[Brude]

Loras, on Oct 24 2009, 13.36, said:

Also there is a big black box sticking out of the side of the castle on one of the walls. I'm not sure what the purpose was. But it could be being used as a camera platform to film the interior of the great hall - from outside?

Could be for a camera through the windows or for lighting. If they want a very specific lighting effect streaming throught he windows, the way to do that is block out all the light with heavy curtains and then set up some (often very big) lights, scrims and such inside to create the precise lighting effect you want. You'll never know it's not natural sunlight when seeing it from inside the room they are lighting.

[Ran]

Ah-ha, that's the thing I noted on th side of the castle, a black boxy thing, in a photo. That sounds likeliest, yes, a place for a camera to shoot into the hall through a window. Cool.

[Loras]

Glad to have helped solve the first mystery of shooting...

I'm trying to convince my friend to go down on Monday and see what he can see. If not I'll definately be down there on Thursday, do you think that they will still be filming then? Also it said filming was happening from the 18th in that locale.

[Halfhand]

Loras,

Anyway you could upload the pic you took?

They probably have been working on the set since the 18th. Maybe doing a couple of establishing shots. I'm fairly certain today is the first day of principal photography.

[Loras]

I only got two new pictures before my camera died - sorry guys. I'll do better on thursday!

My album

There are a couple more of me with winterfell in the background. It is no longer called Doune Castle, it will be now and forever more Winterfell!

[Gabriele]

Loras, on Oct 24 2009, 20.24, said:

I only got two new pictures before my camera died - sorry guys. I'll do better on thursday!

My album

There are a couple more of me with winterfell in the background. It is no longer called Doune Castle, it will be now and forever more Winterfell!

I can imagine it's fascinating for those living close to visit the castle now, but I must admit I'm glad I got pics without big lamps and scaffolding back in June. Looks more Medieaval without those. ;)

Now Sean Bean in Ned costume, that would be a fun shot. :)

[Loras]

I forgot about the box on the front of the castle (in my pic) - there is one on the other side of the castle too. I think that they are being used by camera men. The hall at Doune is big but not that big, by putting the camera nests exterior to the castle they can make the hall seem bigger and the crew can take up less room.

Matt

[Gabriele]

Loras, on Oct 24 2009, 20.37, said:

I forgot about the box on the front of the castle (in my pic) - there is one on the other side of the castle too. I think that they are being used by camera men. The hall at Doune is big but not that big, by putting the camera nests exterior to the castle they can make the hall seem bigger and the crew can take up less room.

Matt

I think the hall in Caerphilly/Wales is larger than the one in Doune, but maybe the windows are too big. Or there may be other reasons why they picked Doune.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B4ou7O2v_Jk/SO0K...caerphilly2.JPG

[Halfhand]

Loras, thanks for posting the pics! The far away shot gives a great view of the scaffolding and camera/lighting setups around the castle. The one through the window, it looks like that equipment is actually scaffolding and equipment inside the courtyard. Not necessarily on top of the wall. Was there other stuff up on top of the wall itself? Or maybe there are two walls, one inner and one outer wall?

[Loras]

It is just that my camera focussed on the outside of the window, it was a pain in Africa when it focussed on grass rather than hippos. That is beside the point. There is definatey a walk way at the top of those scaffolds and the brown in the corner (through the window :P) is the curtain I discussed before.

Either they were shooting on the walls proper - there was space to do that, judging from the location of the window, or it is the equipment to shoot down into the courtyard.

[Werthead]

Gabriele, on Oct 24 2009, 20.03, said:

I think the hall in Caerphilly/Wales is larger than the one in Doune, but maybe the windows are too big. Or there may be other reasons why they picked Doune.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B4ou7O2v_Jk/SO0K...caerphilly2.JPG

They've got a lot of castles to get through ;) My guess is that they'll need the biggest one possible for the Red Keep in King's Landing, but will also need pretty big grand halls for Riverrun, the Eyrie and Harrenhal as well. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Caerphilly turn up later on.

Maybe I should pimp my local castle (which is the largest Norman keep, although nowhere near the biggest actual castle complex, in Europe) for some role in the series? :)

[Halfhand]

Loras, thanks for the explanation. That makes sense.

