Rebuilding the Prehistoric World: VFX Mastery on Prehistoric Planet

In this episode, we go behind the scenes of Prehistoric Planet with Elliot Newman, EFX Supervisor for the groundbreaking Apple TV+ series that reimagines the age of dinosaurs through a documentary-style lens. Over the course of three years, Elliot and his team tackled immense technical and creative challenges—from simulating realistic water physics and animating deep snow to designing 58 entirely new dinosaur species.

Elliot shares how visual effects and virtual production techniques were used to seamlessly blend real-world location photography with CGI assets, creating environments that feel both scientifically accurate and emotionally immersive. He also discusses the critical role of previsualization in shaping the narrative, refining workflows, and grounding each scene in a believable setting—whether it’s a windswept desert or a frozen tundra.

In This Episode:

• 🦕 How the team built 58 new dinosaurs from scratch

• ❄️ The challenge of animating deep snow and matching real-world water properties

• 🎬 The role of previs and storyboards in shaping location and tone

• 🌍 Blending real photography with CGI for seamless realism

• 🧠 Insights into refining processes and managing a multi-year production pipeline

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