1 00:00:07,173 --> 00:00:08,773 It's the movie magic behind the curtain. 2 00:00:10,385 --> 00:00:12,846 Explosions. There is a lot of explosions. 3 00:00:13,972 --> 00:00:15,849 The level of preparation. 4 00:00:16,391 --> 00:00:18,600 Those guys are puttin' their lives at risk 5 00:00:18,601 --> 00:00:20,477 on a constant basis. 6 00:00:20,478 --> 00:00:21,687 Three dragons, not two. 7 00:00:21,688 --> 00:00:23,856 That's gonna be a huge thing for the audience. 8 00:00:23,857 --> 00:00:25,191 They're so clever, those guys. 9 00:00:25,608 --> 00:00:28,653 Once dragons get introduced that way, there's no turning back. 10 00:00:52,719 --> 00:00:56,013 We've talked about this since creating Daemon as a character 11 00:00:56,014 --> 00:00:57,389 is George always said about Daemon, 12 00:00:57,390 --> 00:00:59,225 "He's heroic and villainous in equal parts," 13 00:00:59,351 --> 00:01:02,145 and that's what makes him fascinating as a character. 14 00:01:13,281 --> 00:01:16,868 Well, that was the first shot of the whole season. 15 00:01:17,952 --> 00:01:22,540 - Set. - Here we go. Cameras set and action! 16 00:01:23,249 --> 00:01:26,669 And we were the first actors there because Mills was goin' off to do a play. 17 00:01:26,670 --> 00:01:30,090 So, we were just right into the sort of nuts and bolts of it, really. 18 00:01:31,466 --> 00:01:33,634 There was a lot of conversation ahead of time 19 00:01:33,635 --> 00:01:35,803 and also during the shooting as to whether these were 20 00:01:35,804 --> 00:01:38,597 dreams we were experiencing or visions 21 00:01:38,598 --> 00:01:40,391 or something magical. 22 00:01:40,392 --> 00:01:42,309 Should we shoot it on different lenses? 23 00:01:42,310 --> 00:01:45,604 Should we light it in a very distinctive way? 24 00:01:45,605 --> 00:01:47,898 Should we give it its own visual signature 25 00:01:47,899 --> 00:01:49,483 that would signal to the audience immediately, 26 00:01:49,484 --> 00:01:51,027 "Oh, okay, this is a dream"? 27 00:01:51,986 --> 00:01:55,239 And the decision led, of course, by Ryan and by Alan 28 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:56,824 was that, no, we shouldn't do that. 29 00:01:56,825 --> 00:01:59,535 That we should shoot it as we would shoot a normal scene 30 00:01:59,536 --> 00:02:02,580 and let the content of the narrative make it apparent that it was a dream. 31 00:02:04,916 --> 00:02:06,209 I can't understand. 32 00:02:07,252 --> 00:02:10,462 This felt like a real way to dramatize something 33 00:02:10,463 --> 00:02:14,049 very core to Daemon's character that was going on with him. 34 00:02:14,050 --> 00:02:16,593 It's a throwback to a scene from season one. 35 00:02:16,594 --> 00:02:18,512 In season one, Daemon was sitting on the throne 36 00:02:18,513 --> 00:02:20,556 and Rhaenyra comes in to meet him. 37 00:02:20,557 --> 00:02:22,850 This time, we reverse that, so that Rhaenyra's on the throne 38 00:02:22,851 --> 00:02:24,935 and Daemon comes in to meet her. 39 00:02:24,936 --> 00:02:26,616 It's Rhaenyra, but it's the wrong Rhaenyra. 40 00:02:27,605 --> 00:02:30,024 The fact that it meant that we got to bring back Milly delighted me 41 00:02:30,025 --> 00:02:33,402 because I adore her and all that she brought to the show. 42 00:02:33,403 --> 00:02:36,071 And I really did know that the fan base would really delight 43 00:02:36,072 --> 00:02:38,867 in, hopefully, the surprise of seeing her come back. 44 00:02:39,784 --> 00:02:42,537 Feels like I never left, which is what's kind of weird. 