Conference Presentation, Interview
David Benioff - Behind the Scenes of HBO's 'Game of Thrones': Talks at GS Session Highlights
- Season Six Creative Challenges
- Season six is described as the hardest season produced due to being almost entirely beyond George R.R. Martin's published books, requiring the writers to forge new narrative paths.
- The creative team struggled to maintain fidelity to the "spirit" of the novels while adapting without source material, noting season five was less divergent as it still utilized key book set pieces like the "Walk of Atonement."
- Despite the difficulty, the creators consider season six the one they are proudest of, marking a significant shift from adapting existing material to original storytelling.
- Show Production Scale and Logistics
- The production has become the "biggest television show in the world," employing 700 crew members and featuring 583 named characters.
- The cast includes thousands of unnamed extras, specifically noting "Dothraki number one through three thousand."
- Filming occurs across six different countries, with operations running in multiple units simultaneously; at one point, three different directors shot three different scenes from three different episodes on the same day.
- Development History and Early Setbacks
- Co-creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss met in Dublin graduate school, bonding over shared nerd culture, fantasy interests (including D&D), and the difficulty of finding a gym at the time.
- The initial pitch to HBO was deemed terrifying by Benioff, with the executives described as the "toughest" in the industry for not giving feedback.
- George R.R. Martin approved the HBO series concept early on, agreeing the story was too large for a movie format and famously testing the writers' knowledge of Jon Snow's parentage during a lunch meeting.
- The pilot was initially a "disappointment" and failed to clearly establish the incestuous relationship between Jamie and Cersei, risking viewer confusion.
- HBO greenlit the series despite the pilot's flaws, driven by strong foreign sales and the sunk cost of $10 million already invested in production.
- The creators were given unprecedented control to run the entire show, including casting and hiring directors, despite having zero prior experience in producing.
- Future Trajectory and Upcoming Seasons
- The show is scheduled to conclude with Season Eight, which will serve as the final season following the upcoming Season Six and a subsequent Season Seven.
- The creators aim to keep faith with the narrative spirit of the novels even while diverging from the specific plot points.
- Creator Personal Backgrounds and Interests
- David Benioff's path to writing began in childhood; he admitted to lying about his father being a submarine commander and once aspired to play baseball for the Yankees before committing fully to writing.
- The creators cite The Sopranos, The Wire, and Deadwood as foundational influences on serialized storytelling, while currently praising the first season of Mr. Robot and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
- Benioff is currently reading the Shelby Foote trilogy on the Civil War to fill historical gaps in his knowledge, while Eric Schmidt's son is obsessed with books featuring tractors and construction vehicles.
- George R.R. Martin Relationship
- The creators describe Martin as having a "wild imagination" and a "dark side" that remains compelling despite his industry experience.
- Benioff notes that working with Martin is unique because, even at 45 years old, Martin continues to teach new narrative tricks to experienced writers.