GAME OF THRONES (SEASON 3)
FANTASY DRAMA SERIES • HBO
DIRECTOR
DOP
SCALE
CLIENT
YEAR
David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
Robert McLachlan / Jonathan Freeman
Global Phenomenon
HBO / Fire & Blood Productions
2013
OVERVIEW
For Season 3, the production returned to Morocco to depict the cities of Slaver’s Bay (Astapor and Yunkai). The historic ramparts of Essaouira and the clay architecture of Aït Ben Haddou served as the backdrop for Daenerys Targaryen’s iconic rise to power and the liberation of the Unsullied army.
CHALLENGES & APPROACH
Managing a “Traveling City” Logistics.
Game of Thrones is famous for its massive scale. The Moroccan unit was just one part of a simultaneous global shoot (alongside Belfast, Dubrovnik, and Iceland). The challenge was integrating with this gigantic machine, managing heavy logistics for hundreds of extras in costume and complex VFX setups for the dragons, all while adhering to HBO’s strict security and confidentiality protocols.
THE RESULT
The Moroccan sequences are among the most memorable in the series, including the sacking of Astapor. We successfully delivered the “epic” scope HBO required, proving our ability to host the world’s biggest TV production.
