Discover Top Posts Tagged with #directorial analysis

As a director, I honestly can’t understand why this shot wasn’t the one included in the Final Cut of the episode.

I’m going to do a trailer dissection post this afternoon.

Ya’ll been warned.

A View from Behind the Camera - GoT episode 6 X 9 - Battle of the Bastards part 5 - Courtyard

I have time tonight so I thought I would go ahead and do the courtyard scene for our behind the camera analysis. It’s a twofer day! On the last post we left off with Jon running down the battlefield toward Ramsey as he rode for Winterfell. We will start at that point in this post.

Let’s do a few specific trivia bits before we get right into the meat of the scene. The scene in the courtyard - Ramsey and Jon’s face off was originally supposed to take place on the battlefield. The Producers - the Ds and likely the director - decided that the scene would be more effective and meaningful in the courtyard instead. It all ties into the purpose of the Starks trying to retake their home, Winterfell. This makes it more personal. I think this is brillant change and I’m inclined to believe it was Sapochink we came up with the idea. We had massive battles and this scene feels more intimate this way, as it should.

Next interesting tidbit. The courtyard scene took ten hours to film. Kit Harrington actually punched Iwan Rheon in the face twice during filming. Stuff like that happens all the time actually. We take precautions as much as we can but sometimes stuff like that happens. Ok, now to the good stuff.

#jonsa #jonsa is here #jonsa is endgame #jonsa is coming #jon and sansa #Jon x Sansa #directorial analysis #bitchcakedirects

A View from Behind the Camera - GoT episode 6 x 9 - Battle of the Bastards part 4

Hi all! I am so sorry I haven’t had much time to meta lately. There’s been a lot going on in my life with the holidays and work and just being plain lazy about it. But I’m here to rectify that right now! We ended our last directorial analysis of the BoTB with Jon facing off in front of thousands (really 500 extras) of Ramsay Troops. For this post I’m going to jump forward a bit to the Black Moment and take it form there. There is quite of bit of serious battle work in between these two posts and it doesn't feed the narrative as much as it is juts gorgeous choreography to watch. SO without further ado here we go!

#jonsa #jonsa is endgame #jonsa is here #jonsa is coming #directorial analysis #Female directors

A View from Behind the Camera - GoT Episode 6 x 9 - Tent scene

Hi everyone! First let me start by saying I’m so sorry for not posting in such a long time. It’s been crazy busy in Bitchcake land and I am just now able to take a bit of time for myself. A quick reminder for those that are new to the blog, I write posts/metas from a director’s standpoint. I analyze camera angles and actor choices that lead to the overall subtext of the scene. I have over 25 years of experience as a theatrical professional. So without further adieu let’s just jump into the directorial analysis of the tent scene from The Battle of the Bastard episode. I know some of you have been waiting for this one.

We actually open scene with Jon’s VO (voiceover) at the tail end of the previous scene. We have Ramsey and his crew riding back to Winterfell with the Castle in the distance. We hear Jon say “If he was smart he would stay inside the walls of Winterfell and wait us out..” This happens before we ever see the war council. It’s edited this way to really underscore significance of Ramsey’s hold on Winterfell and The North at this time. Immediately after the line and the final swell of music we smash cut to the war council hovered over a map on a table. Sansa is screen left, seated, but never out of view. Jon is screen right, standing. They are bookending the scene. A random Northern, likely house Mormont, is next Sansa and Davos is next to Jon. The scene is light via ‘candlelight’ which allows Sapochnik to play with shadows when he’s building his shots.

The shot holds steady for the next bit of dialogue until we get to Jon’s line about Ramsey’s weakness. On that we get a medium close-up of Sansa. She lowers her head away from the occupants of the table on Jon’s line “It’s his weakness too” But not before we see that she is displeased with the comment. Sophie has been directed to play disappointment and frustration in this spot. It showcases that Sansa is annoyed that Jon doesn’t ask her about Ramsey - something she will bring up later in the scene. We see Sophie directed to play a lot of her emotions close to the vest, never really letting people see what she’s thinking or how she truly feels - except for Jon. With him she doesn’t hide. That is honestly an incredibly telling bit of direction. With him she doesn’t have to hold back.

Now we go back to the War Council around the map but this time we are in the POV of Sansa. This gives us a different perspective of the men around the table and it also informs the audience that Tormund is there. This is the first time we see him in the scene.

Next we move to a shot of Tormund, at table level, between Jon and Davos’s arms.