Good work by you today. Hoping you can get more for us on Thursday!

[Black Wizard]

Stirling to Edinburgh on the train is about half an hour. I don't know what it'd be like in a car, that would depend on traffic. It'd probably be about 45 minutes though.


I thought that Doune castle might have been the one in Monty Python. Mabye in the later series when Theon takes Winterfell he'll use the Trojan Rabbit.

[Brude]

Werthead, on Oct 24 2009, 15.13, said:

They've got a lot of castles to get through ;) My guess is that they'll need the biggest one possible for the Red Keep in King's Landing, but will also need pretty big grand halls for Riverrun, the Eyrie and Harrenhal as well. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Caerphilly turn up later on.

They'll need a smallish one with a balcony for the Red Wedding. Of course knowing that will be an action sequence, perhaps with rather a lot of squirting arterial spray and who knows what else, I could see them building a set for that.

[Gabriele]

Werthead, on Oct 24 2009, 21.13, said:

They've got a lot of castles to get through ;) My guess is that they'll need the biggest one possible for the Red Keep in King's Landing, but will also need pretty big grand halls for Riverrun, the Eyrie and Harrenhal as well. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Caerphilly turn up later on.

You're right, they'll need more than one castle, and there are some fun Norman whoppers around in Wales and elsewhere.

They totally should use this one:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B4ou7O2v_Jk/SD8i...00-h/wales4.JPG

(Chepstow Castle / Wales, sea gate)

Quote

Maybe I should pimp my local castle (which is the largest Norman keep, although nowhere near the biggest actual castle complex, in Europe) for some role in the series? :)

The castles around here are hilltop castles and thus less massive than the Norman or some of the Scottish castles for the most. But they are soaring, and often make for fine, picturesque photos. Not so much use for filming, though, except you need a ruined one.

Nevertheless, for the fun of it, here are some pics from one of my favourites, Hanstein Castle.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B4ou7O2v_Jk/R1NK.../hanstein12.JPG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B4ou7O2v_Jk/RyYE...h/hanstein2.JPG

What we DO have is great views. :)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B4ou7O2v_Jk/Ryd2...h/hanstein3.JPG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B4ou7O2v_Jk/SNsH...00-h/blick1.JPG

The second one is taken from the Harzburg, a castle that once could compete with the Norman ones in the UK, albeit not much is left now. But what a lookout they had over the Harz mountains.

OK, and now I should go and write an illustrated post about Doune. ;)

This post has been edited by Gabriele: 24 October 2009 - 02:51 PM

[Teabag]

My local castle could probably only pass as Pyke, or maybe Dragonstone. However I think it could be too small, and since the castle was used and renovated to fight Napoleon, and then used as a Nazi garrison, that the architecture is too different to pass as Westerosi. However a man can dream!

Castle Cornet
Castle Cornet
Castle Cornet
Castle Cornet

[Gabriele]

Teabag, on Oct 24 2009, 22.05, said:

My local castle could probably only pass as Pyke, or maybe Dragonstone. However I think it could be too small, and since the castle was used and renovated to fight Napoleon, and then used as a Nazi garrison, that the architecture is too different to pass as Westerosi. However a man can dream!

But the situation on that island is very scenic.

[Rimmer]

Don't know where to post this, but that Sean Bean site posted a picture of him from a few weeks ago, looking pretty Neddish: http://seanbeanonlin...hp?topic=2491.0

Just don't read too much of the forum, god...

[Padraig]

needle, on Oct 24 2009, 17.32, said:

Popped in to Doune. Was rather cool - the Winterfell great hall looks awesome :) . Peter Dinklage was around, didn't recognise anyone else, though apparently Ghost was there yesterday..

Wow. Nice going Needle. :) Lucky sod! :P

[Loras]

BTW I don't think that anyone has really mentioned just how great the atmosphere is at Doune.

All the staff are really friendly, including the security guys and other people involved in the production. They really were lovely.

As for Doune itself, in the rain today it was about as Stark and cold as I would imagine Winterfell to be. I don't know even when I was sneaking around trying to take a few pictures I felt as though I was on the cusp of something truly awesome.

My next mission (other than a costumed shot) is a shot of the sign outside the castle informing local residents about the filming.

:)