One of Game of Thrones‘ biggest draws is its intensely detailed props, costumes, and sets, many of which are built right into the historical locations that inspired them. So how do they shoot it in ancient castles and palaces when effects-heavy scenes seem like a danger to these storied settings? Game of Thrones VFX supervisor Jabbar Raisani, who in the past told us about his sci-fi film Alien Outpost, walked The Creators Project through one particular scene on the set of Season 5:
“Inside the underground Diocletian’s Palace—where there may or may not be dragons—we wanted the flame to go at a very specific angle upwards and towards the ceiling. After using a practical flamethrower on location, we realized there was no way to… get the angle we wanted,” he says. “We realized we’d have to shoot the flamethrower for lighting reference only, and the flame itself would have to be created digitally so that it could get [close enough to] the ceiling.”
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“The same technique is used to prevent ‘damaging’ our actors, including the lovely Emilia Clarke. We wanted the flame to go straight at her, which just isn’t a risk worth taking. In cases like that, we aim the flame as close as we safely can in the desired direction and fire it to get the interactive lighting on Emilia. We then step her out and point the flame exactly where we want it to go. In post, we then combine all of the elements and possibly add a dragon for good measure.”
So there you have it. See an in-depth look at how the Game of Thrones VFX teams brings the dragons to life in our previous coverage, and in the video below. And as all men must know at this point, Season 5 premieres this Sunday, April 12.
Related:
Game of Thrones’ Supercut Tells Tyrion’s Whole Story Thus Far
It’s the Game of Thrones Mixtape…Vol. 2
Game of Thrones’ VFX Breakdown Shows How Dragons Are Born
Here’s The Game of Thrones Video Game We’ve Been Waiting For