Next we get a bit of humor, as much humor as GoT will allow us, with the men discussing strategy and Tormund not understanding military terms. This a series of shots back and forth between Jon and Davos and a confused Tormund.

After this interchange we once again have a single shot of Jon and Davos this morphs into a traveling shot as Jon straightens up and moves toward Tormund, examining the map as he goes. This sets us up for another close up of Sansa. The way the actors are now blocked around the space we have an a coupling of Jon and Sansa although it happens off screen. Sansa is to one side of Tormund when Jon crosses he effectively ‘moves’ Tormund out of the direct line up with Sansa. Davos speaks and we get a close up of Sansa once more. This time she is focused on Davos who is offscreen. It’s a relatively fast closeup and likely used to give the viewers a split second idea of what Sansa is feeling at this moment.

This is followed by a shot between Jon and Tormund’s shoulders as Davos continues to talk strategy. Tormund leans in and asks Jon if he actually thought Rasmey would fight him. Jon’s line is ‘No, but I wanted to make him angry.” On angry we get another medium closeup of Sansa. She raises her eyes to Jon, but sits stock still. It’s a great acting choice.

Next we move to a shot off of what would be the random extra House Mormont guardsman’s elbow to Jon and Tormund. It’s important to point out that the director has given everyone the note to not notice anything about Sansa at this point. She is effectively invisible to the men at this point. This will come into play later on in the scene and also later on in the seasons. Her visibility shifts but we will discuss that as we come to it. We have a bit more back and forth before the men exit the scene leaving Jon and Sansa alone.

Jon sits, ale in hand, and has been directed to be weary and rub his brow for some relief. Sansa is still in her place on the opposite side of the tent. Now what is interesting to point out is that the map of Winterfell and the battlefield is between them. Essentially Ramsey separates them. We get an extreme closeup of Jon’s profile as Sansa walks into the shot. She is in full light and he is only partially visible and only partially lit. She is in command in this shot.

Kit’s delivery of ‘For what they’re worth’ tells the audience that he has been directed to not realize that Sansa is about to question his decisions in terms of Ramsey. We have a medium shot of Sansa as she says ‘You sit around making plans to defeat a man you don’t now...” Halfway through we get a closeup of Jon, from the angle of the table, stopping in surprise from drinking his mead by her comment and the forceful tone in her voice. Sophie is not yelling yet, she is sharp and to the point. She is trying to make him see things from a different angle.

We cut back to Sansa as she continue her lines. When she gets to “I know how he likes to hurt people” we have a quick cut back to Jon, this time from table level from the angle of Sansa’s palm most likely. He visibly responses to this, most likely calling back to the things he knows she’s endured. It’s a split second shot much like Sansa’s earlier one at the top of the scene. Once more back to Sansa as she goes on. “Did it ever once occur to you I might have some insight?” On the word insight we cut back to Jon. Kit has been directed to realize she is right. He could use her knowledge of the enemy and he didn’t think of it earlier.

Now we come to the real meat of the scene. This is a series of back and forth shots between Jon and Sansa as the tension builds. That’s the very reason Sapochnik utilizes the ‘tennis match’ style of shots inside of simply giving us a wide shot of the couple as the fight. A wide shot would be static, uninteresting to watch even as the fight builds. But the back and forth adds tension to the view. The audience is placed in the other characters shoes as the gauge their scene partner’s reaction.

Somethings to note about the interplay. Sansa’s line ‘He plays with people. He’s been doing it all his life. He’s far better at it then you” frustrates Jon. Because it’s true and he knows it. Jon is a great fighter and swordsman. Ramsey is cunning and conniving. Sansa knows this. She tells Jon that he doesn’t know Ramsey. Jon’s line ‘Alright tell me. How should we get Rickon back?” is his way of saying he knows what she is saying is true.

The next shot of Sophie we get is a medium close up with a hold. She has been directed to pause and compose herself before she continues. What she has to say next is not easy. They will never get Rickon back.

As the scene builds so does the tension we start to get even more extreme with the close-ups. We are given some great reactionary lines that the actors really use to perfection. On “He wants you to make a mistake” Kit is directed to cross to Sophie on his answering line. This puts them face to face and only inches apart.

Not the best screencap but it gives you an idea of how close they are together at this point.

