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How 'Game of Thrones' VFX Artists Pulled Off the Most Explosive Season Yet

HBO went overboard with this one.
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This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 6. 

Demolishing a fictional cathedral in a made-up city is hard work, but it was worth it for the fireworks display inside the Sept of Baelor in Game of Thrones Season 6's explosive finale, "The Winds of Winter." We went over complex machinery of shooting the 20-minute scene right after the episode aired, detailing director Miguel Sapochnik's use of flamethrowers, animatics, and people jumping in the air to create the scene. Today, VFX company Rising Sun Pictures released a behind-the-scenes video that shows how computer graphics made the episode's most brutal deaths possible. It also highlights details you might have missed, like the drunk partiers in the streets of King's Landing before the explosion. Keep an eye out for unexpected tricks, like how they used VR to perfect their massive crowd simulations.

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If you need a fleet of ships with which to claim your uncomfortable metal throne, CGI studio Mackevision can show you how they made Danerys' (Emilia Clarke) boats in a stunning new behind-the-scenes reel of their work on Game of Thrones Season 6. It also includes the murder of Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahide) by his brother Euron (Pilou Asbæk), and Westeros' various beautiful castles.

Game of Thrones ended a month ago, but the franchise is still dominating our limbic systems and social media feeds. First, the news that Season 7 will be just seven episodes long and delayed until summer 2017 stung fans of the show, but at San Diego Comic Con this weekend, HBO soothed the burning with an endearing blooper reel and a stunning craftsmanship teaser.

See more from Rising Sun Pictures here, and more of Mackevision's work on their website. Game of Thrones returns to HBO in summer 2017.

Related:

How 'Game of Thrones' Designed Danerys' Fiery Set Piece

How a Small Animation Company Created 'Game of Thrones' Battle of the Bastards

I Spent 4/20 at a 'Game of Thrones' Art Party