Through its eight season run on HBO, Game of Thrones featured increasingly epic battle sequences. Jon Snow’s engagements alone highlight the escalation in martial scale from season 3’s “The Watchers on the Wall” to season 5’s “Hardhome” to season 6’s “Battle of the Bastards.”
As the show’s popularity grew, so too did its budget, creating an opportunity for more Medieval-era military spectacle. That also means, however, that some of the show’s earlier attempts at big scale battles fell a little short in hindsight.
No episode is a better example of that than season 2’s penultimate installment “Blackwater.” Taking its name from Stannis Baratheon’s Blackwater-based siege of King’s Landing, this hour-long battle was Game of Thrones‘ first real attempt at a Lord of the Rings Helm’s Deep-level battle. And for what we were used to seeing on television at the time, it was entirely successful.
As the show’s popularity grew, so too did its budget, creating an opportunity for more Medieval-era military spectacle. That also means, however, that some of the show’s earlier attempts at big scale battles fell a little short in hindsight.
No episode is a better example of that than season 2’s penultimate installment “Blackwater.” Taking its name from Stannis Baratheon’s Blackwater-based siege of King’s Landing, this hour-long battle was Game of Thrones‘ first real attempt at a Lord of the Rings Helm’s Deep-level battle. And for what we were used to seeing on television at the time, it was entirely successful.
- 6/6/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Swordplay, fistfights, horse charges, fiery deaths — when it comes to stunt work, HBO’s House of the Dragon runs the full gamut. Four-time Emmy winner Rowley Irlam is the show’s coordinator tasked with safely turning on-set action into fantasy mayhem. His experience stretches across nearly 30 years of films and shows — including the James Bond, Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises, plus Dragon‘s successor, Game of Thrones. In a conversation with THR, Irlam reveals the season’s biggest challenges and teases the show’s epic battles to come.
When the scripts come to you, do you get first crack at deciding whether something is practical stunt work or CG? Do you ever push for something to be done one way versus the other?
The whole world of computer-generated [filmmaking] is constantly evolving. Rather than anything replacing real life, it’s more about harnessing those technologies to enhance real life. The...
When the scripts come to you, do you get first crack at deciding whether something is practical stunt work or CG? Do you ever push for something to be done one way versus the other?
The whole world of computer-generated [filmmaking] is constantly evolving. Rather than anything replacing real life, it’s more about harnessing those technologies to enhance real life. The...
- 6/6/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jon Snow, Arya Stark and the rest of the best fighters on Game of Thrones owe their combat skills to the various masters they trained under along the way in Westeros and beyond — a list that includes Rowley Irlam, the award-winning English stunt coordinator who presided over the HBO drama's biggest set pieces starting with season five.
As with most stories related to Thrones, Irlam's introduction to the world of ice and fire begins with both of those elements: ice during the battle in season five's "Hardhome" and plenty of fire one episode later in "Dance ...
As with most stories related to Thrones, Irlam's introduction to the world of ice and fire begins with both of those elements: ice during the battle in season five's "Hardhome" and plenty of fire one episode later in "Dance ...
- 11/19/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Emmy nominees in the drama/limited series/TV movie stunt coordination category had challenges ranging from creating epic battles and burning a city (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”) to flying stunt performers more than 700 feet off the ground (CBS’ “Seal Team”). Every stunt comes with risks requiring precision, experience and a lot of trust — and not only between the stunt performers and coordinators. The entire production team puts its faith in stunt coordinators who must work safely, efficiently, and in a budget-conscientious manner — all while turning in work that inspires heart-stopping emotion. What is most important to these coordinators is safety; they take great pride in what they can pull off for the camera in scenarios allowing the action to jump off the page — and plenty of helicopters.
“The Blacklist”
(NBC)
As a stunt coordinator, Cort L. Hessler III feels he is best known for “real car crashes, real fights,...
“The Blacklist”
(NBC)
As a stunt coordinator, Cort L. Hessler III feels he is best known for “real car crashes, real fights,...
- 8/8/2019
- by Jarrett Hill
- Variety Film + TV
Everybody answers to somebody — even the Night King.
In the fictional realm of Game of Thrones, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) proved to be his boss, stabbing the White Walker leader in the gut and thereby ending the Great War forever. In the nonfictional realm of creating Game of Thrones, Night King stunt performer Vladimir Furdik answers to a different boss entirely: stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam, one of the men chiefly responsible with bringing director Miguel Sapochnik's "The Long Night" to violent life.
A member of the Thrones family since 2015's fifth season, Irlam has worked with a small army ...
In the fictional realm of Game of Thrones, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) proved to be his boss, stabbing the White Walker leader in the gut and thereby ending the Great War forever. In the nonfictional realm of creating Game of Thrones, Night King stunt performer Vladimir Furdik answers to a different boss entirely: stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam, one of the men chiefly responsible with bringing director Miguel Sapochnik's "The Long Night" to violent life.
A member of the Thrones family since 2015's fifth season, Irlam has worked with a small army ...
