1 00:00:05,714 --> 00:00:08,133 The first time you walk out there, it's jaw-dropping. 2 00:00:08,133 --> 00:00:09,759 ♪ 3 00:00:09,759 --> 00:00:13,304 It's completely shocking and unexpected. 4 00:00:13,304 --> 00:00:15,265 Oh, it was a great day. 5 00:00:15,265 --> 00:00:16,683 ♪ 6 00:00:16,683 --> 00:00:17,976 Brilliant set. 7 00:00:17,976 --> 00:00:19,853 Catherine Goldschmidt: It's really badass. 8 00:00:19,853 --> 00:00:21,604 Thank you very much. Drinks on me. 9 00:00:21,604 --> 00:00:22,814 It was a storm inside. 10 00:00:22,814 --> 00:00:24,607 Oh, my God. 11 00:00:24,607 --> 00:00:27,652 It's unbelievable! 12 00:00:28,820 --> 00:00:31,823 (epic music playing) 13 00:00:49,007 --> 00:00:52,177 (music fades out) 14 00:00:52,177 --> 00:00:55,847 This is a very iconic moment in George's books. 15 00:00:55,847 --> 00:00:57,307 The Battle of Burning Mill. 16 00:00:57,307 --> 00:01:00,185 Two houses that were pitted against each other. 17 00:01:00,185 --> 00:01:03,730 And it's the metaphor for the history of violence 18 00:01:03,730 --> 00:01:07,650 and how you get to a point where there is no forgiveness. 19 00:01:07,650 --> 00:01:10,695 And that's where we find ourselves this season. 20 00:01:11,363 --> 00:01:13,365 ♪ 21 00:01:16,368 --> 00:01:18,703 Matt Smith: Morning. Morning. How we doin'? 22 00:01:19,371 --> 00:01:21,039 Geeta Vasant Patel: Jim Clay, in collaboration with 23 00:01:21,039 --> 00:01:22,582 the special effects department, 24 00:01:22,582 --> 00:01:26,503 created a place that truly felt real and haunted 25 00:01:26,503 --> 00:01:28,380 and brought the book to life. 26 00:01:28,380 --> 00:01:29,839 Jim Clay: I was well pleased when Ryan said 27 00:01:29,839 --> 00:01:32,342 we're going to feature the interior of Harrenhal, 28 00:01:32,342 --> 00:01:33,551 so that was one of the first things 29 00:01:33,551 --> 00:01:35,345 we went to work on designing. 30 00:01:35,345 --> 00:01:39,015 Harrenhal, "It's a cursed castle designed by a deranged mind," 31 00:01:39,015 --> 00:01:40,684 was the sort of brief I got. 32 00:01:41,059 --> 00:01:43,228 And so, it's dilapidated. 33 00:01:43,228 --> 00:01:46,731 It's haunted by its past and its present. 34 00:01:46,731 --> 00:01:49,359 Smith: Oh, it's huge. It goes on and on and on. 35 00:01:49,359 --> 00:01:51,569 Jim Clay has just done brilliant work. 36 00:01:51,569 --> 00:01:53,697 The texture and the scale 37 00:01:53,697 --> 00:01:54,906 and the vision behind 38 00:01:54,906 --> 00:01:57,409 a lot of his work is really superior. 39 00:01:57,409 --> 00:02:00,412 Melissa Bernstein: It's a set that I'd find myself getting lost in. 40 00:02:00,412 --> 00:02:01,955 You'd turn the wrong corner and you're like, 41 00:02:01,955 --> 00:02:03,707 "Wait, where am I?" 42 00:02:03,707 --> 00:02:06,251 Like, you could get as disoriented as Daemon 43 00:02:06,251 --> 00:02:07,544 walking through that set. 44 00:02:07,544 --> 00:02:09,963 And I think that's really saying something. 45 00:02:13,508 --> 00:02:14,759 Malcolm Roberts: It was pretty big. 46 00:02:14,759 --> 00:02:16,428 I mean, it filled the whole stage. 47 00:02:16,428 --> 00:02:18,304 From a structural point of view, mainly, 48 00:02:18,304 --> 00:02:21,599 how are you gonna hide your integral structure 49 00:02:21,599 --> 00:02:22,934 if you've got a steel frame that, 50 00:02:22,934 --> 00:02:24,310 obviously, you can't see in shot, 51 00:02:24,310 --> 00:02:26,229 then we've gotta try and conceal that. 52 00:02:26,229 --> 00:02:28,314 That's what makes it fun, really, though. 53 00:02:28,314 --> 00:02:30,442 Clay: I wanted to give the whole four-walled world 54 00:02:30,442 --> 00:02:33,319 the advantages of tracking shots, Steadicam shots, 55 00:02:33,319 --> 00:02:37,240 and the actors being enveloped in the entire world. 56 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:39,117 Dominic Masters: You can go where you like, shoot what you like, 57 00:02:39,117 --> 00:02:42,245 pretty much 360 around the set. 58 00:02:42,245 --> 00:02:44,456 Whichever way you look, you'd be covered. 59 00:02:44,456 --> 00:02:46,791 And the idea was it should be quite a maze. 60 00:02:46,791 --> 00:02:48,460 You shouldn't feel like you know where you are 61 00:02:48,460 --> 00:02:50,503 at any given time in that castle. 62 00:02:50,503 --> 00:02:52,297 Got lost in there most mornings. 