]

Thats a really accurate design of an allosaurus! Great CGI btw. I love how the allosaurus made bird like movements

[@walterwazowski1229]

I was less focused on the actual situation and more focused on how sweet that allosaurus looks

[@k.h.studios8938]

These dinosaur effects are dang near perfect, we NEED more fan films like this! :D

[@Saurygiel]

Huge Primeval vibes from this, and I'm not complaining! Need more stuff like this. Wasn't too flashy or fantastical, but felt grounded and just right, which elevated the horror. Now just add a plot and I'm completely sold.

[@EmpireOfLuciferSatanson666]

That's a superb Allosaurus model!

[@gusyeager]

I just started working on the donut tutorial and my boss pointed me toward this short. I was blown away by the quality. Really inspiring to see what can happen with dedication!

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thanks! Yeah I need to get back into Blender. Haven't done much in it since making the short. But the potential for what you can create with it is really wild if you're willing to put in the time and effort.

[@nobodywl]

I really like the allosaurus design, it's quite scientifically accurate! And the cinematography is also very good! I'm intrigued to see where this story goes...

[@JDBmoviefilms]

We need more dino science fiction like this. This kind of show is different enough from the jurassic park/world franchise to stand on it's own two feet, namely because Jurassic Park/ world doesn't have time travel. I mean, yeah Primeval and terra nova did, but that was about it, and they just scratched the surface of the abounding potential for the dinosaur/ time travel genre. Anyway, good to see it being put to good use.

[@SylvainRéal]

Amazing this quality short fiction, the director who plays in his film is great, and the interaction with the dinosaur is great

[@casechow]

This is so great!! Twist ending, excellence acting, I could most definitely see this as a longer feature! ❤

[@timversteeg2826]

An incredible film! Kudos to everything you've done here, especially the cinematography and SFX. For a two person crew, this is incredibly impressive!

[@SamaelCubus]

god that was amazing! My heart was racing as the dinosaur was standing over the guy and when it noticed him and chased him i was on the edge of my seat! Love It!

[@ExtermCentral]

Absolutely stunning VFX, and a good approach to the story-telling, with the show dont tell really shining strong here. Plus mega props for the anatomically accurate and top notch model on the Saurophaganax. Definitely curious to see the lore of this film regarding the time travel mechanics and such. Looking forward to eventually seeing the feature length story.

[@utahraptor700]

Man this was a nice surprise. Clean model, good scenery, and fitting music. I do like that it's pure visuals, with no dialog.

[@shamroknroll6352]

This is awesome! The way the dinosaur moves feels so animal like! I love it!

[@Nugnugnug]

That head turn was magnificent.

[@darknotionfilm]

Absolutely amazing work! Very intense 🔥👏

[@niharg2011]

It was so good to see such a well designed Dinosaur in such a high quality film.

[@UnpublishedThoughts]

I stumbled upon this by accident and I don’t regret it. It was absolutely awesome ! The Allosaurus’ movements were so realistic, amazing job !

[@codyerickson3550]

This is what Jurassic World: Dominion should’ve been like

[@kevinmcturk8984]

CONGRATS DANNY!!!! Beautifully executed.

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thanks, Kevin! I really appreciate that!

[@Talonflamez]

Amazing work! I love ho the allosaurus twists it’s head to look at the man. It’s such a small detail that exaggerates that birds and dinosaurs aren’t too far apart from each other.

[@KatherineOostman]

This is so fudging cool! Well done, Danny. Your talent is limitless.

[@dannyfdonahue]

Thanks so much!

[@TIMWReigo]

I am so glad to see that in the year 2022 dinosaurs are still a big part of people's imaginations. Not just big time hollywood but youtubers as well. That Allosaurus looks seriously good despite what this is. The cinematography looks really good and the premise is very intriguing. I can't wait to see where this goes.

[@thorodinson6625]

Well. That's not allosaurus, it saurophaganax. This guy just modeled it with an allosaurus skeleton

[@barron204]

Awesome video

[@deanlawson6880]

Wow! This is really super GOOD and suspenseful! The part of the scene where he's hiding by the log and the Dino is over him and then looks down at him. Geeez!!!

[@bruh8783]

Hell creek is actually a real place with dinosaur fossils

[@jarvvoitlus9458]

That neck turn was so scary, I love it

[@antifvrry715]

It was amazing, I would love to see the behind the scenes and the vfx process. I wish you and your team the best

[@paleoguy2165]

3:43 the bird like mannerisms are super cool and accurate (not to mention freaky)

[@jakesutton4603]

Sound design i genuinely feel while good could probably use some improvements namely in the volume of the footsteps and some of the more noticeable vocals being clear cut royalty free stuff But it’s definitely very good and admirable

[@kurttomlinsoncompositions1067]

The building of tension is incredible! I love the mysterious vibes this film gives. Would love to see more.