The production of Ancient Alien has been based at the National Centre for Computer Animation at Bournemouth University in Dorset. When the Centre opened eight years ago it provided the only MA of its kind in the country. Since then it has expanded, opening a BA in Computer Visualisation and Animation, which had it's first graduating year in 1995. The course is currently due to expand again with 6 new Masters courses, an MA and MSC in Game Production, an MA and MSC in Special Effects for Films, and... The National Centre also has several people conducting research work, including the infamous John Vince, and also houses a consultancy which spends its time producing simulator rides (such as "Juro Tours" and their latest project "The Lair of the Dragon"). Some research work from Bournemouth was also broadcast last year on the nature documentary " Incredible Suckers". The software used at the National Centre for Computer Animation is CGAL, or Computer Graphics Animation Language, a scripting language which has been developed over the last fifteen years by Peter Comninos, who remains a senior member of staff at the centre.