63 00:02:52,297 --> 00:02:53,798 Ryan Condal: This is honestly my favorite set 64 00:02:53,798 --> 00:02:55,008 that Jim has built, to date, 65 00:02:55,008 --> 00:02:57,594 because it's so well brought to life, 66 00:02:57,594 --> 00:02:59,304 the idea of this ruined castle, 67 00:02:59,304 --> 00:03:01,806 the fact that he made it rain inside, 68 00:03:01,806 --> 00:03:03,433 the way he made the weirwood roots 69 00:03:03,433 --> 00:03:05,769 break through all of the stones that you see, 70 00:03:05,769 --> 00:03:08,813 that, slowly, the castle being reclaimed by the old gods. 71 00:03:08,813 --> 00:03:10,982 This here is the guy who makes me wet. 72 00:03:10,982 --> 00:03:12,317 - (laughter) - Yeah. 73 00:03:12,317 --> 00:03:14,778 (indistinct chatter) 74 00:03:14,778 --> 00:03:16,529 He's the rain punisher. Tom. 75 00:03:16,529 --> 00:03:17,989 - This is it. - Screws me up every day. 76 00:03:17,989 --> 00:03:19,866 Harrenhal, wetter than an otter's pocket. 77 00:03:19,866 --> 00:03:23,328 - I know. But I do like a bit of rain. - (laughter) 78 00:03:23,328 --> 00:03:25,330 Jason Rickwood: Harrenhal's supposed to be this windy, wet place 79 00:03:25,330 --> 00:03:26,623 and we're doing some interior stuff 80 00:03:26,623 --> 00:03:28,792 and we need it to be raining inside 81 00:03:28,792 --> 00:03:30,335 'cause the whole idea of it being dilapidated 82 00:03:30,335 --> 00:03:32,545 was there's holes in the wall and holes in the roof. 83 00:03:32,545 --> 00:03:34,631 Condal: Man, did we soak that place. 84 00:03:34,631 --> 00:03:36,341 But it really brings an incredible amount 85 00:03:36,341 --> 00:03:37,676 of realism and texture to the place, 86 00:03:37,676 --> 00:03:40,011 which was really important for the storytelling. 87 00:03:40,011 --> 00:03:41,846 Mike Dawson: My brief was, "It's gonna be really damp." 88 00:03:41,846 --> 00:03:43,348 That was it. 89 00:03:43,348 --> 00:03:45,225 And in the end, my last brief was, 90 00:03:45,225 --> 00:03:47,519 "It's gotta rain inside like it does outside." 91 00:03:47,519 --> 00:03:48,978 And it didn't stop raining. 92 00:03:48,978 --> 00:03:51,064 My God, it was horrendous. 93 00:03:51,064 --> 00:03:53,191 But it-it looks amazing. 94 00:03:53,191 --> 00:03:55,694 Masters: It was a slightly late-in-the-day idea to have the water 95 00:03:55,694 --> 00:03:58,238 dripping into the set, so we weren't totally prepared 96 00:03:58,238 --> 00:03:59,698 in terms of tanking the set, 97 00:03:59,698 --> 00:04:02,242 which we normally would if you had a lot of water. 98 00:04:02,242 --> 00:04:04,494 But we coped, and special effects did a great job 99 00:04:04,494 --> 00:04:06,538 with soaking up the water around the set 100 00:04:06,538 --> 00:04:08,039 when it was all pouring in. 101 00:04:08,039 --> 00:04:10,542 Dawson: It was too late to retrospectively fix it, 102 00:04:10,542 --> 00:04:12,836 so we had to just minimize damage. 103 00:04:12,836 --> 00:04:14,921 So, we did individual tanks 104 00:04:14,921 --> 00:04:16,256 and tried to contain it that way, 105 00:04:16,256 --> 00:04:18,383 which worked really well and it looked real. 106 00:04:18,383 --> 00:04:19,884 ♪ 107 00:04:20,802 --> 00:04:22,554 I thought, "Matt's gonna freak out, ya know, 108 00:04:22,554 --> 00:04:25,223 walking around in his armor all day long with rain." 109 00:04:25,223 --> 00:04:27,726 But it looked so good, and he was lovin' it. 110 00:04:27,726 --> 00:04:31,104 Smith: We were wet from, like, eight in the morning 'til eight at night, 111 00:04:31,104 --> 00:04:32,856 which was quite fun, actually, to be honest. 112 00:04:32,856 --> 00:04:35,567 I love all that. Like, gettin' sort of properly wet, 113 00:04:35,567 --> 00:04:37,235 and I hate being really hot, 114 00:04:37,235 --> 00:04:39,779 but I quite like being really wet. 115 00:04:39,779 --> 00:04:41,406 Rickwood: To make sure his continuity is correct, 116 00:04:41,406 --> 00:04:42,407 he's gotta be soaked all the time, 117 00:04:42,407 --> 00:04:43,700 and the best way of doin' it is 118 00:04:43,700 --> 00:04:44,951 turn the water on and say, 119 00:04:44,951 --> 00:04:46,369 "Matt, can you go stand under that, please?" 120 00:04:46,369 --> 00:04:47,454 In my experience with working with Matt, 121 00:04:47,454 --> 00:04:49,247 he likes to embrace all the challenges 122 00:04:49,247 --> 00:04:51,416 you throw at him, in that sense, so it was good. 123 00:04:51,416 --> 00:04:53,460 Goldschmidt: The script is describing the character can't see. 124 00:04:53,460 --> 00:04:55,045 What does that mean for the audience? 