“Emilia had a lot of experience, and Kit is really a tough cookie.

It’s computer-controlled and you can program a certain movement relative to what the dragon is doing.”Īlthough digital doubles were used sparingly - for the wider shots where the actor’s faces weren’t needed - most of the actual riding is done by Harington and Clarke once the stunt people did a dry run on the bucks to troubleshoot any movements. “That’s motion-controlled with hydraulics, and then there’s a spider cam, which is a camera mounted with four cables on the stage in each corner. “Those moves need to be programmed into the motion-controlled buck, what the actors sit on as they’re on the dragon,” said Fangmeier. Then, it was time for the next step in the Westerosi magic - having the actors simulate the ride in front of a green screen on a buck, something that looks like a giant mechanical bull that is also draped in green for computer-graphic enhancement later. The dragon flight was planned out step-by-step through the pre-vis (pre-visualization) process, creating a storyboard of each moment that would be highlighted. “It’s a little bit more of a roller coaster and it doesn’t have the purpose other than to get Jon comfortable with being on the dragon, which he later on will need to be.” The Actors Get Buck Wild

So there needed to be some danger, a little recklessness on Dany’s part to scare him a little bit and that’s sort of her attitude,” said Fangmeier. After all, with war coming, having two pilot dragons on the human side will outnumber the undead dragon that the Night King stole. Jon’s acceptance by Rhaegal goes a long way in confirming his lineage, and also bodes well for a future of flying. Martin’s books, it’s emphasized that only a true Targaryen can ride - or perhaps pilot - a dragon. Jon Snow’s joyride is also a big deal from a narrative standpoint, and not just because he got along with his girlfriend’s kids. Sam Levinson and The Weeknd Address ‘The Idol’ Reshoots: ‘Quitting’ Was ‘Never an Option’

Dragon Ride by Grace Jacob