"Game Of Thrones" D.O.P Defends "The Long Night" Dark Aesthetic

Last Sunday's Game Of Thrones stood alongside television's most ambitious episodes, the product of fifty-five straight night shoots in less-than-ideal weather conditions. Directed by Miguel Sapochnik of "Hardhome" and "Battle Of The Bastards" fame, "The Long Night" was yet another notch on the director's belt. Once again, the visuals were brought to life by Sapochnik's trusted Director Of Photography Fabian Wagner. Unfortunately, some felt that the end result was much too dark, and it didn't take long for the hyperbole to kick in. 

While many with solid TV setups found little in the way of complaints, Wagner took a moment to reflect on the backlash to their chosen visual aesthetic. TMZ took a moment to catch up with the DOP, and Wagner offered up a few takes, explaining that HBO's compression of the episode led to an inconsistency in the quality, especially for those using weak streaming services. 

He also maintains that the visuals were delivered as initially planned, standing by his aesthetic choices. "We tried to give the viewers and fans a cool episode to watch. I know it wasn't too dark because I shot it." While some have come to balk at the idea of buying a Blu-Ray, it's moments like this where the discernible difference in video quality becomes evident. Sometimes, the streaming life is dark and full of terrors. 

[via]