DIY Jurassic Park Cryocan
I know it may be hard to believe, but I also watch movies outside of the Star Wars franchise. Jurassic Park is one of my favorite films of all time. All of the characters are memorable, it has some humor sprinkled throughout, and the tension never lets up. The sets and scenery are amazing. The special effects, even by today’s standards, are top notch. And our good buddy John Williams is at the helm producing another memorable soundtrack.
As a prop builder, the Barbasol cryocan really sticks out in this film. Its just…beautiful. Eye catching red, white, and blue. The fact that it is a little cryogenic storage container for dinosaur embryos really stirs the imagination. When looking at the internals, I feel like a fish, mesmerized by a fisherman’s shiny fishing lure. The internals appear to be some kind of polished aluminum. The can is just begging to be touched. Pulling off the casing, and twisting the cylinder to pop up the vial holding rings.
Building the cryocan from Jurassic Park is a rewarding project, and will test your prop building skills. Barbasol still makes shaving cream, but the label and can shape has changed since 1993. Because of this, a non-tapered aerosol can will be used to match the can from 1993. In addition, the original label is available for free from JPMotorPool.com. The internals will be 3D printed and painted. The embryo vials are 1.5ml microcentrifuge vials that can be filled with your choice of dinosaur juice.
Let’s take a look at the procedures for building a Barbasol cryocan. Feel free to deviate from the plan, use your own methods and materials, and make improvements to the build.
CRYOCAN COMPONENTS
3D Printed Internals – available on Thingiverse
3D Printed Can Base & Cylinder Remix – available on Thingiverse
Red “O” Rings – available on Amazon
1.5ml Microcentrifuge Tubes – available on Amazon (check eBay too…hard to find small quantities)
Spring Kit or 5/16″ x 1-3/8″ | 9mm x 35mm spring- available on Amazon
Barbasol Label – free Adobe Illustrator version available here PDF version available on Etsy
Vial Labels – available in PDF format here
Glossy Sticker Paper – available on Amazon
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Intro Music – “Countdown Clock Trailer” by Gorlindar – available at AudioJungle
Outro Music – “Trailer Epic Tribal Tech” (short) by thekingtracks – available at AudioJungle
Velociraptor titles animation – available at VideoHive
Nightvision Pteranodon animation – available on YouTube
Nightvision Raptor animation – available on YouTube
Nightvision Raptor sound – available on YouTube
Nightvision T-Rex animation by FXGuru (IOS app) – available at Apple