Game of Thrones photographer Helen Sloan has a new interview with Nikon detailing her experience on the show so far. Sloan has been the photographer on Game of Thrones since the start and before was actually shooting circus acrobats and Icelandic landscapes.
When asked what initial reactions she receives when she talks about her job, she says:
Usually they’ll say ‘oh my god, that’s my dream job’, and then they’ll ask me who’s going to die next… It’s not like any other job I’ve ever done. When I started on Thrones I used to keep tear sheets and clippings from newspapers of my work, but I couldn’t keep up. It’s incredible to work on such a popular show and from the beginning, too – it’s such a thrill, and I never take it for granted. It’s beyond anything I ever imagined. I love what HBO are doing with it, and the crew and cast are the best..
Sloan also revealed that Hardhome was the most challenging and physically demanding shoot that was done last series.
I shoot other TV series or movies, including season two of The Fall, and more recently The Frankenstein Chronicles with Sean Bean, which is coming out in the autumn. I also hang out with my partner and my daughter, who’s four. She was actually in Thrones as a baby – she was born with long, black hair and pale, translucent skin, and for one story line the producer wanted a baby with long, black hair and pale, translucent skin… initially I thought no, but eventually I had to give in – it will be fun to break out that DVD on her 18th birthday! I start work on series six of Game of Thrones in July.
While we’ve known the Game of ThronesMonopoly is in works, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has a first look at the new Game of Thrones Risk via Speakeasy.
Two custom game boards display the world of Westeros and offer three unique ways to play. ‘The War of Five Kings’ version features Houses Martell, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, and Tyrell for 3-5 players while the 2-player version allows you to fight to rule the Ghiscari slavers in Essos and features Houses Targaryen and Ghiscari. By combining the two maps, you can play with up to 7 players each playing as a different house.
The suggested retail is $74.95 and will go on sale in August.
Will you be picking up Risk: Game of Thrones edition when it hits shelves? And what did you think of Sloan’s interview? Let us know in the comments below!
Getting my friends to play Risk with me more than twice a year or so can be like pulling teeth, but it is the one board game I enjoy so I’ll probably get this set eventually.
I already own the Metal Gear Solid and Mass Effect boards!
Ms. Sloan’s photo are all astounding. but the one of Theon particularly speaks to me.
I can’t quite place the first shot of the men running from the fire. Any ideas?
That Risk game is a little pricey, but I loved playing as a kid. I am sure this version will be fun.
Oh, and HODOR!….edited…..maybe not.
Wow. I always thought they put a tiny toupee on baby Rhaego!
My favorite photos by Helen Sloan were portrait stills of Cat, Drogo and Jaime from S1.
Usually they’ll say ‘oh my god, that’s my dream job’, and then they’ll ask me who’s going to die next…
Lol. That must be the most popular question. 🙂
She was actually in Thrones as a baby – she was born with long, black hair and pale, translucent skin, and for one story line the producer wanted a baby with long, black hair and pale, translucent skin… initially I thought no, but eventually I had to give in – it will be fun to break out that DVD on her 18th birthday!
So her little girl was baby Rhaego? Awesome!
I haven’t played Risk in ages. Good to see that game is still around.
Are there any official GoT chess sets? (Chess pieces, boards, etc…)
The last picture (with the White Walker) is amazing! Wow!
I honestly always wondered where they found such a cute ass baby with such distinctive features. Nice to know its the photographer’s kid.
They look like wildlings… maybe the battle at the wall?
Omg, I always thought that baby was adorable!
Never played Risk but…
…Really looking forward to GoT Monopoly!
As for Helen Sloan pics in the interview, really like the Wildlings/Iceland shot plus Ned at the Weir Tree in particular. JS and Ygritte is nice too
In general terms the photography has quite often been excellent going by the pre-episode pic releases
Standout last season for example is Melisandre/CVH in the snow with the bedraggled Baratheon soldiers behind her
Ghost looks a bit possessed in that one photo.
Lol, when you hold the North, there’s literally no stopping you. A bonus of 5 (each turn!) for what’s essentially as easy to get and hold as Australia… in the original version..
The question remains: “when”.. It really seems to be a struggle to get all of the North, but it seems an even bigger challenge to get ANYTHING done in the Southern kingdoms.
Monopoly is such a boring game. Love Risk though.
Years ago I actually made a Westeros map for a cross-platform Java game called Domination, which is a clone of Risk (since game ideas CANNOT be copyrighted, anyone can make a Risk game, just call it something else). The map is half-assed but fun to play.
You can get Domination here. Get it installed and go to the Map Store within the game to download the free Westeros maps. I made two versions, one for small screens, and one for large (1920×1200).
