Recently HBO showed a quick behind the Scenes look of A Game of Thrones. I thought I would post it for your viewing pleasure and go over some of my favorite parts.
0:12 - GRRM explains that, "These books are very adult fare. It's fantasy done for adults." An obvious observation to those familiar with the source material, but when you do shows or movies based on books you can't assume that everyone watching the show or movie has read the books. I like that they put this in early. It is a sort of preview to the preview, letting people know what they are about to see. It gives a glimpse into the tone and feel of the series and also explains that, though this is a fantasy show, this is not a show for your Harry Potter loving nine year old, this is a show for YOU.
0:27 - BJ Weiss, A Writer/Producer for the show says, "It's a story where everyone is pursuing their own interests and following their own code and this provides a much richer story than the guys in white beating the guys in black." I love this quote because it means that Mr. Weiss understand the source material and what makes it great. A Song of Ice and Fire is highly political, very complicated, and has many of the greatest characters in modern fiction all working toward goals that do not necessarily coincide with anyone else's, even that character's allies. These complex and highly realistic characters are one of the principal things that make ASIF great. Weiss knows it and understand it, ensuring that he will hold to that for the entire series.
0:35 - GRRM again shares some of his wisdom by explaining, "The entire series is fused with a sense of magic, but there is very little on stage magic... I think too much magic can ruin a fantasy." Avid readers will recall that this last statement is one that I hold to and even wrote about in the past. It is the rarity of magic that ensures that it is so special in ASIF, while so many other fantasy stories magic quickly loses its luster due to over exposure.
0:37 - Great shot of Viserys Targaryen!
0:54 - "George Martin is the creator of this world. He came to set a couple of weeks ago and he said 'It's like walking into one of my dreams." GRRM is a man who is passionate about his work, and is dedicated to ensuring that ANYTHING that bears its name is up to snuff. From board games, to video games, to Calendars, George reviews it all and ensures that it meets a high standard of quality to make sure that his fans won't be disappointed. It takes a great deal of his time (much to the chagrin of those impatiently waiting for A Dance with Dragons) but in the end he wants to protect the integrity of the work and protect his fans from shoddy products looking to cash in on the brand name. I like that. GRRM has been very involved in the HBO series to date, reviewing casting tapes and doing some episode writing himself.
0:59 - GRRM speaking of visiting the set, "It was this incredible moment of, 'My God they got it right!' There it is!" This leaves no doubt that GRRM is 100% on board with HBO's work. I can think of no higher endorsement of the series. As said above GRRM is very protective of his work, and this quote shows that HBO is meeting, if not exceeding, his stringent quality standards.
1:11 - Great shot of Tyrion Lannister! Tyrion is a very complex character, and in my opinion one of the best characters in the series. I was happy when they got Peter Dinklage because I think he is a great actor that can really bring the character to life.
1:14 - One of my favorite shots. Bran and Arya making faces at the camera. Arya is another of my favorites and I have great hopes for Maisie Williams, the young actress portraying Arya.
1:19 - A shot of the Dire Wolf pups. They used Siberian Huskies, by far my favorite dog, so naturally I loved it.
1:25 - A shot of the new Daenerys Targaryen, Emilia Clarke. I was a little concerned after Tamzin Merchant was replaced because I thought she would be amazing as Daenerys, but Emilia Clarke looks beautiful astride Daenerys' Silver.
1:27 - Another recast role that I was hesitant about about Catelyn Stark, but this shot of Michelle Fairley looks great!
Overall I loved this. Everything looks great, and if it were possible to be more excited for A Game of Thrones this would definitely have done the job!
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