Framestore consulted several palaeontologists in assisting them with developing natural movements and appearances for the dinosaurs. Maquettes were built and then scanned, with the resulting 3D models animated in Softimage 3D and added to the live-action backgrounds.

Instead, Haines contracted Framestore, a local British visual effects company to create the CGI elements. ILM projected a cost of $10,000 per every second of footage featuring a CGI shot, an estimate which BBC deemed too expensive for a television budget. Since an extensive amount of computer-generated imagery would be necessary in creating the numerous full-size dinosaurs that the project demanded, Haines initially approached Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the company responsible for creating the visual effects in Jurassic Park. The only creatures in the pilot that are not shown in the series are Cetiosaurus and Scaphognathus. Filming consisted of wide landscape shots devoid of any live-action creatures and close-up shots with animatronics. Principal photography took place at a variety of global locations, including Conguillío National Park in Chile, the Redwood National and State Parks in California, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Tasmania, and the Bahamas.

Together, with producer Jasper James and effects specialist Mike Milne, Haines shot a six-minute pilot in Cyprus as a proof-of-concept to BBC Worldwide and Discovery Channel for financing. ProductionĬonguillío National Park in Chile (top) and the Isle of Pines in New Caledonia (bottom) served as filming locations.Ĭreator Tim Haines contemplated the idea of a dinosaur-centric documentary in 1996, spurred by the resurgence of public interest in prehistoric life following the release of Jurassic Park (1993). Walking with Dinosaurs began a franchise that was followed by two additional miniseries, several television specials, spin-offs, a live-theatrical show, and a feature film of the same name. The series received critical acclaim, winning two BAFTA Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award in 2000. It was made more appropriate for children by removing most of the graphic content and trimming down some footage to fit the run time. A re-edited version of Walking with Dinosaurs aired on Discovery Kids for the first season of Prehistoric Planet. The Guinness Book of World Records reported that the series was the most expensive documentary series per minute ever produced. seriesĭeveloped by Haines and producer Jasper James, Walking with Dinosaurs recreated extinct species through the combined use of computer-generated imagery and animatronics that were incorporated with live action footage shot at various locations. Kenneth Branagh (BBC broadcast and home video and Discovery Channel)Īvery Brooks (Discovery Channel broadcast)īahamas, California, Chile, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Tasmania The official DVD cover of Walking With Dinosaurs

Coelophysis walking with dinosaurs