Inventions that Help Make Game of Thrones Possible
Game of Thrones is a show that has broken several records including most Emmy Awards for a drama and most “in demand” TV show. When it comes to filming a show like Game of Thrones, there’s no denying it takes an incredible amount of technology and innovation. Trying to make flying dragons that breathe fire look realistic on screen takes a team of highly skilled engineers, creative minds, and visual effects artists.
So, what technology does it take to create such an incredible show? For starter, it takes an incredible budget. The technology alone can cost millions, but for a show as popular as GOT, every bit of technology is necessary. But without these inventions, the show would not be possible.
Green Screen
The first use of a green screen dates back to 1940. Larry Butler used a green screen to create a scene featuring a genie floating out of a bottle. This was an incredible invention that would go on to be used in almost every form of filmmaking. Nearly 80 years later, green screen is being utilized in ways filmmakers in the 1940s would never have dreamed. By utilizing green screen, animators and illustrators are able to use CGI to take audiences to an incredible world of creatures and kingdoms like the ones in the fictional GOT continent Westeros.
Green screen is utilized in nearly every episode of Game of Thrones. Large castles, Dire Wolves and entire armies were all created using the magic of green screen and CGI. For example, Daenerys’ dragons are brought to life by using green screen on a very large scale. Actress Emilia Clarke has even said how difficult it was acting as if she was flying through the sky when she was actually on a large machine covered in green. Nevertheless, there is no denying the end result was well worth it.
Drone Disabler
Fans are always looking for ways to find Game of Thrones spoilers while the crew is filming. Drones are often used to fly over the set in an attempt to get sneak peek footage of what’s going on down below. Of course, the team behind the making of the final season of GOT had to do everything in its power to keep this from happening. This is where Drone Disablers came in, or as it was commonly known on set as “Drone Killer.”
So, how did it keep fans from spoiling the show prior to it airing? The “Drone Killer” is an electronic device that disables a flying drone, forcing it back to the ground. The beam shot by the device has a 30-degree field and a range of almost half a mile, making drones easy to take down. Of course, these are extreme measures, but a show as sensational as GOT must take these precautions to ensure the show remains confidential until the premier.
ARRI Alexa Camera
For a show as intense as Game of Thrones, it takes an intense camera. ARRI ALEXA digital cameras were used to shoot in Northern Ireland and Malta. This camera helps provide a more “cinematic look” and truly express the atmosphere and scale of a show or movie. ALEXA also makes it easier to film in places with extreme highlights and shadows.
Fast-moving battle scenes, close-up interactions, and wide-shot landscapes are all necessary to film Game of Thrones. The show makers needed a camera that could provide high-quality footage for a number of scene types. GOT films in a wide variety of locations in order to create scenes taking place in snowy Winterfell to sunny Dorne. They needed a camera that could film Jon Snow battling the army of the dead beyond the wall and also film Daenerys and her Dothraki in sunny Meereen. ALEXA was only a prototype when the crew began using it to film GOT, but luckily it was able to perform up to the standards needed to film a scene in a rainy grassland or a sunny beach.
There is no denying the fact that Game of Thrones will go down in history as one of the most amazing television series of all time. We often reflect on our favorite actors and writers that make this show possible, but we must not forget the amazing inventors who helped make filming GOT possible.
Tags: CGI, Dragons, Drones, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones Inventions, GOT, Green Screen, InventHelp, inventions
