Close-up view of a reptilian eye with scaly skin surrounding it. The eye is large and amber-colored, reflecting light, while the textured skin displays various shades of gray and green.

Lola Post’s VFX Survival Guide on Walking with Dinosaurs

Lola Post’s Rob Harvey shares VFX details on Walking with Dinosaurs 2025: 800 shots, 200 artists, Unreal Engine for dinosaurs, and zero Jurassic Park liberties.

Why watch Walking with Dinosaurs? Because where else can you see scientifically vetted dinosaurs with better fact-checking than your newsfeed (Not a high bar these days), storytelling that won’t have palaeontologists rolling their eyes, and a BBC tradition of documentaries that’s older than the fossil record. No door handles, no roaring inaccuracies—just prehistoric drama with actual research behind the protagonists.

Four animated dinosaurs standing on a rocky surface in a prehistoric landscape. In the background, lush green hills and flying pterosaurs are visible under a bright sky. The title 'Walking with Dinosaurs' is prominently displayed at the bottom.

But how do you deliver 800 shots of CG dinosaurs, avoid the Jurassic Park effect, and keep the raptors from opening doors? For Lola Post, the answer involved two years, 200 artists, a lot of Unreal Engine, and not a single creative liberty without palaeontologist approval. In a Digital Production exclusive, Rob Harvey (Creative Director, Lola Post) explains how the London-based VFX studio handled BBC Studios’ 2025 reboot of Walking with Dinosaurs, what kept the production pipeline from extinction, and why their animators are still haunted by burning forests and underwater Spinosaurus.

Let’s talk about Lola

Lola Post is an independent visual effects studio based in London, specializing in CG animation, creature work, and natural history productions for broadcasters including BBC Studios, ZDF, and Apple TV+. With a 25-year track record, Lola Post is known for delivering complex sequences on time and on budget, and for applying rigorous scientific scrutiny to every feather, scale, and eye blink in their digital creatures. And if you are confusing that with Lola VFX: The Beauty Shop came later.

Rob Harvey is the founding Creative Director of London’s award-winning Lola Post Production, a visual effects boutique launched in 2000. With a pedigree grounded in blockbuster film VFX, Harvey earned an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects on Gladiator (2000), sharing the Oscar with his colleagues. Under his leadership, Lola Post has been acquired by Milk VFX but remains a distinct entity, continuing its focus on factual and creature-driven work.

A close-up portrait of a middle-aged man with a bald head and a beard, wearing a black shirt. He is smiling softly, set against a blurred, light-colored background that includes abstract shapes.

Harvey’s credits reveal a career that spans major creature and historical productions, including VFX contributions to Troy (2004) and Clash of the Titans (2010). Prior to establishing Lola Post, he honed his craft at Mill Film, culminating in his Oscar-winning work.

A herd of triceratops walking along a rocky ridge against a backdrop of mountains and a cloudy sky. The lead dinosaur has prominent horns and a robust body, while several others follow behind. The landscape hints at a prehistoric setting.
DP: How did Lola Post become involved in the 2025-production of Walking with Dinosaurs?

Rob Harvey: We were invited to pitch, based on our VFX work on Dinosaurs: The Final Day with David Attenborough which was very successful for the BBC. We have worked on many series for BBC Studios over the past 25 years and I suppose that despite being relatively new to large-scale creature work, we have a reputation for natural history and factual programmes as well as delivering shows on time and on budget – that certainly helps!

DP: What kind of initial brief landed on your desks?

Rob Harvey: The brief was very ambitious and detailed. We had to outline our creative approach based on sections of a draft script and also formulate a detailed breakdown of budget, schedule and resources. This included concept art, mood boards, storyboards and coming up with a methodology that could save time and money. It was probably the most involved pitch process we had undertaken.

A flock of colorful dinosaurs moving along a sandy riverbank, with several large dinosaurs, including a Tyrannosaurus rex, visible in the scene. The landscape is dotted with lush vegetation and the river flows gently beside them.A rocky riverbank with smooth stones along the water's edge, contrasting with the calm, dark surface of the river. Sparse vegetation accents the landscape on the left side.

DP: What was the overall scope of the work for Lola in terms of team size, shot count, and duration?

Rob Harvey:  We were commissioned to supply around 25 minutes of CG animated creatures per episode, around two and half hours of VFX in total.

The team was constantly in flux, around 200 artists and production staff worked on it across from pre-production to delivery, but the core team at any one time was around 40 – 50 growing to about 70 for the final push. We ended up delivering around 800 shots… on time and on budget.

(See the full cast and crew here on IMDB – and no, the Dinos are not listed as characters.)

DP: What did the pipeline look like?

Rob Harvey: We use a fairly typical pipeline, storyboarding everything up front, then ZBrush, Maya, Houdini, Nuke – rendering on Arnold. The big difference between our other shows, including Dinosaurs: The Final Day was the use of Unreal Engine. We used it for pre-vis based on the storyboards (using proxy library dinos) prior to the location shoots, but were able to carry the Unreal scenes from pre-vis through to final pixel.

