Check out this behind-the-scenes look at special effects shots from Season 5

It’s always equal parts fascinating and disheartening when one of these special effects breakdowns surfaces online. It’s fascinating because these special studios continually impress us with their seamless, convincing work, but it’s disheartening to learn that not all the majestic locales on Game of Thrones exist in real life. I mean, it’s not that we thought that the production actually build a 100-foot statute to straddle the entrance to a port town, but we can dream…

This video comes courtesy of Mackevision, one of the many studios HBO partnered with to bring the world of Game of Thrones to life in Season 5. As you can see from the video, it looks like Mackevision mainly worked on exterior shots of Braavos and King’s Landing. Among the things we learn from this clip:

• As already mentioned, the Titan of Braavos is entirely computer-generated. It’s time to let the dream go.
• Pretty much any shot of boats on the water is either touched up or faked completely.
• Sometimes, the entirely of a cityscape is computer-generated, as in the panorama of King’s Landing about 45 seconds into the video. I would have thought they always started with a real-life base and built on it. Not so.
• I don’t care if the Titan is fake. Braavos is really pretty.
• The size of both the Iron Bank of Braavos and the House of Black and White have been greatly exaggerated, which makes sense. Where in the real world would they have found a giant windowless brick?

Anyway, kudos to Mackevision on some gorgeous work this year.

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