45 00:02:44,164 --> 00:02:45,414 It's nice to be back. 46 00:02:45,415 --> 00:02:47,458 And it was one of those very "House of the Dragon" moments 47 00:02:47,459 --> 00:02:50,085 where we're doing the scene and, finally, she comes down into a close-up 48 00:02:50,086 --> 00:02:53,213 which is sort of the crescendo of what's goin' on between them. 49 00:02:53,214 --> 00:02:55,257 And she's radiant and there's tears in her eyes 50 00:02:55,258 --> 00:02:57,009 and she's speaking full Valyrian the entire time 51 00:02:57,010 --> 00:02:59,095 without stumbling in perfect accent. 52 00:03:06,227 --> 00:03:07,979 And we cut. Brilliant. 53 00:03:09,064 --> 00:03:11,398 So my brief encounter with her was great. 54 00:03:11,399 --> 00:03:12,679 And then I chopped her head off. 55 00:03:16,821 --> 00:03:18,155 Well, I loved that when I read it. 56 00:03:18,156 --> 00:03:19,740 I always wanted the dream sequences, 57 00:03:19,741 --> 00:03:22,117 or whatever you call them, I was always pushing that 58 00:03:22,118 --> 00:03:25,454 they felt mad and horror-like as possible. 59 00:03:25,455 --> 00:03:28,583 If we're gonna go for it, let's go for it. Great having Milly back. 60 00:03:29,334 --> 00:03:30,918 We really miss her. 61 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:32,461 So much fun, I love Matt. 62 00:03:32,462 --> 00:03:35,423 Matt's such a sweetheart. And he's incredibly talented. 63 00:03:36,257 --> 00:03:38,342 It was actually really nostalgic. 64 00:03:38,343 --> 00:03:40,302 I sat on the throne 65 00:03:40,303 --> 00:03:42,638 which is actually kind of lopsided. 66 00:03:42,639 --> 00:03:45,557 It's a throne made out of swords, so it doesn't look very comfortable. 67 00:03:45,558 --> 00:03:48,102 - Don't listen to her, honestly. - Go on. 68 00:03:48,103 --> 00:03:50,521 It was great seeing the warmth between them because they know each other so well 69 00:03:50,522 --> 00:03:52,398 so, there was that. 70 00:03:52,399 --> 00:03:56,069 And I think they were both very happy to get back together, even if violently. 71 00:03:57,028 --> 00:04:00,031 Very nice. And we cut. Very nice. 72 00:04:07,664 --> 00:04:10,165 It's a touch late to be stalkin' about a strange castle 73 00:04:10,166 --> 00:04:12,292 putting its people to the sword. 74 00:04:12,293 --> 00:04:15,005 - You. - I'm called Alys. 75 00:04:15,630 --> 00:04:18,924 Alys Rivers was definitely one of the iconic costumes 76 00:04:18,925 --> 00:04:21,760 in that she's residing at Harrenhal 77 00:04:21,761 --> 00:04:24,681 but shouldn't really look like she belongs there. 78 00:04:24,806 --> 00:04:26,725 Take one, and marker. 79 00:04:27,934 --> 00:04:32,396 We didn't want to lean too much into the witch thing. 80 00:04:32,397 --> 00:04:34,774 She just needed to look like a sort of strange member 81 00:04:34,899 --> 00:04:36,442 of the household. 82 00:04:36,443 --> 00:04:41,363 We wanted it to have this kind of aged grandeur to it. 83 00:04:41,364 --> 00:04:45,660 And that the palette there is purples and lavenders. 84 00:04:46,786 --> 00:04:48,287 When I saw that they'd cast Gayle, 85 00:04:48,288 --> 00:04:50,164 it was a dream come true. 86 00:04:50,165 --> 00:04:53,251 I always had a vision of that porcelain skin. 87 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:56,378 We embraced her paleness. 