125 00:04:55,045 --> 00:04:58,089 So, that sequence wound up being incredibly fun 126 00:04:58,089 --> 00:05:00,091 to light and conceive and shoot 127 00:05:00,091 --> 00:05:01,926 because, obviously, it's raining and lightning, 128 00:05:01,926 --> 00:05:03,970 and we were playing a lot with shadows 129 00:05:03,970 --> 00:05:06,056 and silhouettes and film noir 130 00:05:06,056 --> 00:05:10,060 but the way it looks when it's completely wet and dripping 131 00:05:10,060 --> 00:05:13,188 and he's standing there, I mean, it's really badass. 132 00:05:15,023 --> 00:05:16,649 Smith: Quite fun, though. 133 00:05:17,150 --> 00:05:19,152 ♪ 134 00:05:21,154 --> 00:05:22,906 Condal: The Brackens and the Blackwoods 135 00:05:22,906 --> 00:05:25,575 are the Hatfields and McCoys of this time period. 136 00:05:25,575 --> 00:05:27,619 We don't really know why they hate each other. 137 00:05:27,619 --> 00:05:28,953 They simply just hate each other. 138 00:05:28,953 --> 00:05:30,330 And they're always ready to fight each other. 139 00:05:30,789 --> 00:05:32,248 That guy's gonna rip your face off. 140 00:05:32,248 --> 00:05:34,501 - actor: Okay. Yeah. - Okay? Great. 141 00:05:34,501 --> 00:05:37,587 Directing that opening moment of episode 203, 142 00:05:37,587 --> 00:05:41,299 where you find all the bodies dead after a battle 143 00:05:41,299 --> 00:05:43,968 took quite a bit of prep. 144 00:05:43,968 --> 00:05:46,471 Aeron Bracken is a human one minute 145 00:05:46,471 --> 00:05:48,682 and a prosthetic dummy the next, 146 00:05:48,682 --> 00:05:50,308 but you can't tell. 147 00:05:50,308 --> 00:05:52,519 Waldo Mason: First thing we did was scan his head. 148 00:05:52,519 --> 00:05:54,688 - So, we gonna just lie you on the floor. - Cool. 149 00:05:54,688 --> 00:05:56,815 And then we'll do a couple of options of, like, 150 00:05:56,815 --> 00:05:59,984 mouth open, eyes closed, uh, eyes open 151 00:05:59,984 --> 00:06:01,277 maybe, head back, 152 00:06:01,277 --> 00:06:02,862 and then, we'll run it past Geeta 153 00:06:02,862 --> 00:06:03,947 and she can tell us what she likes. 154 00:06:03,947 --> 00:06:05,198 And we'll process whichever 155 00:06:05,198 --> 00:06:06,449 version of that she likes. 156 00:06:06,449 --> 00:06:08,493 - Amazin'. Cool. - Cool. 157 00:06:08,493 --> 00:06:09,953 And we're off. 158 00:06:10,829 --> 00:06:13,331 We've just literally finished printing his head, 159 00:06:13,331 --> 00:06:15,542 ready to be remolded and cleaned up. 160 00:06:15,542 --> 00:06:18,670 The shoulders in two halves on another printer. 161 00:06:18,670 --> 00:06:21,881 Just assemble it like a, like a jigsaw puzzle at the end. 162 00:06:23,258 --> 00:06:25,677 It's so lifelike. It's so real. 163 00:06:26,094 --> 00:06:27,512 Rickwood: It was incredible. I mean, the fact that 164 00:06:27,512 --> 00:06:29,055 we were doing an extreme close-up 165 00:06:29,055 --> 00:06:30,849 on the prosthetic dummy of an actor 166 00:06:30,849 --> 00:06:32,517 that's in the scene before, 167 00:06:32,517 --> 00:06:34,019 and you can get away with that, 168 00:06:34,019 --> 00:06:36,479 just shows the quality of Waldo's work. 169 00:06:37,355 --> 00:06:38,982 So, you're lying on a body bag, by the way. 170 00:06:38,982 --> 00:06:42,193 - Oh, great. - speaker: Surprise! 171 00:06:43,945 --> 00:06:46,656 Goldschmidt: Geeta always imagined it as one simple, elegant shot 172 00:06:46,656 --> 00:06:48,533 where we're on Aeron Bracken's face, 173 00:06:48,533 --> 00:06:51,369 and you just raise up and there's dead bodies 174 00:06:51,369 --> 00:06:53,371 as far as the eye can see. 175 00:06:53,371 --> 00:06:56,207 And on the morning when we shot it, it had rained a lot. 176 00:06:56,207 --> 00:06:59,669 And so, it was incredibly misty and sort of spooky-looking 177 00:06:59,669 --> 00:07:02,047 and it wound up being the perfect weather 178 00:07:02,047 --> 00:07:03,673 for a scene like that. 179 00:07:03,673 --> 00:07:05,717 Mason: It's one of those ones where you don't really know 180 00:07:05,717 --> 00:07:08,720 what it's gonna look like because we knew it was gonna be in the water, 181 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:10,555 and he's kinda semi-submerged 182 00:07:10,555 --> 00:07:12,766 and the sword is going through his neck, 183 00:07:12,766 --> 00:07:16,436 which meant getting in the stream, having to dress it in. 184 00:07:16,436 --> 00:07:19,898 And luckily, we had some great props guys in waders helping us out. 185 00:07:20,315 --> 00:07:24,944 The Aeron Bracken sword is shot in extreme close-up, 186 00:07:24,944 --> 00:07:28,573 and is actually one of the most important shots in the show, for us, 187 00:07:28,573 --> 00:07:32,577 because it's the closest we ever get to a sword. 