The most horrific moment of the “Game of Thrones” Season 8 premiere was easily when Beric Dondarrion had to light a young child turned white walker on fire. “Thrones” is well known for featuring graphic violence across its run, but the sight of a small boy screaming while he is burned alive sticks out as one of the show’s most brutal images (it brought back memories of the young Princess Shireen being burned alive in Season 5). Showrunner David Benioff calls the scene “a great horror movie sequence” in HBO’s official behind-the-scenes documentary on the premiere, which also introduces the stuntman who pulled off the horrific moment.
Paul Lowe is probably not a name that rings a bell for most “Thrones” viewers, but it’s likely many viewers are familiar with the stuntman’s work. “Winterfell,” the Season 8 premiere, was Lowe’s ninth “Thrones” episode and a full circle moment...
Paul Lowe is probably not a name that rings a bell for most “Thrones” viewers, but it’s likely many viewers are familiar with the stuntman’s work. “Winterfell,” the Season 8 premiere, was Lowe’s ninth “Thrones” episode and a full circle moment...
- 4/16/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Between Dany and her dragons and Melisandre and her love of setting people aflame in the name of the Lord of Light, “Game of Thrones” burns up quite a few people on a regular basis. And though on the HBO series what is dead may never die, the real-life actors being set on fire do need to go home unscathed at night.
In a new behind-the-scenes video posted by HBO on Monday, the “Game of Thrones” stunt team reveals its secrets for keeping everyone in Westeros safe as they douse them in fire.
“We burn more people than anybody else, basically,” stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam says in the clip — seriously, they broke a TV record with 20 full-fire burns in one shot — as he explains how they manage to do this without killing anyone.
Also Read: 'Game of Thrones': Night King Has a Specific 'Target He Wants to Kill'...
In a new behind-the-scenes video posted by HBO on Monday, the “Game of Thrones” stunt team reveals its secrets for keeping everyone in Westeros safe as they douse them in fire.
“We burn more people than anybody else, basically,” stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam says in the clip — seriously, they broke a TV record with 20 full-fire burns in one shot — as he explains how they manage to do this without killing anyone.
Also Read: 'Game of Thrones': Night King Has a Specific 'Target He Wants to Kill'...
- 3/18/2019
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
Christina Pickles won her first Emmy for her work in Break a Hip.The Creative Arts Primetime Emmys were distributed Saturday at a ceremony in Los Angeles, with multiple wins going to HBO's Game of Thrones, Netflix's The Crown, and Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Check out a complete list of winners below.
TV movie: USS Callister: Black Mirror
Guest actor in a comedy series: Katt Williams, Atlanta
Cinematography for a single-camera series (one hour): Adriano Goldman, The Crown
Cinematography for a single-camera series (half-hour): Christian Sprenger, Atlanta
Hairstyling for a single-camera series: Westworld
Makeup for a single-camera series (non-prosthetic): Westworld
Children’s program: The Magical Wand Chase: A Sesame Street Special
Contemporary costumes: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Creative achievement in interactive media within a scripted program: Westworld Chaos Takes Control Interactive Experience.
Original interactive program: Nasa Jpl: Cassini...
Check out a complete list of winners below.
TV movie: USS Callister: Black Mirror
Guest actor in a comedy series: Katt Williams, Atlanta
Cinematography for a single-camera series (one hour): Adriano Goldman, The Crown
Cinematography for a single-camera series (half-hour): Christian Sprenger, Atlanta
Hairstyling for a single-camera series: Westworld
Makeup for a single-camera series (non-prosthetic): Westworld
Children’s program: The Magical Wand Chase: A Sesame Street Special
Contemporary costumes: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Creative achievement in interactive media within a scripted program: Westworld Chaos Takes Control Interactive Experience.
Original interactive program: Nasa Jpl: Cassini...
- 9/9/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Today safety on the set is critical. How often do we hear about the stunt women? The men are romanticized and copied by generations of boys wanting to perform brave stunts. Well, here is the woman for generations of girls to watch and wish to imitate. But…
The danger involved is central to the topic. This month, John Bernecker, a stuntman on AMC’s The Walking Dead, died from injuries suffered on the show’s set and another stuntman suffered major injuries after he was run over by a car on the set of the new TV show Shooter at a Santa Clarita airport. During the filming of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in September 2015, stuntwoman Olivia Jackson suffered extensive injuries after a motorcycle accident involving a metal camera arm. She spent two weeks in a medically induced coma. A 2015 story from The Times examined the circumstances surrounding the increased...
The danger involved is central to the topic. This month, John Bernecker, a stuntman on AMC’s The Walking Dead, died from injuries suffered on the show’s set and another stuntman suffered major injuries after he was run over by a car on the set of the new TV show Shooter at a Santa Clarita airport. During the filming of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in September 2015, stuntwoman Olivia Jackson suffered extensive injuries after a motorcycle accident involving a metal camera arm. She spent two weeks in a medically induced coma. A 2015 story from The Times examined the circumstances surrounding the increased...
- 7/13/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
If anticipation could be measured, it’s safe to say HBO’s Game of Thrones would hold the record. Until the time when that becomes possible, the show will have to settle for a different record, that being setting the most people on fire for an entertainment production. Fans must be drooling at the mere sound of this as it implies Daenerys has let her pets loose and they’re just torching the s**t out of everything in sight. Showrunner David Benioff spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the world record:
“In one battle scene we set more stuntmen on fire than have ever been simultaneously set on fire. Our stunt coordinator really wanted to get in the Guinness Book of World Records for this.”