88 00:04:56,379 --> 00:04:58,672 When I read the book, I saw long hair, 89 00:04:58,673 --> 00:05:01,008 and we managed to pick quite an inky raven color 90 00:05:01,009 --> 00:05:03,052 which, you know, is so beautiful against 91 00:05:03,053 --> 00:05:06,263 the complexion of her skin tone and her eye color. 92 00:05:06,264 --> 00:05:08,682 And I don't think there's anything witchy about it. 93 00:05:08,683 --> 00:05:10,393 Thirteen delta, take two. 94 00:05:11,936 --> 00:05:14,606 Gayle was very happy and she looks fantastic. 95 00:05:15,648 --> 00:05:19,485 It's been a complete, complete pleasure. 96 00:05:19,486 --> 00:05:24,574 To feel embraced by the cast and the crew was just really special. 97 00:05:29,788 --> 00:05:33,248 Matt and I got to have the experience of meeting each other for the first time. 98 00:05:33,249 --> 00:05:39,047 And he's such a generous actor, and just so fun to work with. 99 00:05:39,673 --> 00:05:41,965 She's a fabulous, fabulous actor, 100 00:05:41,966 --> 00:05:44,218 and I think she's created a really great character. 101 00:05:44,219 --> 00:05:45,845 Here, drink this. 102 00:05:46,221 --> 00:05:49,224 You'll need your sleep if you're to win this place to your side. 103 00:05:58,525 --> 00:06:00,401 Rook's Rest is the biggest thing that 104 00:06:00,402 --> 00:06:02,695 "House of the Dragon" has mounted, to date, 105 00:06:02,696 --> 00:06:05,864 in terms of the size and expense of a set piece 106 00:06:05,865 --> 00:06:07,492 and we needed to get it right. 107 00:06:10,245 --> 00:06:12,706 Rook's Rest, for us, is a big setup. 108 00:06:14,374 --> 00:06:17,668 You never quite can understand how big something is 109 00:06:17,669 --> 00:06:19,878 until you really turn up on the day, 110 00:06:19,879 --> 00:06:22,673 and you see the size of the operation. 111 00:06:22,674 --> 00:06:24,801 Stand by, guys, stand by to shoot. 112 00:06:26,261 --> 00:06:28,013 And this is a big operation. 113 00:06:28,722 --> 00:06:32,975 Rook's Rest was our biggest obstacle of this season for sure. 114 00:06:32,976 --> 00:06:35,060 We were shooting down in the home counties. 115 00:06:35,061 --> 00:06:38,981 We had 500 crowd in total, four different houses. 116 00:06:38,982 --> 00:06:41,275 So, we had Rosby, Stokeworth, Darklyn, and Hightower, 117 00:06:41,276 --> 00:06:45,405 all in different looks, in different stages of the battle. 118 00:06:47,824 --> 00:06:48,658 Oh, it was brilliant. 119 00:06:48,659 --> 00:06:50,367 - It's alright? - Yes, that was great. 120 00:06:50,368 --> 00:06:51,453 Good, good, good. 121 00:06:52,037 --> 00:06:54,079 That was a complicated scene. Big battle. 122 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:58,083 Dragons, dragon fire, horses, dead people. 123 00:06:58,084 --> 00:07:01,421 Complex, logistical thing to put together. 124 00:07:06,134 --> 00:07:09,011 What should be a small campaign to take a small keep 125 00:07:09,012 --> 00:07:10,846 turns into a kind of watershed moment 126 00:07:10,847 --> 00:07:12,724 that tilts the war. 127 00:07:17,145 --> 00:07:20,145 We experienced what it really is like to unleash dragons for the first time. 128 00:07:23,151 --> 00:07:25,028 Dragon! 129 00:07:31,993 --> 00:07:33,995 Advance! 130 00:07:35,830 --> 00:07:39,166 Thankfully, we had Alan Taylor, the veteran filmmaker on "Game of Thrones" 131 00:07:39,167 --> 00:07:41,251 and countless other shows to do it. 132 00:07:41,252 --> 00:07:45,964 Alan came to it and really brought just kind of another level of scale to it. 133 00:07:45,965 --> 00:07:48,759 Working with Alan's fantastic 'cause he's one of those directors 134 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,846 who knows what he wants before he gets there. 