A close-up of a dinosaur and a prehistoric reptile resting together, highlighting their scales and textures. The dinosaur's rugged skin contrasts with the smoother, shiny appearance of the reptile's head, showcasing their ancient features.

There were several scenes where it was impractical (or too expensive) to shoot background plates, the underwater scenes in Spinosaurus, the burning forest in the Gastonia episode and the cave where the Albertosaurs hung out. We also created a pipeline to take the Houdini creatures into Unreal (or unreal into Houdini) which saved an enormous amount of time in terms of lighting and rendering.

Two dinosaurs, a large stegosaurus and a smaller dinosaur, emerging from a calm water body surrounded by trees at sunset, creating a serene prehistoric landscape.
A spinosaurus

There are several scenes in the Spinosaurus, Gastonia and Albertosaurus episodes that are entirely generated in Houdini (with some added comp effects and polish).

DP: What was the schedule like? Gentle stroll through the Maastrichtian or full asteroid impact mode?

Rob Harvey:  From green light to delivery was around two years, which sounds like a long time, but that period includes script approval, location shoots, dig shoots, storyboard approval and not shot work. We were able to start with the asset builds, rigging and animation cycles with a smaller team, but most of the shot work was done in 2024, and we ended up with all six episodes running concurrently, which meant resourcing and scheduling became a game of 3D chess.

Two large dinosaur heads positioned closely together, showcasing textured skin and distinct features against a blurred green landscape in the background.A person dressed in a blue jacket and a green hat stands holding a tall pole with a large red flag featuring black text. The background shows a lush green landscape under a partly cloudy sky.
Comp and plate. Spot the difference!
DP: Balancing creative choices with the scientific accuracy – where did you draw the line?

Rob Harvey:  Balancing creative choices and scientific accuracy was strictly forbidden! Every texture, movement and behaviour went through the Palaeontologists and researchers at BBC Studios from the eye blinks down to the claw twitches.

A group of dinosaurs in a rocky landscape under a cloudy sky. A large theropod dinosaur, with sharp teeth and a fierce expression, roars in the foreground, while smaller dinosaurs, including a hadrosaur, roam nearby in a natural setting.

Jurassic Park is a massive problem, because audiences tend to use their dinosaurs as a benchmark for how these creatures behave. Not only do they have humans running about to give them a sense of scale, but they have the luxury of making stuff up. We had a fabulous T-Rex run cycle, but after our experts had sent notes, it seems that on a good day an asthmatic pensioner can out run them… and our Utahraptors had to look menacing with full plumage and no door handles to open. We just leant into it, hopefully creating something that’s both accurate and surprising.

A realistic depiction of a dinosaur resembling a Triceratops standing among lush green ferns and tropical plants in a dimly lit forest environment, its textured skin blending with the natural surroundings.A figure wearing a black cloak stands in a lush green forest, holding a vibrant blue mirror that reflects the surrounding foliage. The person is mostly obscured, creating a sense of mystery within the natural setting.
DP: Let’s talk artistic liberties – what did you add or adapt for storytelling reasons, despite fossil record uncertainties?

Rob Harvey:  Everything we did was checked (and triple checked) by the experts, so there were no liberties taken! There were a few occasions where we might animate the performance to suit the action and were told, for instance, that the creature wouldn’t be able to move that fast or couldn’t rear up and drop down as we’d animated it or it would break its legs.

A large, prehistoric creature resembling a rhinoceros with a rough, textured skin and prominent facial features, walking through a dense, lush forest. The background shows blurred greenery, creating a sense of a natural habitat.

In terms of the colours and textures, our dinosaurs may look a little different, the experts are constantly discovering new evidence and adapting theories about appearance and behaviour, in some cases making informed guesses based on the science, so I expect in a few year’s time as more finds are unearthed, things may again look a little different.

A scene depicting two dinosaurs in a prehistoric setting. A large sauropod, resting on the ground, is approached by a smaller theropod, with mountains and a dramatic sky in the background, hinting at a bygone era. A hazy beach scene with silhouettes of people walking along the shore, gentle waves lapping at the sand, and towering mountains in the background shrouded in mist. The atmosphere is tranquil and dreamy, evoking a sense of calm.
DP: Rigging creatures with incomplete skeletons sounds like guesswork. How did you build reliable rigs from partial data?

Rob Harvey:  We had a secret weapon – Jay Balamurugan and her Dino Bibles! (Find her on Substack | IMDB | Linkedin) Each dinosaur (and any variations) came with a beautifully illustrated document containing an enormous amount of information covering the size, look, anatomy and texture in amazing detail. If we had any questions we would receive clear and concise notes, illustrations and comparisons with modern day animals and birds to give us context.

