Apr 24, 2016 - Paradiso

Today’s most popular television series is without a doubt Game of Thrones, in which kings and queens, knights and renegades all battle to conquer the Iron Throne. There are numerous blogs devoted to the series, there are viewing parties in bars and restaurants and it’s the most (illegally) downloaded program. On the day of the premiere of the sixth season, we organized our own party devoted to this cultural phenomenon.

William Simpson, the Head Storyboard Artist of Game of Thrones, took the stage at the John Adams Institute to explore the transformation of the books, written by George R.R. Martin, to the television screen. What would the Wall, the Battle at Blackwater or White Walkers look like after reading only words on paper? Did you have an image of them already in your mind’s eye?

William Simpson and his team created all the images, including the weapons and armor, on which the directors based the series.

Watch the clip below to see what’s it’s like to have such a large role in making one of the most popular shows on television.