Providence Pictures, an Emmy Award-winning production company, licensed and used USC computer-generated imagery in a new Nova documentary titled “Secrets of the Parthenon.”

The footage was created by a team led by Paul Debevec, an internationally recognized computer scientist and inventor at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies.

The photorealistic imagery was built from digital photography, lighting measurements and three-dimensional laser scans captured in Athens, London, Paris and Basel to accurately record the structure and appearance of the Parthenon and its sculptures.

The final imagery – realistically depicting the structure as it stands today and its appearance during the golden age of ancient Greece – relied on numerous technological innovations in high dynamic range imaging, realistic lighting simulation and surface reflectance measurement.

Produced by Providence Pictures, the PBS series Nova depicts the first official restoration of one of the world’s best-known buildings. “Secrets of the Parthenon” tells the story of restoration efforts of the temple originally constructed for Athena, the goddess of wisdom, by the ancient Greeks.

The partnership with Providence Pictures demonstrates USC’s position as a leading university in digital entertainment technologies and highlights the role that major research universities can play in helping society achieve maximum impact with new ideas.

“Secrets of the Parthenon” will air Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. on KCET.