Comments on: Game of Thrones - made on film or video?

Question: Game of Thrones - made on film or video?

soymilk — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 02:24:23 -0800

Hi, does anyone know whether 'Game of Thrones' is filmed on actual celluloid film or just on some digital videoformat? Thanks

By: Gyan

Gyan — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 02:34:33 -0800

IMDB says camera is Arri Alexa, so digital.

By: griphus

griphus — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 04:05:47 -0800

Very, very few (if any) CGI-heavy shows and films are shot on film, because the footage would have to get digitized anyway. Plus, shooting on digital is cheaper and more foolproof.

By: Gyan

Gyan — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 04:36:12 -0800

Not sure about TV but the situation isn't that extreme ("if any") for CGI heavy films. I just skimmed through the specs for a few of the major action films over the past few years and most list the usual bunch of Arri/Panavision film cameras, alongwith some digital cameras.

By: dogwalker

dogwalker — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 04:52:44 -0800

Yeah, TV has switched to digital faster than movies. Especially for the big VFX heavy blockbuster type movies, a lot of film is still being shot.

And what's causing it to transition away from film is not the need to digitize for CGI. I mean, even movies shot entirely on film are digitized entirely for DI despite having almost no CGI vfx.

By: griphus

griphus — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 04:54:18 -0800

Looks like I got my facts wrong, OP.

By: Sara C.

Sara C. — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 06:38:08 -0800

I work in film and TV (more TV) and haven't worked on anything that shot on film for the last two years. I tend to work on smaller features, and I imagine that people like Scorsese, the Coen Brothers, etc. probably still shoot on film regardless of the need for CGI. But more and more, you can probably assume that most of what you're seeing -- especially if it's TV -- is shot digitally.

By: cazoo

cazoo — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 06:38:49 -0800

Here's an article from American Cinematographer about GOT.

By: therewolf

therewolf — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:52:44 -0800

If you listen to the commentary from the premiere episode, executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss explain that the original pilot was shot on 35 mm. However, there were many reshoots involved, including parts that had been recast after the show got picked up, so Episode 1 has both Alexa and film footage that cuts together pretty seamlessly.