135 00:07:52,847 --> 00:07:54,891 The thing with Rook's Rest is that Alan storyboarded 136 00:07:55,350 --> 00:07:58,853 Rook's Rest really, really carefully in advance. 137 00:08:04,693 --> 00:08:07,486 Shout out to Jane Wu, our main storyboard artist, 138 00:08:07,487 --> 00:08:09,780 because I was collaborating with her, that designed the action, 139 00:08:09,781 --> 00:08:11,782 both in the air and on the ground 140 00:08:11,783 --> 00:08:13,659 and sort of shaped it into the story 141 00:08:13,660 --> 00:08:15,704 that we wound up shooting and telling. 142 00:08:17,455 --> 00:08:19,666 And then I was shown Bourne Wood. 143 00:08:23,128 --> 00:08:25,170 Bourne Wood is a bit of a popular location 144 00:08:25,171 --> 00:08:28,298 because it goes back to "Gladiator" days and Ridley Scott. 145 00:08:28,299 --> 00:08:30,634 So you think, "If Ridley Scott chose it, 146 00:08:30,635 --> 00:08:32,345 then it's gotta be pretty good." 147 00:08:33,680 --> 00:08:34,680 And it is. 148 00:08:36,599 --> 00:08:38,183 I had been out there before 'cause we had, 149 00:08:38,184 --> 00:08:39,643 I think we had scouted it in season one. 150 00:08:39,644 --> 00:08:43,064 It was pointed out to me, and I just said, "Oh, we have to come back here." 151 00:08:44,274 --> 00:08:48,360 We needed a tree line and we also needed an open space 152 00:08:48,361 --> 00:08:50,029 and a ridge where the castle could be based. 153 00:08:50,030 --> 00:08:52,949 So we did look at a number of different places. 154 00:08:53,867 --> 00:08:55,159 And Bourne was the winner. 155 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,287 King Aegon! 156 00:08:58,872 --> 00:09:00,831 You really felt like you were at a battle. 157 00:09:00,832 --> 00:09:02,875 You know, what was so amazing is that it felt like 158 00:09:02,876 --> 00:09:04,710 we were talking about it for such a long time, 159 00:09:04,711 --> 00:09:07,339 Alan and I, and Freddie and Ryan. 160 00:09:08,715 --> 00:09:11,383 It felt like we were in endless conversations about it 161 00:09:11,384 --> 00:09:13,594 and watching previs, and talking through each beat 162 00:09:13,595 --> 00:09:15,554 of every single scene, and then you finally get there 163 00:09:15,555 --> 00:09:20,643 and it's just this incredibly iconic set. 164 00:09:21,353 --> 00:09:23,228 It's like one of those moments, me and Freddie were talking about it, 165 00:09:23,229 --> 00:09:26,316 where you go like, "Ah, this is pretty amazing." 166 00:09:27,817 --> 00:09:29,860 I mean, the battles in episode four, I think, 167 00:09:29,861 --> 00:09:33,405 are probably gonna be water cooler conversation 168 00:09:33,406 --> 00:09:35,075 for quite some time. 169 00:09:47,128 --> 00:09:49,630 I never really thought it was a battle until I got there 170 00:09:49,631 --> 00:09:51,423 and saw the scale that we were bringing with us. 171 00:09:51,424 --> 00:09:53,676 So, you know, four battering rams moving across the field 172 00:09:53,677 --> 00:09:56,595 and more horses than I can count, all in full armor. 173 00:09:56,596 --> 00:09:58,013 Not just the riders, but the horses. 174 00:09:58,014 --> 00:09:59,640 Three or four houses with different livery 175 00:09:59,641 --> 00:10:02,017 and different banners and different insignia 176 00:10:02,018 --> 00:10:03,727 all marshaling together. 