ABSTRACT
Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is now widely used in film, television and in virtual worlds in video games for both entertainment and education purposes. It is pertinent to look at the wider use of CGI before examining the applications of similar techniques for programmes in the specific context of heritage. A critical examination of how to present paradata can be applied outside the realm of CGI documentaries. Some of the earlier CGI documentaries have become outdated by discoveries in palaeontology. CGI techniques are now a staple tool in the reality-based wildlife documentary makers' repertoire alongside more accepted techniques, such as thermal imaging and time-lapsed sequences. There is no denying that Walking with Dinosaurs (WWD) and other CGI documentaries and programmes engage and entertain many people. They also inspire to research the organisms so magnificently recreated on the small and big screen. With a new take on the traditional palaeobiological documentary, WWD and successive CGI documentaries continue to be highly popular.