188 00:07:32,577 --> 00:07:35,372 There was a lot of discussion about how we get the sword to stand up. 189 00:07:35,372 --> 00:07:37,707 We ended up just driving it so far through his neck, 190 00:07:37,707 --> 00:07:39,918 it would just stand up in the ground 191 00:07:39,918 --> 00:07:41,586 which was fantastic for us. 192 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:43,922 Oh, that looks so good over there. 193 00:07:43,922 --> 00:07:47,884 That (sniffles) bare back of someone. That's great. 194 00:07:47,884 --> 00:07:50,220 Dadi Einarsson: In visual effects, the rule of thumb is 195 00:07:50,220 --> 00:07:51,805 you do as much practical as you can. 196 00:07:51,805 --> 00:07:53,598 With Waldo, the bar is pretty high with him, 197 00:07:53,598 --> 00:07:57,268 so he does amazing stuff, and we can take it from there. 198 00:07:57,268 --> 00:07:58,937 There's quite a bit to do. Uh, there's obviously 199 00:07:58,937 --> 00:08:01,398 a windmill that's not there that we need to put in. 200 00:08:01,398 --> 00:08:04,275 Setting fire to the mill, and boundary stones, 201 00:08:04,275 --> 00:08:05,777 and then we get to that end shot, 202 00:08:05,777 --> 00:08:07,278 which is the aftermath of the battle, 203 00:08:07,278 --> 00:08:09,239 but we're expanding that enormously. 204 00:08:09,239 --> 00:08:11,950 So, yeah, it was a fairly big shot for us. 205 00:08:13,785 --> 00:08:15,245 Tim Lewis: When the camera tilts up 206 00:08:15,245 --> 00:08:18,289 and we see the aftermath with that beautiful sword, 207 00:08:18,289 --> 00:08:21,584 just tells the story without actually showing 208 00:08:21,584 --> 00:08:24,587 any physical violence whatsoever. 209 00:08:24,587 --> 00:08:26,965 Patel: It was one of my favorite days of shooting 210 00:08:26,965 --> 00:08:31,136 because all departments came together so quickly that morning 211 00:08:31,136 --> 00:08:34,806 to create the tone of that epic moment 212 00:08:34,806 --> 00:08:36,099 in George's books. 213 00:08:36,099 --> 00:08:38,184 - No, it's good. Tight. - (indistinct chatter) 214 00:08:38,643 --> 00:08:40,645 ♪ 215 00:08:42,647 --> 00:08:45,483 It's genuinely been the best time I've ever had on set. 216 00:08:45,483 --> 00:08:47,152 Ever. It's so much fun. 217 00:08:47,152 --> 00:08:49,696 ♪ 218 00:08:49,696 --> 00:08:51,656 Condal: Moondancer's a brand-new dragon, 219 00:08:51,656 --> 00:08:53,658 so the description that I gave to the designers 220 00:08:53,658 --> 00:08:54,868 was simply, "David Bowie." 221 00:08:54,868 --> 00:08:56,870 And we ended up with this like tiger-striped, 222 00:08:56,870 --> 00:08:59,831 green punk rocker with a mohawk, 223 00:08:59,831 --> 00:09:01,958 and I'm thrilled with the outcome of it. 224 00:09:01,958 --> 00:09:04,711 She is the coolest of them all. 225 00:09:04,711 --> 00:09:08,173 I am biased, but she's really, really slender. 226 00:09:08,173 --> 00:09:10,925 She's pale green. She's so fast. 227 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:13,219 The Crownlands sequence 228 00:09:13,219 --> 00:09:16,389 where Baela is chasing Cole and Gwayne... 229 00:09:17,724 --> 00:09:20,894 it's just a very fun, classic chase scene. 230 00:09:21,603 --> 00:09:24,481 Everybody has to use their imagination in those moments, 231 00:09:24,481 --> 00:09:28,693 but ultimately, it's down to the VFX team to make it real. 232 00:09:28,693 --> 00:09:30,862 So, it's essential that they're right next to you 233 00:09:30,862 --> 00:09:33,365 and what you're shooting is going to work for them. 234 00:09:33,865 --> 00:09:35,575 This is what happens behind the scenes. 235 00:09:35,575 --> 00:09:37,660 I'm just goin' on a practice joy-- (laughs) 236 00:09:37,660 --> 00:09:38,953 practice joyride. 237 00:09:39,537 --> 00:09:41,581 Rickwood: Katie, the DP, and the guys in the buck 238 00:09:41,581 --> 00:09:43,667 and all the lighting technicians are working there 239 00:09:43,667 --> 00:09:46,211 with the manumatic rig and all that technology, 240 00:09:46,211 --> 00:09:48,004 they get together and work through everything 241 00:09:48,004 --> 00:09:49,214 to make sure they getting what 242 00:09:49,214 --> 00:09:50,882 the VFX department need for the post work. 243 00:09:51,383 --> 00:09:54,219 Thomas Horton: So the whole dragon process was incredibly complicated, 244 00:09:54,219 --> 00:09:56,388 as they are characters acting within a scene, 245 00:09:56,388 --> 00:09:58,098 and we have to work out their performance 246 00:09:58,098 --> 00:10:00,016 before we get to the actual location. 