CMU School of Drama


Friday, September 23, 2022

The cast of House of the Dragon share the vision behind the costumes of the binge-worth prequel

Vogue India: Crafting the prequel House of the Dragon streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India, to a series as revered as Game of Thrones—one of the most influential pieces of culture from the 2010s— comes with gargantuan expectations from fans and critics alike. Everything from the sets to the music composition by Ramin Djawadi and the Targaryen's signature white hair is under scrutiny. There is also the added pressure to not rely too heavily on its predecessor and craft a unique visual identity that sets the story apart.

3 comments:

Hadley said...

I have never watched game of thrones or rally have any idea what its about, but I will forever love the costumes in any fantasy series. The ability to play around with the silhouettes and fabrics of the costumes because of the otherworldly nature of these series is my favorite thing. I love seeing how designers take that freedom and turn it into something absolutely stunning. I think the added challenge in this case of having a precursor series to go off of gives a little bit of structure as to how the world looks. However given the time difference between the series the designer would get to play a bit with how the different generations wold dress in the same world and how the fashions would change over time. I absolutely adore what I have seen in the screenshots in the article and might even watch the show if it didn't mean having to watch the entirety of game of thrones first.

Rayya Gracy said...

A very informative read on the basis in which the costumer Jany Temime go about creating their various costumes. I enjoy reading and witnessing the process in which designers take to develop their concepts and overall analysis of characters and the overall script. They took in so many components within their design process from the overall weight in which the fabrics they utilize possess, the color schemes depicted within the various families within "House of the Dragon," rank, and allegiance within characters. These components alleviate the plot of not only the characters, but the show as a whole. Even down to the extremely subtle details that the costume designer incorporates within their work as to give insight to the future plot of the shows in which they costume. It is great to have a designer who is able to create such detailed orientated symbolism within their work. It truly creates an even grander experience for the audience.

Brooke Hanser said...

5000 costumes, wow! I think I forgot that costume designers also have to think about extras because I never imagined projects where costume design could reach such a large number. It is cool to think that they put so much attention to detail and material sourcing into every outfit, not just those with the most screen time. I also loved hearing about the costumes from the actors because I feel as though their perspective is not something that is often shared. Thinking about how they change how they stand, move, and respond due to how the costume falls on their body made me think about other shows I’ve seen and how the actors handled their costumes so naturally. In Foundations Of Drama, we have discussed whether research is necessary or if everything you need is within the bounds of the play or script. I bet that since their designer was coming into the show having never seen any of Game Of Thrones before, it allowed her to focus more on the world within the script before branching out into research.