To make the series completely realistic, the series was filmed in real locations, closely matching the environments to those in which the dinosaurs actually lived. It took 18 months to make the six-episode programme. The series made full use of life-sized animatronic puppets in the close-up shots. This was done with the aid of palaeontologists and studying other animals alive today. The dinosaurs were modelled, scanned into a computer and brought to life in CGI by a team of 15 computer animators: nine animators, two programmers, one skin-designer and three technical supports. These experts had a wide range of specialities, including palaeobotany, palaeoentomology, palaeoclimatogy 2 as well as palaeontology, to advise his team of documentary makers on not only the appearance of the dinosaurs based on the latest available research, but also their entire world climate, plants and other surroundings.

Haines then consulted with a team of over 100 scientists.

This pilot convinced Jana Bennett, the BBC's Director of Television, to commission what was to become the most expensive factual series of all time. Haines did some basic location filming with a cameraman and working with Mike Milne, Director of Computer Animation at FrameStore, to bring his actions to life. Interested in the project, the BBC provided Haines with the money to make a six-minute pilot to investigate whether his claims were practical. He convinced the BBC that it was possible to make a dinosaur documentary programme on a television budget. The series of six 30-minute episodes was conceived by Tim Haines, who later founded his own company called Impossible Pictures. Walking with Dinosaurs was the first truly successful attempt to realistically bring dinosaurs to life in everyone's homes all around the world. Inspired by the massive success of Jurassic Park, the series combined state-of-the-art computer animation with the style of award-winning documentaries made by the BBC Natural History Unit 1.Įver since the first statues of dinosaurs were made for Crystal Palace Park, people have been trying to see what dinosaurs looked like and how they interacted with their landscape. Not only did the show receive colossal viewing figures, to date it has led to numerous sequels, merchandising, books, a full-scale touring stage show and film, and changed the way documentaries were made forever.

Walking With Dinosaurs is the most successful television documentary series of all time.

Ankylosaurus walking with dinosaurs