There are countless CG simulations created by palaeontologists and researchers that show how skeleton, muscle and skin might have behaved which we were able to integrate with our dinosaurs. This level of detail and believability meant our dinos could literally stand around doing very little and look realistic.

DP: How cool was it to animate actual dinosaurs?

Rob Harvey:  It’s quite an exciting moment when the animation starts coming through, the assets we have spent weeks modelling, texturing and rigging become characters for the first time, and you find that you get quite attached to them … in a Tamagotchi kind of way.

Two dinosaurs, a brachiosaurus and a sauropod, silhouetted against a vibrant sunset over distant mountains. Trees line the foreground, while the sky transitions from orange to deep yellow.

When working on factual content there is inevitably a budget constraint, shows like The Planets or Our Living World give us much more scope to use different source material and techniques. On Walking With Dinosaurs, the basic principle of placing CG Dinosaurs into live action backgrounds applies to the vast majority of the shots, so there’s less wriggle room and the pipeline process is more like a production line.

A large, mythical creature resembling a massive sea serpent lies on a sandy beach, with its textured skin featuring shades of blue, green, and brown. Waves gently lap at the shoreline in the background, under a cloudy sky.
Three large sauropod dinosaurs walking along a sandy beach, with a misty ocean in the background. The cliffside features rugged terrain, under a sky dotted with clouds.A tranquil beach scene featuring a stretch of sandy shore bordered by cliffs in the background. The ocean waves gently roll onto the beach, and a light mist envelops the area, creating a serene, atmospheric ambiance.
DP: What is your favourite shot – the one you still re-watch for fun?

Rob Harvey:  There are a few favourites. Personally, I was very pleased with the scenes we pushed through Unreal, particularly the underwater Spinosaurus and the burning forest in the Gastonia episode. It was a risk to commit to using Unreal for final pixel, but I think we pulled it off. I loved the raptors too – they’re nasty! We delivered months ago so I’m currently watching the show go out on BBC1 and getting some pleasant surprises – there are so many shots looking very cool on TV that I’d completely forgotten about.

DP: Least favourite shot – the one that still haunts the team?

Rob Harvey:  The creatures were all really fun to create. They went through rigorous paleo scrutiny and testing – like a creature boot camp, so they were all camera-ready. We had a bit of back and forth in terms of shot layout and editing, but we had learnt from other creature shows that the stars of the show all need to be able to take a close up. There was no need to fix anything or cheat once we got to shot work because the assets were all good.

Two large dinosaur-like creatures resembling armored reptiles standing on a forest floor, surrounded by lush greenery and trees. Their spiked backs and textured skin create an imposing appearance.

With a relatively tight budget so we were always looking for work arounds even at the storyboard stage. The trick is not to be too ambitious and end up doing expensive things badly, have a few hero shots with full FX, CFX and interaction with the environment, but keep things simple and frame the dinosaurs to avoid unnecessary problems.

A large dinosaur with a long neck walking on a sandy beach, accompanied by two smaller dinosaurs. The sky is partly cloudy, and distant mountains are visible in the background, creating a serene prehistoric landscape.A wide sandy beach under a partly cloudy sky, with distant mountains shrouded in mist. A lone fishing rod stands upright in the sand, creating a tranquil seaside scene.
DP: Can you give us a teaser of what’s next in the pipeline?

Rob Harvey:  We’re currently working on a feature and have a couple of really interesting dramas on the books – there’s a comedy drama that although light on VFX, the sequences are pretty bonkers… I wish I could elaborate but the NDAs are quite strict!

Three dinosaur-like creatures with textured skin and distinctive facial features standing among tall trees in a dense forest, creating a prehistoric atmosphere.A person holding a large red heart-shaped sign on a stick, standing in a dense forest with tall trees. The scene is dimly lit, creating a serene atmosphere as the individual looks upward, engaged with their surroundings.
DP: How does it feel to have made 25 years In the industry? Do you have any favourite memories or projects?

Rob Harvey: I hate to break it to you, but I’m approaching 40 years in the industry, I’m a dinosaur myself (but not extinct yet). I feel very proud that Lola is celebrating its Silver Jubilee this year, it’s quite rare for an independent boutique facility to last that long, particularly navigating financial crashes, strikes and a global pandemic alongside the day to day obstacles that the VFX industry seems to attract. There’s been so many high points over the years, lots of awards, some great projects and we’ve had so many really lovely and talented artists and producers pass through the doors.

A personal highlight for me was working with Terry Gilliam on The Imaginarium of Dr Parnasssus. We’ve more recently had lots of fun working with Ben Palmer and the team at Big Talk on a couple of series of The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin for Apple TV+, its definitely the sort of work we love to do.

Editorial Note: The pictures are just too good to just dot them through the article: Enjoy them here in their full glory!

And, just be for we hit “Publish” on this story, we found this in our feeds.

Lola Post VFX Walking with Dinosaurs BBC Studios

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