With only two weeks left until the Season 8 premiere of HBO's GAME OF THRONES, it won't be long until fans of the action-fantasy series will have to wave goodbye to the surviving warriors of Westeros, as well as anyone left standing after a new ruler takes their seat atop the Iron Throne. Ever since the show made its April, 2011 premiere, the drama based on George R.R. Martin's acclaimed novel series has dazzled fans of special effects and big-budget efforts on the small screen. Now, with the eighth and final season of the show poised to storm HBO platforms on April 14th, those behind GOT's spectacular effects have invited viewers to take a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most impressive spectacles and set pieces the show has ever known.
"Things need to be shot faster and they need to be turned around faster. This whole journey of Game of Thrones has been one of figuring out how to rise to that occasion," says GAME OF THRONES VFX producer Steve Kullbak, in the video.
As the video plays on, you can see the painstaking effects work coming to life as technicians create in concert with one another to blend green screen, practical and animatronic methods together to create one seamless universe of treachery, epic battles, dragons in flight and so much more.
"The biggest challenge for visual effects is defining what the workload is. From the scripts we have a really good general idea of what we're doing, but for us it comes down to the individual shots. Every shot defines a method, " says VFX Supervisor Joe Bauer.
Without a doubt, the final season of GAME OF THRONES is one of the most anticipated events of the year, right alongside the release of Marvel's AVENGERS: ENDGAME. While many will likely be consumed by the loss of the series, it's important to keep in mind that the Jane Goldman-scripted GAME OF THRONES spinoff is steadily coming together. The new show is expected to take place thousands of years before the events of GAME OF THRONES, thereby providing fans with a whole new cast of characters to grow attached to as well as new locations to explore.
GAME OF THRONES Season 8 will launch on HBO services on April 14th.