177 00:10:03,728 --> 00:10:06,271 Sadly for them, most of them are there as dragon fodder 178 00:10:06,272 --> 00:10:07,940 and they don't know it. 179 00:10:07,941 --> 00:10:09,983 It was a much bigger dress time 180 00:10:09,984 --> 00:10:13,446 for set dec when we had various army encampments. 181 00:10:14,698 --> 00:10:16,115 We did all the tents and the bivouacs 182 00:10:16,116 --> 00:10:20,536 and our fabulous drapes department made all of those for us 183 00:10:20,537 --> 00:10:23,288 and then, props department put them together. 184 00:10:23,289 --> 00:10:27,251 Rook's Rest was a logistical issue for us to make sure we had enough bodies, 185 00:10:27,252 --> 00:10:31,005 we had enough dead horses, we had enough war machines 186 00:10:31,006 --> 00:10:32,089 and that we could move 'em around. 187 00:10:32,090 --> 00:10:33,757 It's a big location, 188 00:10:33,758 --> 00:10:36,135 multiple cameras shootin' in multiple areas. 189 00:10:36,136 --> 00:10:38,470 It was about havin' the right crew there that could cope with 190 00:10:38,471 --> 00:10:40,348 rushing things from one area to the next. 191 00:10:44,519 --> 00:10:47,229 We had our main unit working for us 192 00:10:47,230 --> 00:10:50,399 and a sizable splinter unit working for us. 193 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,861 Any of the larger kind of stunts or tricks and flicks 194 00:10:53,862 --> 00:10:55,988 were led by Rowley Irlam, the stunt coordinator. 195 00:10:55,989 --> 00:10:59,867 Battering ram dropping down, yeah? That's where it goes from. 196 00:10:59,868 --> 00:11:01,827 I worked with Rowley many times before. 197 00:11:01,828 --> 00:11:03,620 His field of operations was close to mine 198 00:11:03,621 --> 00:11:05,622 so he could send me images and I could watch takes 199 00:11:05,623 --> 00:11:07,958 and ask for adjustments if necessary 200 00:11:07,959 --> 00:11:09,918 but he also embellishes things and raises things. 201 00:11:09,919 --> 00:11:12,421 And then guys doin' the arrow hits, you can come a little bit closer 202 00:11:12,422 --> 00:11:13,922 to the battering ram, please. 203 00:11:13,923 --> 00:11:17,259 The huge setup there with the big burns of dragons. 204 00:11:17,260 --> 00:11:20,095 So Meleys would be flying through 205 00:11:20,096 --> 00:11:21,514 and setting fire to people. 206 00:11:21,639 --> 00:11:23,307 We can do things in CGI, but actually shooting 207 00:11:23,308 --> 00:11:24,725 real people doing these things, 208 00:11:24,726 --> 00:11:27,979 it just gives it another level of authenticity. 209 00:11:29,064 --> 00:11:30,856 That was kind of our big number. 210 00:11:30,857 --> 00:11:33,025 There was a lot of stuff done in the tree line. 211 00:11:33,026 --> 00:11:35,027 We did a lot of fire work there. 212 00:11:35,028 --> 00:11:39,157 We burned eight people on a battering ram with a strafe. 213 00:11:39,949 --> 00:11:42,117 Every time there's a dragon strafe, it's just so much fun. 214 00:11:42,118 --> 00:11:45,704 Dragon roaring flame is different, but when you're in the field and it... 215 00:11:45,705 --> 00:11:47,374 it's quite exciting. 216 00:11:50,335 --> 00:11:54,046 I've never seen another human so happy to burn people alive, 217 00:11:54,047 --> 00:11:55,422 let me tell you. 218 00:11:55,423 --> 00:11:56,548 So we should do another one 219 00:11:56,549 --> 00:11:59,259 - at 45 degree, then, yeah? - Yeah. 220 00:11:59,260 --> 00:12:03,263 We set down 20 (indistinct), which we bury in the ground 221 00:12:03,264 --> 00:12:05,724 and special effects basically ignites the flames. 