VFX of Game of Thrones

By the end of the final season of Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss offered their insights on how the impressive VFX of the show was put into effect. The show partnered with Rodeo FX, Mackevision, Zoic, Illoura, Image Engine among many others to make the spectacle possible. While not everyone may have loved how the show ended, we cannot deny that the visual effects that went into Game of Thrones are truly breathtaking. Let’s break down some of the VFX elements that made Game of Thrones what it is. And needless to say, there are some spoilers ahead so be warned!

1. Image Engine

Image Engine was responsible for creating the dragons in the show. The dragons’ movement was perfected by the VFX House and it took a lot of time, effort and money to create these fantastic beasts. While not all of the dragons made it till the end of the show, we loved every moment they were on screen.

2. Rodeo FX

Rodeo FX is a Montreal-based VFX studio that is responsible for creating CG environments in Game of Thrones. The animation effects were made possible by techniques using Houdini and Nuke to achieve the spectacular fight scenes in the final season of the show. We will never be able to forget how well-crafted the battle against the Night King was. Rodeo FX was also used to add the ships seen in the show including the Iron Fleet and of course, Yara’s fleet as she escaped with Theon before her brother decided to fight for the living in Winterfell instead.

3. Illoura Studios

HBO teamed up with Illoura in Season 7 for ‘The Spoils of War’, which is one of the most compelling episodes of Game of Thrones that showcased what VFX is capable of. The battle between the Lannisters and Dany’s army was one of the biggest spectacles of the penultimate season and it was all made possible by Illoura. VFX supervisor Glenn Melenhorst revealed “We created digital doubles for the Dothraki at high resolution, knowing that we might need to drop them anywhere in a frame. This was not a case of throwing CG extras in the back of the horde, rather they are often front and center – something you’d never imagine trying to achieve in a typical TV show.”

4. Zoic Studios

Zoic was responsible for creating the environments of the show including the rich and snowy landscapes that you see in Winterfell. Also, the grand library that we get to see at the Citadel when Sam visits to gain knowledge was actually created using VFX. Zoic was also responsible for some of the masks Arya wore including Walder Frey’s, and of course, The Mountain was a creation by Zoic as well.

There are other studios who contributed to the show as well. Mackevision is one of the bigger studios that contributed to the CGI armies that we see in various parts of the show. If you want to know all about how the show was produced you can check out the short documentaries that D&D placed at the end of the episodes since Season 7. We all take for granted how difficult animation can be but the end result is always breathtaking.

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