Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of balance, the first of the 'Qatsi' films, was released in 1983. The second, Powaqqatsi: Life in transformation, was released in 1988. All three were filmed by Ron Fricke and scored by Philip Glass.
In contrast to the first two parts, Naqoyqatsi was created not by filming in the real world, but by using archive footage and stock images, manipulated and processed digitally on non-linear editing workstations, and intercut with specially-produced CGI. Reggio described the process as "virtual cinema."