There is also an Android version of Domination here.
Gorgeous pix! What a job she has, *green with envy*
shoot other TV series or movies, including season two of The Fall, and more recently The Frankenstein Chronicles with Sean Bean
Uh-boy…Sean Bean as headliner ? By definition, that series can´t make it beyond S1…lulz
Well, have it in the show then, would be a nice little piece of world building. We haven’t had any kind of games in the show, time to change that and get me my Cyvasse game.
Have they made any Lego yet? Those funko pop dolls seem quite pricey. Hope they leave all the sets up at the paint hall and charge people admission like with HP but I bet they won’t.
Definitely the battle at the wall.
These are the stunt guys filming the shot where the exploding barrels get dropped on the mammoth. The guy in the middle is attached to a rig that drags him across the ground – he’s the one the mammoth drags away.
You can see shots from this angle in the special feature on the making of the battle on the S4 DVD/Bluray
Well, I will pick up the Risk… I love Risk… but I would like even more if I could play through the Narrow Sea at the same time. An epic battle between the control of Westeros and Essos.
Oh, man… I just realized that you can combine both parts. Then it is nearly perfect. Just give us Tullys, Greyjoys and Arryns, please 😛
Hey, there are many Westeros maps. Which ones are yours?
Also, I tried playing it but is it possible to zoom in on the map on PC?
Lucky Helen, but clearly her skills equal her luck. Her now-iconic shot of Ned at the heart tree struck me for the first time as a possible foreshadowing of an expected VERY significant scene late in the series.
Yes, it’s moody, it’s poetic, it’s magical…but it defies optical rules. The right side of the reflection in the water does not accurately reflect the the objects on the bank. The reflected trees are too dark, too near, and without counterpart on land. Moreover, they are surrounded by a green canopy of leaves that belies the autumnal look of the left side of the photo. So could that reflected surface portend a connection with another dimension?
Via Weirnet, in a flashback Bran could see Ned ‘confess’ the Tower of Joy story to the Heart tree. Ideally, the ToJ scenes would be a flashback within the flashback and eventually return to Ned. After all, it is HIS story and only he knows all the details (though he may have shared them with Howland, who showed up at Lyanna’s bedside after she had died). By doing this, D&D could dispense with Howland Reed and let a beloved character return to get the mystery off his chest. Much more satisfying for fans and better than adding yet another character mainly as a Howland-ex-machina.
Not even Game of Thrones could make me play Risk. I’ll stay with Game of Thrones: The Boardgame from Fantasy Flight Games for my Game of Thrones Game fix.
Interesting!
I recall a custom wooden Risk set from a few years back, but this new set is fun for its versatility!
The custom wooden set:
http://geekologie.com/2012/08/there-can-be-only-one-game-of-thrones-ri.php
Getting my friends to play Risk with me more than twice a year or so can be like pulling teeth, but it is the one board game I enjoy so I’ll probably get this set eventually.
I already own the Metal Gear Solid and Mass Effect boards!
Ms. Sloan’s photo are all astounding. but the one of Theon particularly speaks to me.
I can’t quite place the first shot of the men running from the fire. Any ideas?
That Risk game is a little pricey, but I loved playing as a kid. I am sure this version will be fun.
Oh, and HODOR!….edited…..maybe not.
Wow. I always thought they put a tiny toupee on baby Rhaego!
My favorite photos by Helen Sloan were portrait stills of Cat, Drogo and Jaime from S1.
Lol. That must be the most popular question. 🙂
So her little girl was baby Rhaego? Awesome!
I haven’t played Risk in ages. Good to see that game is still around.
Are there any official GoT chess sets? (Chess pieces, boards, etc…)
The last picture (with the White Walker) is amazing! Wow!
I honestly always wondered where they found such a cute ass baby with such distinctive features. Nice to know its the photographer’s kid.
Darkstar,
They look like wildlings… maybe the battle at the wall?
Omg, I always thought that baby was adorable!
Never played Risk but…
…Really looking forward to GoT Monopoly!
As for Helen Sloan pics in the interview, really like the Wildlings/Iceland shot plus Ned at the Weir Tree in particular. JS and Ygritte is nice too
In general terms the photography has quite often been excellent going by the pre-episode pic releases
Standout last season for example is Melisandre/CVH in the snow with the bedraggled Baratheon soldiers behind her
Ghost looks a bit possessed in that one photo.
Lol, when you hold the North, there’s literally no stopping you. A bonus of 5 (each turn!) for what’s essentially as easy to get and hold as Australia… in the original version..