247 00:10:00,016 --> 00:10:03,937 A lot of moving parts in terms of scale, size, speed. 248 00:10:03,937 --> 00:10:05,939 So really a lot of logistics about how this is gonna 249 00:10:05,939 --> 00:10:08,066 come together from a practical point of view 250 00:10:08,066 --> 00:10:09,609 and what can we actually shoot, 251 00:10:09,609 --> 00:10:11,569 and then, what actually really needs to be happening 252 00:10:11,569 --> 00:10:12,862 in the shots at the end. 253 00:10:12,862 --> 00:10:14,739 So there's a lot of science involved in that 254 00:10:14,739 --> 00:10:16,741 in terms of dragon speeds and distances, 255 00:10:16,741 --> 00:10:18,243 in terms of that chase. 256 00:10:18,660 --> 00:10:20,704 James Thompson: We have developed a system, 257 00:10:20,704 --> 00:10:23,206 so, through camera, we can take the footage 258 00:10:23,206 --> 00:10:25,917 and we can apply it to a CG scene 259 00:10:25,917 --> 00:10:27,419 using Unreal Engine. 260 00:10:27,419 --> 00:10:29,546 And what that does is allow us 261 00:10:29,546 --> 00:10:32,799 to see the solved camera move on the buck 262 00:10:32,799 --> 00:10:35,468 recomposed onto the dragon in CG 263 00:10:35,468 --> 00:10:37,387 for a sort of slap comp, if you like, 264 00:10:37,387 --> 00:10:39,097 just so they can see in video village 265 00:10:39,097 --> 00:10:41,307 that the move is working correctly. 266 00:10:41,307 --> 00:10:42,600 It's hard work. 267 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,061 - Dragonriding, you know? - (laughter) 268 00:10:45,061 --> 00:10:47,772 Goldschmidt: Because we shot the buck work of that sequence 269 00:10:47,772 --> 00:10:50,066 before we had shot the location work, 270 00:10:50,066 --> 00:10:52,652 the main challenge, lighting-wise, was we didn't know 271 00:10:52,652 --> 00:10:55,071 if the location was gonna be sunny, if it would be cloudy. 272 00:10:55,071 --> 00:10:57,240 So, we had to do one pass for sun 273 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:58,950 and one pass for shade. 274 00:10:58,950 --> 00:11:00,785 Patel: It's fun filming on the buck. 275 00:11:00,785 --> 00:11:05,457 It's incredibly strategic because you have to understand 276 00:11:05,457 --> 00:11:09,502 the difference between fantasy and naturalism. 277 00:11:09,502 --> 00:11:13,006 So, thinking about how much wind goes on someone's face 278 00:11:13,006 --> 00:11:15,675 when you're actually going at terminal velocity, 279 00:11:15,675 --> 00:11:18,178 how someone moves on an animal. 280 00:11:18,178 --> 00:11:21,097 All of these things are really important. 281 00:11:21,848 --> 00:11:24,309 I don't think there's much you can do in a profile shot. 282 00:11:24,309 --> 00:11:25,977 (laughing) 283 00:11:26,644 --> 00:11:29,814 Unless you turn to the camera and go, "This is amazing!" 284 00:11:29,814 --> 00:11:30,982 (laughter) 285 00:11:31,983 --> 00:11:35,987 You get shown a mock-up of what you look like on the dragon, 286 00:11:35,987 --> 00:11:38,990 like a half-hybrid cartoon version of you 287 00:11:38,990 --> 00:11:40,283 doing the whole sequence, 288 00:11:40,283 --> 00:11:41,618 and then, suddenly, you're really, like, 289 00:11:41,618 --> 00:11:43,203 digging your heels in as though it's a horse. 290 00:11:43,203 --> 00:11:44,871 It's bonkers. 291 00:11:44,871 --> 00:11:47,165 Goldschmidt: It's great when you get an actor like Bethany, 292 00:11:47,165 --> 00:11:48,667 who loves the experience 293 00:11:48,667 --> 00:11:50,335 and is putting their all into it 294 00:11:50,335 --> 00:11:54,339 because so much of what you're doing is imaginary, 295 00:11:54,339 --> 00:11:57,133 so everybody has to be on the same page. 296 00:11:57,133 --> 00:11:58,885 Bethany Antonia: Nothing can prepare you for what 297 00:11:58,885 --> 00:12:00,845 that first day on the buck is gonna be like. 298 00:12:00,845 --> 00:12:03,348 It's the most insane thing 299 00:12:03,348 --> 00:12:05,350 I've ever done in my career so far, 300 00:12:05,350 --> 00:12:08,186 and being so high up and bein' able to see 301 00:12:08,186 --> 00:12:10,814 how many people it takes to make this show, 302 00:12:10,814 --> 00:12:12,899 and you're just all on your own on that dragon. 303 00:12:12,899 --> 00:12:16,945 I was like, "Wow. This is a really cool thing that we're doin'." 