At this point they are yelling at each other. Sansa is no longer the silent observer she was at the top of the scene. Jon is not used to people talking to him like this least of all Sansa. I have seen some metas that say Sansa is frightened of Jon in this scene and frankly I don’t see that. Sophie never once plays fear. The huffing and puffing between them is anger and frustration and frankly sexual tension. They aren’t really listening to each other and that is what leads each building line. In addition to that we do have the underlying sexual tension between them. I said it. I meant it. And now I’ll tell you how the direction and the acting prove it. Most likely Kit and Sophie have been directed push sexual tension into the scene as the anger builds. You can see it in the movements of their bodies and how they focus their attention on each other on the back and forth. There is a difference between arguing with someone and wanting to angry fuck someone. Each type of portrayal needs different acting choices. There is a split second at the end of the fighting where Sophie is attempting to compose herself, heavy breathing and sighs, where she actually focuses downward. It’s quick but it’s there. She may be focusing on his chest or she may be focusing on his lips. This is pure acting choice. It is unlikely that the director would give her this note. This is most likely an organic acting reaction.

What’s really powerful about the scene is not the visuals. It is the direction to the acting choices. The ‘fight’ is all on the acting ability of Sophie and Kit.

Finally there is a moment of silence where we only hear their ragging breathing. That’s how passionate the fight got. The silence lasts five seconds. Remember from earlier blogs that five seconds is an eternity in film time. A pause this long is significant and would have been a specific directorial note. Jon composes himself and says his line. We stay with Jon for a moment but we can see that Sophie has turned and is heading out of the scene. We have a POV switch to an extreme close up of Sophie at the tent entrance. She meets Kit’s eyes (Or where his eyes would be if he was standing in the shot) and delivers the “I’m not going back there” line. There is a brief pause to emphasize the “Do you understand me?” We have a switch to a medium shot of Jon as he answers her. “I promise”

POV switch back to Sansa for a closeup on “No one can protect me. No one can protect anyone” She has been directed to deliver these lines so straightforward and almost glib. It’s telling to have these lines said to Jon here. In Sansa’s scene with Brienne from earlier in the season she says “Jon will protect me” Here she no longer believes those words, if she ever believed that at all. Sansa exits the scene and we have a close up of Jon. He has been directed to be so torn and terrified by her statement. He believes he can protect and he knows that she is all he has left (that he knows of) and he doesn’t want to lose her. This reaction is what lead him into his scene with Melisandre...which we will talk about next time.

You can pinpoint the minute his heart breaks. Jon turns and rests his hands on the table, we pan back to a shot of map. The shot of the stones gives the audience just another glimpse of how outmatched Jon is manpower-wise. Cut to next scene.

Well there you have it. The tent scene. I’m sorry it was such a long one and once again I’m sorry it took so long for me to post.

Next up is a quickie. The scene between Jon and Melisandre. See you all next time!

#jon and sansa #Jon x Sansa #jonsa #jonsa crack #jonsa is here #directorial analysis #Female directors #jonsa is coming #actually jonsa #jonsa is endgame

A View from Behind the Camera - GoT episode 6 x 9 - Battle of the Bastards part 3

Time for the third installment of the Battle of the Bastards behind the camera posts. Just reminder, as always, my asks are open so if there are scenes you would like me to look at simply shoot me a message. I don’t bite. I promise. Once more into the breach, dear friends!

We’re going to start from right after Rickon’s death. In my previous post we talked about the lighting fade on the close up of Rickon’s dying breath. Immediately following that we have a quick cut to Tormound as he turns to look at Davos, then a cut to Davos who looks to Tormound - they are apprehensive because they both want Jon to use his head and not his emotions. Then back to Jon. We hold with Jon about 2 seconds then cut to Ramsey, hold on Ramsey for a similar amount of time. The two bastards are staring each other down across the battlefield. This is Kit’s building up of the rage that is flowing in Jon. These are the series of moments where Jon just lets his emotions rule - which of course causes all sorts of problems in just a short bit. We slowly pan in the second close up of Jon, the music building behind as well - a strong drumbeat is utilized. Then we cut to a close up of Tormound and his line ‘Don’t’ What the sound engineer has done with Tormound’s line is interesting, and hard to miss if you’re not fully paying attention. Even though we are focused on Tormound his line is ‘echo-chambered’ It is a common trope called Power Echo - think of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings when he uses his wizard voice. Tormound’s echo is for the viewer to be immersed in the tunnel vision that Jon is experiencing at this moment.

Now we cut back to Jon again, still on the same steady pan close up until we reach an almost extreme close up before we cut to a smirking Ramsay in close up and a steady hold. We hold on Ramsey as he turns, hands his bow to the bannerman next to him and then we quick cut to Davos who turns his horse and shouts his line “Banner charge!” to the line of men. Also he is in Power Echo. We cut to a wide shot of the Winterfell combatants from a side angle. Tormound in front focused on Jon. Back to Davos as he rides through the men, shouting orders.

