Chapter 351: The Imp's Revenge

After the shooting commenced in Belfast, the first task Murphy undertook was to align the shooting styles of all the cinematographers through extensive on-site filming. The takes that frequently required retakes primarily involved extras and shots of landscapes. Each group of cinematographers took turns shooting, after which Murphy and Philip Raschel would gather them to review the footage and address specific issues.

Unlike the usual dual or triple camera setups in movie shootings, the series was set to split into three units later, involving more cinematographers and shots than a single movie could entail.

Although Murphy and Philip Raschel had emphasized the consistency of shooting style during the recruitment of cinematographers, no two cinematographers have exactly the same style and working methods, especially those working with Murphy for the first time. It was inevitable that they would need a period to adapt to meet Murphy's requirements.

Given Murphy's reputation, working with him was seen as a great opportunity, and the cinematographers put in their utmost effort to focus on their tasks to ensure the consistency of their footage.

The world doesn't have two cinematographers with identical styles, but with sufficient communication and collaboration, they could form a tightly-knit team. The visual materials produced could appear very similar, which is why Murphy and the entire shooting team maintained a strategy of close collaboration.

Before shooting their parts, the cinematographers continuously compared their shooting logs under Murphy's direction and used the PIX system—an online sample platform with a secure connection—to preview each other's samples. As Philip Raschel put it, they turned "Game of Thrones" into a super collaborative "networked epic."

Although everyone understood the importance of communication in filming, Murphy and the cinematographers were always busy, making it impossible to meet daily. However, they still made an effort to read each other's shooting logs and frequently viewed each other's footage on PIX.

Like the rest of the crew, the cinematographers shared a common workspace.

During the first week of shooting, all these practices helped the cinematographers understand what each of them was doing, needed to do, and how to do it.

For instance, when Seth Rogen directed a night scene, a giant moon-shaped box hung from a crane was used as a light source. Murphy liked this setup and decided to use it in some of his own night scenes.

This mutual learning was prevalent throughout the crew, with Murphy and all the cinematographers striving to maintain consistency in their shots.

In the time before the crew split into three, Murphy effectively united the cinematographers, allowing them to exchange insights and progress together.

During the shoot, Murphy allowed David Robbie to use natural light sources for all well-lit exterior scenes, making the footage more natural and realistic. Whether from sunlight or firelight, these sources had a saturation and color that made the scenes more expressive and dramatic.

After half a month of adjustments, the crew gradually found its rhythm. Murphy had accumulated a considerable amount of footage from extras and landscape shots. Then, the main actors gradually arrived at the Titanic Museum set in Belfast. The complex relationships among the great houses of Westeros needed to be clearly and accurately captured by Murphy's cameras over the next three months.

In the massive open-air set, dozens of crew members worked methodically under the direction of Murphy's assistant directors. Two cameras were set up on predetermined tracks, and another was mounted on a long crane for live video recording. The microphones were installed on booms, and the sound technicians, along with their assistants, continually adjusted them to achieve the audio effects Murphy wanted.

The next scene to be filmed was a night scene, set during the day like many others before it, with plans to adjust it to night during post-production.

"Philip, lower the lens on camera two by fifteen degrees," Murphy called out from behind the monitor as he watched the test footage.

"Lower the crane by three feet, shoot at a thirty-degree angle! Move camera one two feet outward on the track, keep the lens angle the same."

Adjusting the camera angles and positions for each scene took some time. Philip Raschel followed Murphy's instructions to adjust the cameras. Murphy left his director's chair and approached two actors who had just entered the set, instructing them to rehearse their positions while checking the details of their costumes.

In any epic film or series, it's crucial to avoid modern elements in costumes and make-up.

While it's impossible to eliminate all inconsistencies in such productions, a director must never use this as an excuse for carelessness. Every effort must be made to minimize the presence of any bugs.

After confirming there were no issues with the costumes and makeup, Murphy focused on the two actors about to perform a scene between Jon Snow and the cunning Tyrion Lannister. The stark contrast between the actors' heights added a visual layer to the scene.

The actor playing Jon Snow, a newcomer from CAA named Harington, had impressed during auditions with his remarkable performance.

As for Tyrion, given the physical requirements of the role, Murphy had limited options

. After some effort by Bill Rossis, Peter Dinklage was cast.

Though Peter Dinklage's later mature performances in major productions were incomparable, such actors were exceedingly rare. Murphy preferred not to rely extensively on forced perspective, which would require more resources and time. Instead, he chose this unique actor who stood out in all of Hollywood.

Born with achondroplasia, Peter Dinklage had always been "a head shorter" than others, but that hadn't deterred him from pursuing acting. Unlike many celebrities who started in different careers, Dinklage was formally trained in acting and had shown talent and intelligence from his school days, even writing plays during college. His scholarly approach and meticulousness during auditions left a lasting impression on Murphy, solidifying his decision to cast him.

After the actors rehearsed their movements, Murphy clapped his hands lightly. When Harington and Dinklage looked his way, he beckoned to them.

"Harington," Murphy first addressed the younger actor, "your character is still quite green, don't overdo your performance."

The young actor's quick understanding was one reason Murphy had chosen him.

"Uh..." Harington nodded emphatically.

Then, Murphy stepped back subtly to speak with Dinklage, ensuring their eye lines were level. Murphy never underestimated anyone, regardless of personal feelings, especially not in a long-term collaboration like this.

For someone as unique as Dinklage, who was likely very sensitive, the subtle respect Murphy showed was significant.

"Peter, Tyrion is a very complex character," Murphy said earnestly, "He has both virtuous and vile aspects. You need to balance his complexities."

"I've studied the role deeply," Dinklage knew that to succeed, given his physical constraints, he had to work harder, "I think to some extent everyone is like this. Humans are complex creatures, and unfortunately, sometimes our perspectives are too narrow. In the novels, there are just heroes and villains, but one of the script's highlights is that it blurs the lines between good and evil. You find yourself sympathizing with characters who do bad things, which I find fascinating as an actor. Tyrion does bad things for good reasons, and the story also has bad people doing good things."

Murphy was impressed by Dinklage's insight and asked further, "What do you think is Tyrion's greatest appeal?"

Without hesitation or much thought, Dinklage replied, "His sense of justice, his spirit of speaking for the downtrodden, is very heroic, even though his family often turns a deaf ear."

"Well done," Murphy gave Dinklage a thumbs-up, "Now I'm really looking forward to your performance."

After a pause, he added, "We'll start this scene from Tyrion's POV."

As an ugly dwarf despised by his father, Tyrion Lannister's personality is complex, generally sympathetic to the underdog and skilled in strategy. Misunderstood due to his reputation and deformity, he often becomes the scapegoat for various crimes but consistently uses his wit to escape danger.

He's a truly unique character in the series.

Tyrion Lannister's life is a relentless psychological torment, but his POV doesn't evoke pity, only excitement, because his counterattacks are potent.

His father turned his first wife into a camp whore for the soldiers; he ultimately shot his father dead on the privy. His lover betrayed him publicly; he strangled her with the Hand's chain on their bed.

Thus, Murphy decided to let fate be even crueler to "the Imp," as "the Imp's Revenge" would be one of the series' ultimate finishing moves...

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