304 00:12:17,529 --> 00:12:19,072 She was havin' an amazing time. 305 00:12:19,072 --> 00:12:20,490 She couldn't wait to get on the buck every day, 306 00:12:20,490 --> 00:12:23,159 which makes everyone else's life a lot easier. 307 00:12:23,159 --> 00:12:25,036 (laughing) It's like goin' to Disneyland 308 00:12:25,036 --> 00:12:26,830 at, like, terminal velocity, 309 00:12:26,830 --> 00:12:30,166 only you're dressed like this. (giggles) 310 00:12:30,166 --> 00:12:33,670 It's the best day at work ever. (chuckles) 311 00:12:33,670 --> 00:12:35,714 ♪ 312 00:12:38,341 --> 00:12:40,385 Do you like me gold bits? 313 00:12:42,095 --> 00:12:44,347 - speaker: Fancy gold bits. - Well, ya know. 314 00:12:44,347 --> 00:12:46,057 Condal: Aegon is obsessed with namesakes 315 00:12:46,057 --> 00:12:47,434 and symbols of legitimacy. 316 00:12:47,434 --> 00:12:49,519 He has his father's Valyrian dagger, 317 00:12:49,519 --> 00:12:52,063 which, of course, he doesn't realize the full significance of. 318 00:12:52,063 --> 00:12:54,441 He has Aegon the Conqueror's crown, he has his name, 319 00:12:54,441 --> 00:12:56,234 and I think he's trying to legitimize himself 320 00:12:56,234 --> 00:12:59,612 now in the absence of Otto saying, "This is my reign now," 321 00:12:59,612 --> 00:13:02,532 and he wants to cut this image of this warrior conqueror king. 322 00:13:02,532 --> 00:13:04,617 So we see him having this ancient armor 323 00:13:04,617 --> 00:13:06,703 that's probably been pulled out of some dusty corner 324 00:13:06,703 --> 00:13:08,913 of the armory being fitted to him. 325 00:13:08,913 --> 00:13:10,707 What's it actually called? 326 00:13:10,707 --> 00:13:12,250 - A gorget. - A gorget. 327 00:13:12,250 --> 00:13:13,752 - A gorget. - Like a courgette that you eat. 328 00:13:13,752 --> 00:13:16,421 Oh, it's way better. G-Gorget's way better. 329 00:13:17,797 --> 00:13:19,632 Condal: We hear a lot about Valyrian steel weapons. 330 00:13:19,632 --> 00:13:22,385 We don't hear a lot about Valyrian steel armor, 331 00:13:22,385 --> 00:13:23,803 but it felt like that was something that 332 00:13:23,803 --> 00:13:25,096 Aegon the Conqueror would've had 333 00:13:25,096 --> 00:13:26,431 from his time in Old Valyria 334 00:13:26,431 --> 00:13:28,933 as, like, a House Targaryen family heirloom, 335 00:13:28,933 --> 00:13:30,643 a suit of armor that would be, in theory, 336 00:13:30,643 --> 00:13:33,313 very light and very strong because of its make. 337 00:13:33,313 --> 00:13:35,982 So the assignment that I gave to Caroline and Simon Brindle 338 00:13:35,982 --> 00:13:40,153 was that I wanted an ancient suit of armor made of Valyrian steel 339 00:13:40,153 --> 00:13:42,655 that seemed like it was from Old Valyria. 340 00:13:42,655 --> 00:13:44,616 And I think the execution is dazzling. 341 00:13:45,617 --> 00:13:47,744 - Hello. - Hello. 342 00:13:47,744 --> 00:13:49,329 - Nice armor. - Yes! 343 00:13:49,996 --> 00:13:52,415 Joanna Lynch: Aegon's armor was a huge challenge for us. 344 00:13:52,415 --> 00:13:54,125 In the designing and the making of it, 345 00:13:54,125 --> 00:13:57,504 I've never had so many meetings about a set of armor in my life. 346 00:13:58,296 --> 00:14:00,465 Simon Brindle: It was a significant undertaking 347 00:14:00,465 --> 00:14:03,134 in terms of Aegon the Conqueror 348 00:14:03,134 --> 00:14:07,639 is a really major character in the whole Westeros universe, 349 00:14:07,639 --> 00:14:11,267 so we wanted to create something that was iconic. 350 00:14:11,267 --> 00:14:13,478 Caroline spent a lot of time designing it, 351 00:14:13,478 --> 00:14:15,522 and then, we developed it. 352 00:14:18,525 --> 00:14:19,984 - Whoa. - (laughter) 353 00:14:19,984 --> 00:14:21,778 - 'Kay, great. Thank you. - speaker: Shout for help 354 00:14:21,778 --> 00:14:23,988 - when you need to get up. - I will. Turtle. 355 00:14:24,739 --> 00:14:25,990 Brindle: Ordinarily, a build like that 356 00:14:25,990 --> 00:14:29,202 would be somewhere between 16 to 20 weeks. 357 00:14:29,202 --> 00:14:32,664 It can be shorter, but if you're doing a bespoke piece, 358 00:14:32,664 --> 00:14:35,125 with every element sized to the actor, 359 00:14:35,125 --> 00:14:38,169 you, essentially, have to make every piece from scratch. 360 00:14:38,169 --> 00:14:40,380 So that was 20 weeks of work. 361 00:14:40,380 --> 00:14:42,507 It's got quite architectural shapes 362 00:14:42,507 --> 00:14:44,968 within the forms and outline. 