We don't really need a YouTube video to help us appreciate HBO's Game of Thrones, however this excellently entertaining "Long Story Short" featurette succeeds in doing just that, as it gives us a fun and occasionally illustrated look inside the creation of the series adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice And Fire novels.
Narrated by Charles Dance, who plays Tywin Lannister in the series, the five minute video covers a lot of ground, beginning with showrunners Dan Weiss and David Benioff's discovery of the books and their pitch to George R.R. Martin, which involved a test. Martin asked them who they thought Jon Snow's real mother was. Their response? We don't know, they wouldn't tell us, but Martin apparently liked it enough to trust them with the adaptation of his books. And then they had a "massive problem" with the pilot. But it all worked out. The rest, as they say, is history. Or it's becoming TV history, as I'm sure this series will become a prime example of how well a hefty fantasy story can be adapted well for a TV series.
Other interesting points of note from the video include all of the numbers. Like on any given day, you've got 2 different directors shooting 2 different episodes in 2 different countries. 4000 props. 257 cast members. 703 crew members. 87,014 visual effects frames. And 8 bottles of hot sauce. Dan Weiss just likes hot sauce! The video closes out with the reminder that these guys know how it's going to end. As we learned recently, Weiss and Benioff's plan is for the series to go to seven or eight seasons before wrapping up. Hopefully Martin will be able to stay ahead of them with the books.
This is the latest video for Game of Thrones to land online ahead of the fourth season's anticipated premiere on April 6.
HBO also released this helpful recap video for Season 3, which focuses on politics and power...
And here's one of the most recent trailers for Season 4.
