chris palmer concedes that point. chris, i get the feeling that you are torn about this, that there is -- there is an argument to be made that for the greater good, you can tell a little lie here and there in a movie. >> yes, yeah. i think you could make the argument that this is okay, because the film is going to do a lot of good. it's going to promote c conservati conservation. animals won't really be harmed. we won't really be disturbing wild animals. maybe it's worth it to have told the lie. >> reporter: keep it real. that's all chris palmer is really saying, about one of the oldest forms of reality programming. i'm john donvan for "nightline" in washington. >> the dirty secrets of some nature programming. >>> when we come back, a look at the details of an alleged new terrorist plot against targets across europe and maybe the u.s. ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷ [ male announcer ] first is the first 4g phone. first is live video chat on the go. so you can be face-to-face even when you can't be. whether you're on

that's all chris palmer is

. >> reporter: who is chris palmer to say that filmmakers have been faking? "whales" and executive producer of wolves and of bears and others. now, in a book called "shooting in the wild," he is pointing fingers, including at himself. >> i am part of that problem. >> reporter: get ready for another one. this one from wolfs. this family existing on the side of an unforgiving mountain, this den, dug out of the hard earth, these wolves are not from around there. >> what's happening in reality, is those wolves are captive. >> reporter: the den out of hard earth? >> that den was official. >> reporter: there was a notice at the end of the movie, indicating that captive wolves had been used in the making of the movie. >> who reads the credits? the reason i've written the book is to launch a campaign, asking whether that's right. when you're under that pressure, and money's running out and the weather is closing in, ethics are the last thing on your mind. you're after that shot. >> reporter: so, you bring your own wolves, you know you'll get the shot. and if you can

that's what chris palmer is really saying. about one of the oldest forms of reality programming. i'm john donvan in washington. >> it's heartbreaking to think some of those are fake. we would never do anything fake. >> never, not here, no. on "world news," no. >> not our news room. not that thing behind us. we're real. what's realer than that? >> we'll be back with more real after this. >>> disney's epscott stheem park holds a place in the childhood memories of so many. it was designed as the city of tomorrow that would never be completed. >> that holds true today as epcot turns 28 years old this week. from the "abc news vault," epon the the company's opening way back on october 21st, 1982. >> reporter: with an 18-story spaceship at its entrance, epcot is a $1 billion gamble that disney can still work its former magic. but this time, the company is going after a different audience. adults. the 260-acre theme park combines a look into the future and a visit to nine countries. sort of a permanent world's fair. epcot is only a monorail ride from the magic kingdom. but here, make-bel

. >> reporter: "shooting in the wild" is chris palmer's confessions. he produced many of those movies and many others before turning to teaching filmmaking at american university. he says parts of his films and parts of many others, are not always what they seem. >> i just pulled back the curtain on the dark side of wildlife filmmaking. >> reporter: which is to get really compelling shots, they have to make them happen. you see this meal in the movie "wolves"? >> we hold that down in place. >> reporter: hunter says there's an argument for cutting corners and getting the compelling shots. it is cost-efficient. those are the shots that people remember. >> i make films in order to make a difference. >> reporter: he just thinks viewers should know the whole story now. it's why at the end of "wolves" in a captive animals were used in some scenes. so, read the fine print. and be on guard, whether it's wolves, whales or bears, that sometimes what you see in this kind of reality programming, is only reality up to a point. for "good morning america," john donva