Filming this year for HBO's hit medieval-fantasy series, "Game of Thrones," has taken the actors and directors across three countries, including Northern Ireland, Iceland and Croatia, and production assistant Cat Taylor recently described the "excitement and exhaustion" involved in filming on multiple sets in multiple countries, WinterIsComing.net reports.
"For the ‘Game of Thrones’ crew, every year is a different type of adventure," Taylor wrote on the 'Making of Game of Thrones' blog. "This year, the Dragons took care of Iceland and the Wolves invaded Croatia for the better part of six weeks. Splitting filming time between Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian coastal town of Split, we caught up with Daenerys’ story in Slaver’s Bay after her spectacular victory at Yunkai, along with the new armies she commands. Then it was across the sea to the red-stone walls of King’s Landing and all the drama that continues to play out on the great stage that is Joffrey’s court."
One big event taking place in King's Landing is the Purple Wedding, as fans call it, which George R. R. Martin has been teasing his non-book-reading fans about over the past few months. If you've read up to "A Storm of Swords" in Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, you know what's coming. If not, be sure to steer clear of Googling it, as it's much better experienced with no foreknowledge.
"While there are some specific locations we can't confirm for security reasons, it was amazing to be able to see so many places in such a beautiful country in such a unique way. The back streets of Old Town and the coastal hotels redressed into fortresses were a sight to see... And it's not every day you have to cut because someone is doing speedboat tricks in the background of your scene. (Seriously.)," Taylor continued. "While we did cut Morocco out of the schedule and reduce our country count to three, that hasn't stopped us from establishing a new show record. Thanks to the splinter units, we actually managed to film four separate episodes simultaneously. That's two directors, filming separate episodes in two different countries, all on the same day."
As for what got her and others through all of the filming, she revealed, "Caffeine, sugar...and every AD available in Northern Ireland."
"Game of Thrones" Season 4 premieres Spring 2014 on HBO.
New footage from season 4 of "Game of Thrones" begins at the 1:37 mark.
