By: Serena She

A prequel to HBO Max’s most popular TV show, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon has been running since 2022 and has received high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. With dragons assuming a more prevalent role as characters instead of as rare creatures or as means of transport, designers put much more painstaking effort into ensuring that the dragons appear real.

Since few detailed or realistic references are available online or have been seen in previous films or shows, the designers needed to build the dragons from scratch by combining various aspects of different animals, including lizards, T. rexes, eagles, bats, and birds, to create a hybrid animal.

In fighting or flying scenes, actors ride on saddles on moving machines while cameras from different angles film from different perspectives. “Everything else was digital,” says co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal. “It was an entirely virtual sequence, essentially.” However, actors may also have physical interactions with the dragons, which cannot be achieved digitally. Puppeteers would instead control a lightweight model of the dragon’s head.

Nonetheless, Dan Katcher, the dragon designer for both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, designed each one uniquely. He first made simple sketches on paper and then sculpted them on ZBrush, a digital program for painting and sculpting. The time-consuming process included creating bones and muscles, designing scales and teeth, and considering the creature’s movement and anatomy. After coloring, Katcher would send the completed models to visual effects companies that animate the dragon and bring them to life.

While you watch the season finale, scheduled for release on August 4, 2024, in the United States and August 5 abroad, take a moment to appreciate the meticulous details weaved into each of the designer’s creations.