222 00:12:05,725 --> 00:12:07,976 So you end up with a sort of 12-, 15-foot fireball. 223 00:12:07,977 --> 00:12:10,271 Please clear behind the barriers! 224 00:12:12,148 --> 00:12:13,524 We had eight of my guys in there. 225 00:12:13,525 --> 00:12:15,859 They're all covered in, like, really 226 00:12:15,860 --> 00:12:18,237 flammable accelerant gel. 227 00:12:18,238 --> 00:12:19,863 I, personally, would turn and run 228 00:12:19,864 --> 00:12:22,241 but they just stand there and it just comes towards them 229 00:12:22,242 --> 00:12:24,076 and they're engulfed in it. 230 00:12:24,077 --> 00:12:25,452 We ended up doing these garments 231 00:12:25,453 --> 00:12:28,372 which had burns built into them, so you've got a shirt like this 232 00:12:28,373 --> 00:12:30,332 with the burn makeup on it 233 00:12:30,333 --> 00:12:31,875 so you could, literally, pull it on 234 00:12:31,876 --> 00:12:34,421 without having to do an application. 235 00:12:35,255 --> 00:12:39,050 We are, and we should be, quite good at settin' people on fire by now. 236 00:12:47,976 --> 00:12:49,810 The big dragon fight that's happening in the sky, 237 00:12:49,811 --> 00:12:52,604 a lot of it was shot on something that's a cross 238 00:12:52,605 --> 00:12:54,315 between a Volume and a blue screen stage. 239 00:12:55,650 --> 00:12:57,109 This was buck 2.0 this year. 240 00:12:57,110 --> 00:13:00,279 I mean, they did learn from the first season and improve it. 241 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,531 It can be programmed in ways that the other one was not. 242 00:13:02,532 --> 00:13:06,618 So, to simulate the flaps of wing movement and sudden changes in direction. 243 00:13:06,619 --> 00:13:08,495 It's very animal-like. 244 00:13:08,496 --> 00:13:10,874 You know, almost feel the breath of the beast. 245 00:13:11,541 --> 00:13:14,753 The camera's adjustin' to your movements as well. 246 00:13:17,589 --> 00:13:19,006 We did it slightly differently this year. 247 00:13:19,007 --> 00:13:22,093 We have a robot camera. 248 00:13:22,844 --> 00:13:25,929 We worked out a plan to attach the camera 249 00:13:25,930 --> 00:13:26,930 to the buck rig 250 00:13:26,931 --> 00:13:30,352 and having the movement match to the buck. 251 00:13:31,853 --> 00:13:34,981 And the two working together can provide almost any angle. 252 00:13:36,941 --> 00:13:39,860 The way World War II dogfights were shot, plane to plane, 253 00:13:39,861 --> 00:13:42,446 most of our stuff is shot dragon to dragon. 254 00:13:42,447 --> 00:13:45,909 You want the camera to feel like it's, essentially, on another dragon. 255 00:13:47,702 --> 00:13:50,914 And three, two, one, action. 256 00:13:52,791 --> 00:13:56,377 The buck work, all of my... only memory of the buck work 257 00:13:56,378 --> 00:14:00,507 is a large amount of wind on the face. 258 00:14:01,216 --> 00:14:02,299 The Rook's Rest work, 259 00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:04,927 this saddle's throwing itself around all over the place. 260 00:14:04,928 --> 00:14:07,430 - Action. - Angos Meleys! 261 00:14:08,056 --> 00:14:10,933 The most critical character work has to happen, 262 00:14:10,934 --> 00:14:13,019 you know, while bein' slammed around. 263 00:14:13,603 --> 00:14:15,562 The quality of performance you're used to with her was all there 264 00:14:15,563 --> 00:14:18,273 even though she's being flung around on a bucking dragon 265 00:14:18,274 --> 00:14:19,901 and chased by a robotic camera. 