Abstract
Academic inquiry into non-fiction animation has predominantly focused on filmic narrative, with animated documentary acting as its fulcrum. Little attention has been paid to how this form operates in site-specific works and curated spaces like museums and other exhibition spaces. Paleoart – the scientific or naturalistic rendering of paleontological subject matter – a staple of paleontological exhibitions in Natural History museums and operating at the interface between empirical science and artistic practice, serves as a natural point of entry for this new direction of inquiry. This paper documents the creative process behind the creation of the watering hole diorama animation at South Africa's Karoo Origins Centre and analyses it in relation to theories of animated documentary, using the framework of 'useful animation'. The diorama, depicting fauna and flora in the Permian-era Karoo, and recent winner of the prestigious 2025 Lanzendorf National Geographic Paleontological Art award, presents a highly relevant contemporary case study for interrogating how theories of animated documentary and non-fiction animation can be understood in the context of paleoart and museum spaces.