By now, you’re probably into Game of Thrones. There’s so much to love, it’s hard not to be. While the actors get all the glory, and HBO takes all the credit, there’s a lot more to making the show than most people realize. Here’s a list of just some of the people that help to make Game of Thrones possible.
Game of Thrones was an instant hit when it first aired, making a celebrity out of author George R.R. Martin. He seems to be having fun with his new found spotlight, and more power to him. If you want to thank someone, start with him. Then do yourself a favor and go buy and read all 5 books. Then do yourself another favor and check out his “not a blog.” I think he might be the only one left using live journal, but it’s a fun read.
There would be no show without David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the producers who brought it to life when they pitched it to HBO. Thankfully, they were realistic about it and realized it couldn’t be a half-assed effort. Anything less than the full attention and financial support from HBO could have resulted in a campy disaster, so you can thank these two men for making sure the show got the royal treatment it deserved.
A lot of people want to talk about how amazing the actors are, rightfully so. They do a truly outstanding job, but they wouldn’t even have a job if it wasn’t for the show’s casting directors, Nina Gold and Robert Sterne. I don’t know how they do it, but they continue to cast the show better than I ever thought possible. As a huge fan of the books, I really can’t thank them enough for the incredible job that they do. Part of this is because GRRM does a great job with his descriptions, but there’s always a risk when child/unknown actors are involved.
If you watch the show on demand and fast forward through the opening credits, don’t. Each week, the credits are beautifully animated, and help viewers get into the show! Not to mention the fact that the team that created the amazing intro won an Emmy award for their efforts.
One of the most fitting musical compositions ever, the original music for Game of Thrones was written by Ramin Djawadi, who was an protege of Hans Zimmer. To give you an idea of his diversity as a composer, he is also responsible for the power chord, guitar driven score from the Iron Man movies. The simplicity and tones used in the Game of Thrones opening sequence are what really stand out to me. I don’t think the music could be any better.
You have probably noticed just how authentic everything on the show seems to feel. You can thank Gemma Jackson for that. She’s the production designer, who works with a large team of talented artists and visionaries to give the show its overall look and feel.
Take a look at any of the characters and you will notice that their outfits are superb. The contrast between the minimalism of the Dothraki versus the practicality of the Starks is a great example of the thought that went into it. You can thank Michelle Clapton (Costume Designer) and Catherine Shanks (Costume Coordinator) for that. Then of course there’s the armor, which by itself could be its own blog post. You can thank Simon Brindle for that- his title: Costume Armour Supervisor.
There are plenty more people that could and should be recognized for their hard work! Click here for a full list of production crew on Game of Thrones, or leave your homages in the comments below!
