“Game of Thrones” fans are a little disappointed. In this article, we will talk about why is Game of Thrones so dark and what the cinematographer has to say about these dark visuals. The creators of the program may be forgetting that the common viewer has a screen with considerably less advanced technology as they push the limits of light and darkness. Winter has officially arrived in Game of Thrones, as seen by the episode’s first half, which featured the Battle of Winterfell and was enveloped in darkness.
The program was so dark, in fact, that some viewers are outraged over it, with many claiming they struggled to see anything at all. So, now without any further ado, let us check out why Game of Thrones is so dark.
Why is Game of Thrones So Dark?
Since season five, Game of Thrones has gotten progressively darker in its presentation, but the most recent episode was especially tough to follow. It’s a dramatic contrast to the episodes of the first series of the show, which were backlit and perfectly clear. The change is partially attributable to a change in the show’s overall tone; as the subject matter has become darker, so too has the portrayal. The sky was full of blocky artifacts rather than smooth transitions from the darkness of night over the fields outside Winterfell to the torchlight on the anxious faces of the army awaiting the fate of humanity. In the gloom, banding encircled the dazzling lights.
It was dark in “The Longest Night.” In a series with many gloomy episodes, it was one of the darkest, if not the darkest. Regardless of whether you approve of the intentionally dark cinematography in episode 3 or not, many TVs struggle to adequately display images that dark. Although “Game of Thrones” isn’t the only show using a darker color scheme, one of HBO’s recruited directors of photography claims the lack of additional illumination is deliberate.
Not only was it still late summer and early fall when “Game of Thrones” first premiered, but the cinematographers also used additional illumination on the set. Rarely, and even less frequently, does someone mention that an episode was genuinely too dark to see anything while referring to the series’ color scheme? The series’ record-breaking episode, “The Long Night,” was subject to the latter criticism, and director Fabian Wagner is here to address it.
What Does Cinematographer Had To Say?
Wagner has been with the show since Season 4 and has been in the business as a whole for the past 15 years. He was the cameraman for the longest episode of the series as well as fan favorites including “Hardhome” and “Battle of the Bastards.” Even seasoned cast and crew were stretched to the brink for “The Long Night,” which took 11 weeks and 55 night shoots to finish. Visually, it was always meant to be dark, but not so black as to make viewers’ viewing experiences meaningless.
The showrunners felt that this had to be a somber episode because viewers had seen so many fight scenes in previous seasons. Wagner added that in order to make the story truly impactful and for viewers to care about the characters, the story had to be presented in a distinctive way. According to Wagner, the nighttime shot is mostly responsible for the episode’s overall gloom, with lighting choices on set providing the remaining ambiance.
McLachlan Words
Eight “Game of Thrones” episodes, including the renowned “Rains of Castamere” from season three, “Mother’s Mercy” from season five, and “The Spoils of War” from season seven, had McLachlan as the principal cinematographer.
Nonetheless, McLachlan noted that there are a lot of pointless backlights if you watch season one again. Even during the day, the exteriors can be seen to have been lit, he continued. He believes that the cinematographers who have been working on it since then are all very much on the same page when it comes to our desire to be as authentic as achievable.
However, some industry professionals and fans believe that the episode’s level of gloom went a little too far in this particular instance. Manchester-based videographer Sophie Barrott claims she was only able to watch the first 15 minutes. Thus, these were all we know about why “Game of Thrones” is so dark. We hope you received all of your responses. Keep streaming!!
Also read: See Season 3 Episode 1: Release Date & What To Expect?
