Con of Thrones 2018, Day 2: Parade of Joy

More than anything else, the second day of Con of Thrones 2018 showed off just how passionate and creative the Game of Thrones fan base. Let’s run down the day.

I kicked off the day listening to the always-entertaining Paula Fairfield talk about her work as a sound designer. Honestly, Fairfield is the coolest person working on Game of Thrones you may never have heard of. Her stories are always fun and insightful, whether she’s talking about the push and pull between scoring and sound design, revealing some of the unexpectedly touching noises she incorporates into the dragon’s purrs (e.g. an affectionate nuzzling sound her dog, who’s since passed on, used to make), or complimenting the foley team for its work on Sam’s poop-cleaning montage at the Citadel. “You feel like you had shit in your mouth when watching that scene…It’s perfection.”

She’s the best. Con of Fairfield 2019?

Next, I was fortunate to be on a panel alongside Bex S., David Rosenblatt and Jim Jones discussing how Game of Thrones has changed the world of television. It was a fun debate with a history of the shows that made Game of Thrones possible, some trepidation over whether networks are overreaching in trying to find a successor, and a few belly laughs.

Then it was on the Ulthos Room for a discussion of What Makes George R.R. Martin Great. It’s no surprise that the author has taken his lumps recently, mostly over his slow progress on The Winds of Winter, but these panelists reminded us why people care enough to get that upset, with a focus on Martin’s way with complicated references, layered storytelling, unreliable narrators, and good old fashioned organizational know-how. It’s hard to be cynical about much of anything at Con of Thrones, so this fit right in.

There were many other panels to attend, including a great one that shone a spotlight on star Joe Dempsie (Gendry), but the thing I took away most from this day was the cosplay. You can see a sampling of it throughout this post, and it is out of this world. The work put in on some of these outfits boggles the mind. But whether I was looking at a cosplay veteran or someone who was dressing up the first time, it was terrific to see fans embracing their own creativity and love for this story.

Kudos to everyone who dressed up and walked the stage during the costume parade. What a great way to end the day.

Oh, and I got to interview Hannah Murray (Gilly). But more on that later.

Next: Con of Thrones returns, bigger and more confident than before

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