Anatomy of a Scene: The Death of Mance Rayder
Every year, the Game of Thrones production team selects one or two key scenes from the ongoing season and takes a close look at what went into creating them. For example, last year the team took deep dives into Tyrion’s trial and Joffrey’s wedding. Not all the scenes chosen are so dramatic—Season 3 had Dany meeting the unsullied for the first time, as well as Brienne’s experience in the bear pit.
This season, the first Anatomy of a Scene feature is focused on the final scene of Season 5, episode one, “The Wars to Come.” The show breaks down how it created Mance Rayder’s final moments—this includes a discussion of the wildling philosophy that leads Rayder to make his choice, a look at Mance’s scene with Jon Snow in the prison cell, and a consideration of the design of the stake at which Mance was burned.
Of course, the big stunt in this scene involves the fire—the explanation of how the pyrotechs made it look like Rayder was burning is fascinating. It’s also enlightening to learn how Paul Ghirardani, the art director, used the layering of flames to create the illusion the man was aflame (Also, I love the pullback shots where it’s revealed that it’s just well placed lines of gas jets).
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