The question remains: “when”.. It really seems to be a struggle to get all of the North, but it seems an even bigger challenge to get ANYTHING done in the Southern kingdoms.
Monopoly is such a boring game. Love Risk though.
Years ago I actually made a Westeros map for a cross-platform Java game called Domination, which is a clone of Risk (since game ideas CANNOT be copyrighted, anyone can make a Risk game, just call it something else). The map is half-assed but fun to play.
You can get Domination here. Get it installed and go to the Map Store within the game to download the free Westeros maps. I made two versions, one for small screens, and one for large (1920×1200).
There is also an Android version of Domination here.
Gorgeous pix! What a job she has, *green with envy*
shoot other TV series or movies, including season two of The Fall, and more recently The Frankenstein Chronicles with Sean Bean
Uh-boy…Sean Bean as headliner ? By definition, that series can´t make it beyond S1…lulz
Deesensfan,
Yep. Battle of Castle Black/the Wall.
You know you are ready to play checkers when you tire of playing Risk. Which you should have abandoned by age 10.
The HBO cash register keeps-a-ringing-a-linging…
Which is good because by season 7, split or no split, the budget will have to be huge to give the GoT final season the proper ending it deserves…
Helen Sloan always makes an amazing job, I loved reading this interview.
Words are wind, stills remain.
Queen of the Keys,
You can bet once GoT is finished Helen will come out with an HBO backed photo book of stuff we never saw before that will be AMAZING!!!!!
Arthur,
That would be so great!
Arthur,
ill give them as much $$ as they need
man am I ever having GOT withdrawals!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Deesensfan,
Well, I am buying this Risk game but as others who come on here a lot may know, I always complain that they haven’t done a chess set.
How awesome would that be, a couple cool designed cheeseboards with like 3-5 houses cheese set pieces….
COME ON HBO…. CHESS SET PLEASE!
Arthur,
How about Cyvasse?
Darkstar,
Never played that, that’s like Viking chess?
It looks like it be fun!
That is a must buy! Sadly, I am as poor as I am ugly.. Hm, maybe it will come online ?
Darkstar,
Man, I would a buy a Cyvasse game in the blink of an eye. Make it happen, HBO!
Mormota101,
Well, have it in the show then, would be a nice little piece of world building. We haven’t had any kind of games in the show, time to change that and get me my Cyvasse game.
Have they made any Lego yet? Those funko pop dolls seem quite pricey. Hope they leave all the sets up at the paint hall and charge people admission like with HP but I bet they won’t.
Deesensfan,
Definitely the battle at the wall.
These are the stunt guys filming the shot where the exploding barrels get dropped on the mammoth. The guy in the middle is attached to a rig that drags him across the ground – he’s the one the mammoth drags away.
You can see shots from this angle in the special feature on the making of the battle on the S4 DVD/Bluray
Well, I will pick up the Risk… I love Risk… but I would like even more if I could play through the Narrow Sea at the same time. An epic battle between the control of Westeros and Essos.
Oh, man… I just realized that you can combine both parts. Then it is nearly perfect. Just give us Tullys, Greyjoys and Arryns, please 😛
spacechampion,
Hey, there are many Westeros maps. Which ones are yours?
Also, I tried playing it but is it possible to zoom in on the map on PC?
Lucky Helen, but clearly her skills equal her luck. Her now-iconic shot of Ned at the heart tree struck me for the first time as a possible foreshadowing of an expected VERY significant scene late in the series.
Yes, it’s moody, it’s poetic, it’s magical…but it defies optical rules. The right side of the reflection in the water does not accurately reflect the the objects on the bank. The reflected trees are too dark, too near, and without counterpart on land. Moreover, they are surrounded by a green canopy of leaves that belies the autumnal look of the left side of the photo. So could that reflected surface portend a connection with another dimension?
Via Weirnet, in a flashback Bran could see Ned ‘confess’ the Tower of Joy story to the Heart tree. Ideally, the ToJ scenes would be a flashback within the flashback and eventually return to Ned. After all, it is HIS story and only he knows all the details (though he may have shared them with Howland, who showed up at Lyanna’s bedside after she had died). By doing this, D&D could dispense with Howland Reed and let a beloved character return to get the mystery off his chest. Much more satisfying for fans and better than adding yet another character mainly as a Howland-ex-machina.
Not even Game of Thrones could make me play Risk. I’ll stay with Game of Thrones: The Boardgame from Fantasy Flight Games for my Game of Thrones Game fix.
Darkstar,
Wildlings caught in the explosion at the wall during Giants and mammoths attack – behind the scenes – full marks.
Thanks for all the nice words of support! You guys are awesome