363 00:14:44,968 --> 00:14:47,345 And then, probably, another good four weeks plus 364 00:14:47,345 --> 00:14:49,848 just putting on the Valyrian steel detailing. 365 00:14:49,848 --> 00:14:52,851 A lot of work, but great to do. 366 00:14:52,851 --> 00:14:55,061 The first thing was practicality, 367 00:14:55,061 --> 00:14:57,397 so it should be as flexible as possible. 368 00:14:57,397 --> 00:15:01,192 So I looked at every sort of armor you can imagine. 369 00:15:01,192 --> 00:15:03,695 It needed to feel like an ancient culture, 370 00:15:03,695 --> 00:15:07,198 so there's some Greco-Roman influences. 371 00:15:08,033 --> 00:15:11,369 I wanted the dragon reflected in its design, 372 00:15:11,369 --> 00:15:14,497 so that there's a scale-like quality to it. 373 00:15:14,497 --> 00:15:16,041 Brindle: It's Aegon I, 374 00:15:16,041 --> 00:15:17,709 so it's still an ancient piece, 375 00:15:17,709 --> 00:15:21,046 but being Valyrian steel, it's immaculately crafted. 376 00:15:21,421 --> 00:15:25,216 We wanted to create something ancient and otherworldly. 377 00:15:25,216 --> 00:15:28,261 There's an element of almost brutalist architecture in there. 378 00:15:28,261 --> 00:15:33,099 It draws a lot on the architecture of the Targaryen dynasty. 379 00:15:33,099 --> 00:15:35,268 It wound through three processes. 380 00:15:35,268 --> 00:15:38,271 We started with the initial armor build, 381 00:15:38,271 --> 00:15:40,607 individually fitted and crafted and sculpted 382 00:15:40,607 --> 00:15:42,108 to the shape of Tom. 383 00:15:42,108 --> 00:15:45,236 Then we introduced the angularity and sharpness 384 00:15:45,236 --> 00:15:47,405 and a lot of referencing to dragon forms. 385 00:15:47,405 --> 00:15:49,699 With it being Aegon, there's a lot of talon 386 00:15:49,699 --> 00:15:53,912 and scale forms in there that run through the tassets and the skirt scales 387 00:15:53,912 --> 00:15:56,414 through a lot of small detailings. 388 00:15:56,414 --> 00:15:58,875 And then we got into the whole Valyrian steel, 389 00:15:58,875 --> 00:16:01,628 which was (laughs) like adding an additional build 390 00:16:01,628 --> 00:16:03,213 on top of everything 391 00:16:03,213 --> 00:16:05,548 because we then come back to our original 392 00:16:05,548 --> 00:16:07,634 forms and shapes, lift patterns 393 00:16:07,634 --> 00:16:09,886 from the surfaces of every piece, 394 00:16:09,886 --> 00:16:12,430 create artwork for the Valyrian steel, 395 00:16:12,430 --> 00:16:14,265 and then apply it to every surface. 396 00:16:14,265 --> 00:16:16,351 So, it was quite involved. 397 00:16:17,185 --> 00:16:19,187 speaker: Give it a bit of a shimmy, I reckon. 398 00:16:20,814 --> 00:16:23,817 - That's it. - (crosstalk, laughter) 399 00:16:24,734 --> 00:16:28,488 They work so unbelievably hard on 400 00:16:28,488 --> 00:16:30,782 creating the armor and the helmet 401 00:16:30,782 --> 00:16:32,784 and everything that goes with it. 402 00:16:32,784 --> 00:16:34,577 The attention to detail is mind-blowing. 403 00:16:35,286 --> 00:16:37,914 It is satisfying when you can see them enjoy the costume 404 00:16:37,914 --> 00:16:40,458 and it works for them and it's helping them 405 00:16:40,458 --> 00:16:41,626 develop their character. 406 00:16:41,626 --> 00:16:43,753 And he looks incredible in his armor. 407 00:16:43,753 --> 00:16:45,964 Tom Glynn-Carney: Heavy. Conqueror's armor is very heavy, 408 00:16:45,964 --> 00:16:48,466 but it looks amazing, Valyrian steel. 409 00:16:48,466 --> 00:16:50,969 It's got the crown sort of built into it, which is amazing. 410 00:16:50,969 --> 00:16:52,303 It took a little while to get right, 411 00:16:52,303 --> 00:16:54,472 but I've never felt more heroic in my life. 412 00:16:55,306 --> 00:16:57,517 I'm as fearsome as any of them. 413 00:17:00,395 --> 00:17:02,397 ♪ 414 00:17:04,399 --> 00:17:06,776 (indistinct chatter) 415 00:17:06,776 --> 00:17:10,822 It's just so rainy. So rainy and so wet. 416 00:17:11,656 --> 00:17:13,992 Clay: Driftmark Harbor is a dry dock. 417 00:17:13,992 --> 00:17:17,954 The Sea Snake boat has come back from war and is being repaired. 418 00:17:17,954 --> 00:17:19,622 The harbor itself is quite high. 419 00:17:19,622 --> 00:17:22,500 It's about five meters high, going down into the mud 420 00:17:22,500 --> 00:17:25,045 and the silt of the dock when the sea is out. 421 00:17:25,045 --> 00:17:26,838 And then, obviously, that has to be surrounded, 422 00:17:26,838 --> 00:17:29,007 so you can shoot 360 degrees. 423 00:17:29,007 --> 00:17:30,508 From start to walking on the set 424 00:17:30,508 --> 00:17:33,011 was probably 16 or 18 weeks. 