Chapter 352: Bastard

"The Song of Ice and Fire: Game of Thrones, Scene 15, Act 1, begins now!"

As the clapper loader's voice rang out, filming officially started. It was the first scene with a major character to be filmed in the ten days since the shoot began.

Murphy stood behind the director's monitor, watching the digital HD images transmitted through the camera lens.

"Your uncle is a man of the Night's Watch from afar!"

The camera moved to a low archway. The first thing that appeared in front of Murphy was an empty shot, then the camera panned down, and Peter Dinklage, dressed as Tyrion Lannister, appeared on the monitor.

Peter Dinklage walked towards Hank Pym, who portrayed Jon Snow, and Hank Pym changed direction to meet him.

"What are you doing here?" Jon Hart asked.

"Preparing to revel all night with your family," Peter Dinklage circled around Jon Hart.

A camera on a dolly track slowly followed Peter Dinklage, occasionally giving him a close-up.

Leaning against a wooden post, Peter Dinklage took a sip from his bottle and said, "I've long wanted to behold the splendor of the Wall."

The main camera focused on Peter Dinklage, with Jon Snow appearing only as a silhouette in the background—a simple camera switch, with the POV now on Tyrion Lannister.

"Are you that Tyrion Lannister?" Jon Hart asked with his back to the camera, "The Queen's brother?"

Peter Dinklage looked down self-deprecatingly, "That seems to be my highest achievement."

The camera zoomed in for a close-up of Peter Dinklage's face, who then looked up and said, "You are Ned Stark's bastard, aren't you?"

Hank Pym looked angrily at Peter Dinklage and turned to walk away, but Peter Dinklage called after him, "Did I offend you? I'm very sorry."

He slowly walked towards Hank Pym, "But you are indeed a bastard."

"Ned Stark is indeed my father," Hank Pym stated.

"And Lady Stark is not your mother, hence you are a bastard," Peter Dinklage added.

"Bastard brother, let me give you a piece of advice," he said, sounding devoid of malice. "Never forget who you are because the world will not. Arm yourself with that, and no one can use it to hurt you."

After saying this, Peter Dinklage turned and walked away, with the camera retreating in front of him.

"How could you understand the feeling of being a bastard," Hank Pym frowned deeply.

Peter Dinklage stopped and left one last remark, "All dwarfs are bastards in their father's eyes."

The two parted ways.

The cameras set on the tracks quickly returned to position, and Murphy raised his hand, shouting, "Take a fifteen-minute break, then we'll do it again, this time from Jon Snow's POV."

Murphy was very strict about the filming. Although there are many differences between television and film, and television productions generally don't match the quality of movies, he still demanded a cinematic approach to the entire shoot.

Mistakes could lead to a need for retakes, sometimes due to Murphy's personal demands for a reshoot, and changes in perspective were used to provide more material for post-production editing.

Due to the style of the series, most of the scenes, especially those related to the North and its settings, had dark colors and lighting, and there were many night scenes.

As mentioned before, Murphy generally shot night scenes during the day and adjusted them later with DaVinci Resolve and other computer technologies, although a few special night scenes required shooting during the evening or other specific times.

In the subsequent screen tests, Murphy filmed night scenes on location using three methods: night for night, twilight for night, and day for night.

Shooting night scenes at night was convenient because of the limited space and difficulty in positioning lights, so the most convenient method was to use high-sensitivity lenses and low illumination, maximizing the use of available natural light with minimal artificial lighting.

For a few night shoots, Murphy also used artificial light to illuminate nearby walls, simulating reflected light for ambient and character lighting.

This method was practical, saved on equipment, and produced realistic lighting effects.

For special night scenes, it was necessary to shoot during twilight to achieve the best post-production effects.

When shooting scenes visible through doors and windows at night, it was essential to shoot at dusk to illuminate the scene with the remaining daylight.

Setting up the indoor night lighting effects and waiting for the sky to darken to a certain level allowed for optimal shooting conditions during twilight.

However, the majority of night scenes were shot during the day, comprising about eighty-five percent of all night scenes.

Although Murphy and his team were experienced, they faced challenges in shooting night scenes with visible outdoor elements through windows, the key being to reduce the

 brightness of the outdoor scenes to achieve the required night brightness.

Murphy's method involved using large gray filters over the doors and windows to reduce the brightness of the dim outdoor scenes, while the indoor lighting was arranged as it would be for a night shoot.

The ability to achieve these night shots was significantly aided by the use of digital cinema cameras.

Even though Murphy was not a technologist, he had to acknowledge that filmmaking required not only art but also technology, like digital cameras, which could effectively solve many problems encountered during shooting.

As for the ongoing debate between film and digital in Hollywood, Murphy believed that digital photography technology, like the evolution from silent to sound and black-and-white to color films, was an inevitable result of progress.

The advancement in technology allowed more people to easily master these imaging tools, leading to what is often referred to as an "imaging life," where creativity is not compromised by ease of use.

In this era, spectacular visual works are created by amateurs, impacting traditional professionals, but lowering the barrier to entry enriches visual media.

Although using the equipment requires professional standards, Murphy knew that technological advancements should not overshadow the aesthetic and quality standards of imaging.

Past innovations, like the Sony F35 camera, have matured to allow unrestricted shooting, freeing users technologically but revealing that what matters is not the equipment but the professionalism of the users.

If users maintain a strong professional ethos, they can provide better artistic support, especially in complex shooting environments or on large-scale projects like "Game of Thrones," where digital cameras prove highly effective.

As equipment becomes increasingly sophisticated and changes rapidly, it is crucial for creators to learn how to use these tools to express their thoughts and ideas effectively.

Ultimately, regardless of the technology, its purpose is to serve film production, and if it achieves the desired effect, there is no need to debate whether it is old or new technology.

Digital equipment, much like film, can capture classics, enabling filmmakers to focus on creating timeless works.

After wrapping up the shoot at the Titanic Museum studio, the crew split into three groups: Murphy led the largest group continuing to shoot in the British Isles and nearby areas, while Paul Wilson and Seth Rogen led the other groups to Malta and Croatia to film some secondary scenes.

With the commencement of the external shoots, Murphy's crew also welcomed a group of special actors: six huskies brought in by a professional agency.

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