While there isn’t a current record holder, as Guiness doesn’t keep track of these types of things, stunt-coordinator Rowley Irlam, who has seen...
“In one battle scene we set more stuntmen on fire than have ever been simultaneously set on fire. Our stunt coordinator really wanted to get in the Guinness Book of World Records for this.”
While there isn’t a current record holder, as Guiness doesn’t keep track of these types of things, stunt-coordinator Rowley Irlam, who has seen...
- 6/7/2017
- by Seth McDonald
- LRMonline.com
Author: David Sztypuljak
A couple of weeks ago we were lucky enough to be invited along to a rather special event as Sky Atlantic gave us the chance to join the Night’s Watch in celebration of Game of Thrones season 7 coming back our screens on Monday July 17th at both 2am (to simulcast with the Us) and 9pm later that evening.
Hosting the event were Game of Thrones Weapons Master Tommy Dunne (who has also worked on movies including Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, Blood Diamond, & The Bourne Ultimatum to name but a few) and Stunt Coordinator Rowley Irlam (whose CV is just as impressive and includes Casino Royale, Captain America, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Skyfall, Captain Phillips and many more) who would be putting us through our paces using both the sword and the bow. I’d done a little bit of archery before so wasn’t too...
A couple of weeks ago we were lucky enough to be invited along to a rather special event as Sky Atlantic gave us the chance to join the Night’s Watch in celebration of Game of Thrones season 7 coming back our screens on Monday July 17th at both 2am (to simulcast with the Us) and 9pm later that evening.
Hosting the event were Game of Thrones Weapons Master Tommy Dunne (who has also worked on movies including Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, Blood Diamond, & The Bourne Ultimatum to name but a few) and Stunt Coordinator Rowley Irlam (whose CV is just as impressive and includes Casino Royale, Captain America, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Skyfall, Captain Phillips and many more) who would be putting us through our paces using both the sword and the bow. I’d done a little bit of archery before so wasn’t too...
- 5/1/2017
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Were there any surprises at this year's SAG Awards?
Check out all of the winners in the TV categories, below, and tell us if you're surprised by those chosen to take home a statue.
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Millie Bobby Brown / Eleven
Cara Buono / Karen Wheeler
Joe Chrest / Ted Wheeler
Natalia Dyer / Nancy Wheeler
David Harbour / Jim Hopper
Charlie Heaton / Jonathan Byers
Joe Keery / Steve Harrington
Gaten Matarazzo / Dustin Henderson
Caleb McLaughlin / Lucas Sinclair
Matthew Modine / Dr. Martin Brenner
Rob Morgan / Officer Powell
John Paul Reynolds / Officer Callahan
Winona Ryder / Joyce Byers
Noah Schnapp / Will Byers
Mark Steger / The Monster
Finn Wolfhard / Mike Wheeler
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Claire Foy / Queen Elizabeth II – “The Crown” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
John Lithgow / Winston Churchill – “The Crown” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by...
Check out all of the winners in the TV categories, below, and tell us if you're surprised by those chosen to take home a statue.
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Millie Bobby Brown / Eleven
Cara Buono / Karen Wheeler
Joe Chrest / Ted Wheeler
Natalia Dyer / Nancy Wheeler
David Harbour / Jim Hopper
Charlie Heaton / Jonathan Byers
Joe Keery / Steve Harrington
Gaten Matarazzo / Dustin Henderson
Caleb McLaughlin / Lucas Sinclair
Matthew Modine / Dr. Martin Brenner
Rob Morgan / Officer Powell
John Paul Reynolds / Officer Callahan
Winona Ryder / Joyce Byers
Noah Schnapp / Will Byers
Mark Steger / The Monster
Finn Wolfhard / Mike Wheeler
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Claire Foy / Queen Elizabeth II – “The Crown” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
John Lithgow / Winston Churchill – “The Crown” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by...
- 1/30/2017
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
Stunt teams from Skyfall and Game of Thrones have won this year’s SAG Award for Outstanding Action Performances by Film and Television Stunt Ensembles. SAG Awards Committee Chair JoBeth Williams and committee member Scott Bakula announced the award from the red carpet at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards and were webcast on tntdrama.com, tbs.com and People.com which will be streaming until 5 Pm Pt / 8 Pm Et. The Stunt Ensemble Honors recognize recognize stunt performers and coordinators. Nominees were chosen by their film and television nominating committees and were announced December 12, 2012. The recipients are: Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture Skyfall (Columbia Pictures) Hussain Abdullah Arsha Aghdasi Mahsa Ahmadi Gillian Aldam Lucy Allen Scott Armstrong Gary Arthurs Amir Badri Lee Bagley Cody Banta Carly Barnes Lloyd Bass Nikki Berwick Mustafa Beyter Dani Biernat Nellie Burroughes Michael Byrch Annabel Canaven Justo Usin Carrera...
- 1/27/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
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