425 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,347 Masters: Jim is the master of the grand scale, 426 00:17:35,347 --> 00:17:39,517 so it started off an already big project to take on. 427 00:17:39,517 --> 00:17:42,645 A lot of structure in that because we built up to, 428 00:17:42,645 --> 00:17:44,064 I think, probably, five meters high. 429 00:17:44,064 --> 00:17:46,191 A hell of a lot of plaster work 430 00:17:46,191 --> 00:17:47,984 involved in a set like that. 431 00:17:47,984 --> 00:17:50,695 And then the props came in with some lovely dressing 432 00:17:50,695 --> 00:17:53,031 to make it feel like you're in a boatyard 433 00:17:53,031 --> 00:17:55,200 because this was a ship under repair, 434 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:59,662 so it needed to have that feel of guys heavily working. 435 00:17:59,662 --> 00:18:02,248 Condal: It's the biggest set that I think Jim ever built. 436 00:18:02,248 --> 00:18:03,708 It's massive and expansive. 437 00:18:03,708 --> 00:18:04,751 I mean, all that stuff that you're seeing 438 00:18:04,751 --> 00:18:06,419 is in camera, including the ship. 439 00:18:06,419 --> 00:18:09,339 Really only the extensions out to sea and beyond 440 00:18:09,339 --> 00:18:11,925 into the next slips that are virtual. 441 00:18:11,925 --> 00:18:15,011 And it just blew me away the first time I walked on it. 442 00:18:15,762 --> 00:18:18,014 Eve Best: (laughs) I've totally forgotten what I have to say 443 00:18:18,014 --> 00:18:21,267 - because there's so much rain all over-- - All on my face, yeah. 444 00:18:21,267 --> 00:18:23,937 Patel: We had spent months preparing for the scene, 445 00:18:23,937 --> 00:18:26,022 and then we found out that the day we were gonna shoot it, 446 00:18:26,022 --> 00:18:28,066 it was going to be torrential rain. 447 00:18:28,066 --> 00:18:31,903 So, we moved the scene and we added rain machines. 448 00:18:32,278 --> 00:18:35,532 After eight hours of SFX rain, you're gonna get some leaks, 449 00:18:35,532 --> 00:18:37,909 and the water started pooling in the bottom of the set, 450 00:18:37,909 --> 00:18:39,411 and we had to keep digging it out. 451 00:18:39,411 --> 00:18:40,704 For being such a simple scene, 452 00:18:40,704 --> 00:18:43,415 it became actually quite complicated to shoot. 453 00:18:43,415 --> 00:18:46,084 The fake rain was like a monsoon. 454 00:18:46,084 --> 00:18:47,961 Dawson: If you ask Geeta, "How heavy do you want it?" 455 00:18:47,961 --> 00:18:49,754 She goes, "I want Bollywood 10." 456 00:18:49,754 --> 00:18:51,756 But at first, I was like, "I have no idea what you mean," 457 00:18:51,756 --> 00:18:53,425 but I did some research 458 00:18:53,425 --> 00:18:56,594 and it's full-on heavy, big, and I love her for that. 459 00:18:56,594 --> 00:18:59,097 And we did, did we not? 460 00:18:59,639 --> 00:19:01,474 Best: That scene in the rain, 461 00:19:01,474 --> 00:19:04,310 that was just such a (laughs) bonkers day. 462 00:19:05,020 --> 00:19:08,273 And at one point, I said, "There is actual rain outside. 463 00:19:08,273 --> 00:19:12,777 Are you sure that we need this extra monsoon?" 464 00:19:12,777 --> 00:19:16,489 And we were all in kind of like Noah's Ark, with the water rising. 465 00:19:16,489 --> 00:19:18,324 Steve Toussaint: The minute you get out there, pouring with rain, 466 00:19:18,324 --> 00:19:19,993 then they'd go, "Turn the machines on." 467 00:19:19,993 --> 00:19:21,953 I mean, you were literally soaked. 468 00:19:21,953 --> 00:19:24,581 And by the time that you got under the shelter 469 00:19:24,581 --> 00:19:26,624 to talk to her, you were drenched. 470 00:19:26,624 --> 00:19:28,960 And also, I was leaning on a post 471 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,671 and there was, uh, like, a torrent of water coming down. 472 00:19:31,671 --> 00:19:33,131 So as I turn my head away from the camera, 473 00:19:33,131 --> 00:19:34,591 I was getting completely bathed. 474 00:19:34,591 --> 00:19:38,011 It was, oh, it was fun, but it wasn't. 475 00:19:38,011 --> 00:19:40,889 Best: That feels a lot of rain. 476 00:19:42,974 --> 00:19:45,643 Patel: The scene that, originally, was very romantic 477 00:19:45,643 --> 00:19:47,312 ended up still romantic 478 00:19:47,312 --> 00:19:50,648 because now they were underneath this bridge in the rain, 479 00:19:50,648 --> 00:19:53,318 so I think it came full circle in the end. 480 00:19:53,318 --> 00:19:55,487 ♪