266 00:14:23,405 --> 00:14:25,407 Fuck me sideways. 267 00:14:32,414 --> 00:14:35,750 Fire in three, two, one! 268 00:14:38,878 --> 00:14:42,131 We have a set on the backlot pickin' up lots of different elements 269 00:14:42,132 --> 00:14:43,882 so we don't have to go for a CG approach 270 00:14:43,883 --> 00:14:46,219 because, of course, real fire looks real. 271 00:14:49,014 --> 00:14:51,933 It is mental, yeah. I wanted to go bigger. 272 00:14:52,851 --> 00:14:54,560 Because we've got Vhagar, 273 00:14:54,561 --> 00:14:57,563 I really wanted to go dirty burn, 274 00:14:57,564 --> 00:15:00,024 you know, like, an intense burn and big burn. 275 00:15:00,025 --> 00:15:02,193 And it is horrific. 276 00:15:07,741 --> 00:15:10,117 And it goes 50 foot maybe. 277 00:15:10,118 --> 00:15:11,758 It's a weapon of mass destruction really. 278 00:15:24,466 --> 00:15:26,842 I think the most showstopping moment 279 00:15:26,843 --> 00:15:30,012 is when the two bigger dragons engage in the air 280 00:15:30,013 --> 00:15:32,181 and it comes to a death spiral. 281 00:15:32,182 --> 00:15:33,807 What Alan did was went back and actually 282 00:15:33,808 --> 00:15:36,727 did a bunch of research around birds of prey 283 00:15:36,728 --> 00:15:38,128 and how they fight with each other. 284 00:15:38,521 --> 00:15:40,856 Alan was really keen on this kind of ritual 285 00:15:40,857 --> 00:15:43,276 where they lock talons and they spin around. 286 00:15:43,943 --> 00:15:47,529 A lot of the work was dumped on previs 'cause you can have two dragons spiraling 287 00:15:47,530 --> 00:15:51,825 in a kind of triple-axis turn to the ground blowing fire 288 00:15:51,826 --> 00:15:55,080 but it takes a lotta work to work out what that really means. 289 00:16:09,469 --> 00:16:12,069 I kept trying to protect that as the "nuclear event" in the story. 290 00:16:13,682 --> 00:16:16,809 Storywise, is the kind of the turning of the tides 291 00:16:16,810 --> 00:16:20,562 in terms of what kind of war people have experienced. 292 00:16:20,563 --> 00:16:23,524 The idea was that Cole has been broken by this experience 293 00:16:23,525 --> 00:16:24,900 and he's basically been completely knocked out. 294 00:16:24,901 --> 00:16:26,568 And when he wakes up, it's to a new world sort of. 295 00:16:26,569 --> 00:16:30,782 And the world had to feel almost surreal in its level of devastation. 296 00:16:32,409 --> 00:16:34,493 You've got people crawling along. 297 00:16:34,494 --> 00:16:37,914 We had amputees with their legs burnt off, with arms burnt off. 298 00:16:38,581 --> 00:16:40,834 People walkin' around on fire. 299 00:16:42,002 --> 00:16:44,795 Waldo and his team created 300 00:16:44,796 --> 00:16:47,257 the Dust Man, as we called him. 301 00:16:49,050 --> 00:16:50,010 When I, you know, went to touch it, 302 00:16:50,011 --> 00:16:52,970 it was just a really intricate affair where you had to time it just right, 303 00:16:52,971 --> 00:16:54,596 touch it with just the right amount of pressure, 304 00:16:54,597 --> 00:16:55,765 so they could pull it. 305 00:16:56,975 --> 00:16:58,267 Yeah, it was pretty amazing. 306 00:16:58,268 --> 00:17:00,068 Every time they had to reset that, I was like, 307 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,230 I don't envy them. 308 00:17:02,689 --> 00:17:05,024 Just sort of crumbles into ash, that was a way of saying, 309 00:17:05,025 --> 00:17:06,567 whatever you thought you knew about soldiery 310 00:17:06,568 --> 00:17:09,653 has been burned to a crisp and you're on your own. 311 00:17:09,654 --> 00:17:11,948 And we cut. Checking. 312 00:17:20,206 --> 00:17:22,374 I mean, I think it's a Pyrrhic victory for both sides. 313 00:17:22,375 --> 00:17:24,460 The Blacks lose Rhaenys's dragon and a dragonrider 314 00:17:24,461 --> 00:17:27,379 and one of Rhaenyra's most trusted councilors. 315 00:17:27,380 --> 00:17:29,757 And the Greens, we don't really know the condition 316 00:17:29,758 --> 00:17:31,175 of Sunfyre or Aegon, but certainly, 317 00:17:31,176 --> 00:17:35,722 Sunfyre is not going to fly again tomorrow and the king is not in good shape. 318 00:17:36,181 --> 00:17:39,892 Well, I mean, all of Aegon's worst fears come true when 319 00:17:39,893 --> 00:17:44,897 he's plummetin' to the Earth after being hit by a ball of fire. 320 00:17:44,898 --> 00:17:46,357 Because they cross the nuclear line, 321 00:17:46,358 --> 00:17:47,566 it's been devastating for everybody. 322 00:17:47,567 --> 00:17:49,611 Both sides have lost something major. 323 00:17:50,904 --> 00:17:54,531 Oh, my God, massive loss. What a disaster. Total disaster. 324 00:17:54,532 --> 00:17:56,825 Best fighter down and best dragon down. 325 00:17:56,826 --> 00:17:59,036 I mean, the whole thing's total chaos. 326 00:17:59,037 --> 00:18:02,706 But, yes, if you've gotta go, going on the back of a dragon 327 00:18:02,707 --> 00:18:06,502 in the middle of the best, kickass fight 328 00:18:06,503 --> 00:18:08,505 that there's ever been, is quite a good way. 329 00:18:10,340 --> 00:18:14,802 It's never nice. As particularly, someone who is such a wonderful person 330 00:18:14,803 --> 00:18:16,845 and such a brilliantly talented performer 331 00:18:16,846 --> 00:18:19,139 and we've become very close and very good friends 332 00:18:19,140 --> 00:18:21,016 over this short period of time. 333 00:18:21,017 --> 00:18:24,603 But it's an absolute, absolute dream to work with her. 334 00:18:24,604 --> 00:18:27,231 So, it was a bit, like, "Oh, wow. 335 00:18:27,232 --> 00:18:29,066 Oh, that's really, you know," 336 00:18:29,067 --> 00:18:32,153 but we're not gonna stop being friends so, you know. 337 00:18:38,952 --> 00:18:43,914 To deliver these really dynamic dragon flying shots 338 00:18:43,915 --> 00:18:47,669 and have those intercut with this sort of drama and action 339 00:18:47,794 --> 00:18:50,587 happenin' on the ground, it's comin' together to be 340 00:18:50,588 --> 00:18:52,924 a really incredible scene. 341 00:18:54,467 --> 00:18:57,302 I think Alan pretty much got, an incredible 342 00:18:57,303 --> 00:18:59,431 battle sequence that he's put together. 343 00:19:00,849 --> 00:19:02,225 Really proud to be a part of that. 344 00:19:02,851 --> 00:19:07,646 You're in the middle of something so huge that the kind of thing that, as actors, 345 00:19:07,647 --> 00:19:09,107 you don't get to do very often. 346 00:19:10,066 --> 00:19:11,900 Alright, mate. Thanks, Alan. 347 00:19:11,901 --> 00:19:15,404 You just have to pinch yourself every so often that you're on this thing. 348 00:19:15,405 --> 00:19:18,742 I sincerely doubt I'll ever be a part of this grand 349 00:19:18,867 --> 00:19:23,496 scene again for the rest of my career, so I felt very, very lucky. 350 00:19:24,581 --> 00:19:28,459 It's the hardest thing that I've ever done as a producer and a showrunner 351 00:19:28,460 --> 00:19:29,878 and frankly, as a writer. 352 00:19:30,545 --> 00:19:32,964 But I'm very, very proud of the result.