This leads to a cut to Ramsey, back to the camera, as he passes a bannerman. He nods slightly and we as the viewer know something is about to go down. We then cut to the Bolton line and we see archers gearing up to shoot. We then get a series of shots of the Bolton archers. We have a frontal shot

Followed by a back shot

Followed by a wide aerial shot

These are all followed by one of the my favorite components of the battle sequence.

The hail of arrows.

We have the juxtaposition of the multitudes of arrows (CGI’d) over a grey sky and in the left hand of the shot a blazing flayed man. This shot really hammers home just how out numbered the Stark side is. Also we have to remember that Jon is still on his horse in the middle of the battlefield. We haven’t cut back to him yet until now. Then we to a quick cut and see him spur his horse into action. Then a wide shot of the battle field and Jon racing down it, the hail of arrows showering down on him. We cut to poor dead Rickon and hold there for a few seconds as more arrows hit him but also we see Jon in the background charging ahead.

We cut back to Davos, this time from a different angle. We are now focused on his left side profile. He shouts at the men to ‘follow your commander’ and we cut to Tormound who looks over his shoulder and watches as the Stark men charge the battlefield. Next we have an extreme close up of the horses legs as they charge the field. This shot really puts us in the action. We continue with this shot for about 5 seconds then we cut to Tormound, the camera angle from below and slightly tilted up, as he unsheathes his sword. Next we cut to Wun Wun. Both of these close ups are blurred by the periodic running of bannermen across the shot. Again, this places the viewer in the midst of the scene. Sapo truly wants to GA to not be an outside observer but to actually feel as if they are stuck in the middle of this mess. It comes into play several times over the course of the rest of the battle.

The next series of shots are all charging horses, shouting men, and slo-mo shots. There is a fantastic shot done in slo-mo from a side angle of the horses as they charge. No faces of the men, simply the horses. It is a beautiful shot.

This is then cut to an aerial shot of Jon racing down the field. Jon is centered in the frame and we are positioned so that he is riding away from the camera.Jon is riding straight for the center of Ramsey’s line.(If we call back to the tent scene we remember that this is one of the very things Jon warned others to NOT do) Next we cut to a medium shot of Jon from the side as he rides. These leads to a cut to Ramsey as he mounts his horse. From there we cut to another shot of the Bolton archers getting ready to shot another volley of arrows. We shift to an extreme close up of the arrows.

We cut to a shot of the arrows in the sky once again then a cut to Ramsey as he watches Jon still thundering forward. We then cut to Jon on horseback, in a tight shot, arrows flying all around him. Next we have a close up of the chest of the horse as an arrow strikes him. The horse’s legs buckle and Jon is thrown. The stuntman turns as he falls so he lands on his back and rolls. It is a great stunt and a seamless mix of practical effects.

We then cut to Ramsey as he watches Jon fall on the battlefield. Iwan gives us one of his great smirks as we do a panning close up on his face. He looks over his shoulder and says ‘Now’ he turns his attention back to the battlefield and the fallen Jon, all on a close up still. We can see the shadowy movements behind him so we know that something new is coming.

Now we come back to Jon. At first we have a medium shot of him kneeling on the battlefield surrounded by arrows.

The camera stays stationary and follows him as he rises until he is fully standing and are camera is angled up to see him. The music has faded away save for a single high pitched violin in the background. Next the music starts to build beneath Jon’s heavy breathing as the camera moves up and then pans around to the back of Jon.

Now we come to probably the most iconic section of the battle. We have an over the shoulder shot of the army headed down the hill toward Jon. We do a quick cut back to a front medium shot of Jon. Kit has his head bowed and his breathing is labored. We can read on his face just want ‘Jon’ is thinking. He believes this is the end, this is how he dies, but he resigns himself to that fact and he will fight on. It is my belief that Kit chooses to have Jon also thinking of Sansa in this moment. He knows if he falls, and he assumes he will, that she will follow through with her threat from the earlier scene. In a sense we can read how Jon knows/thinks he has failed Rickon and Sansa.

What is so wonderful about this shot is that it is a true practical effect. Kit is standing in the field and 40 horses and riders are actually charging at him. There is no CGI used at this point. It is also worth noting that music is swelling as Jon faces off with the Bolton riders and the name of the song playing...Let’s Play a Game. One of the things Sansa warned Jon about - Ramsey’s ability to ‘play’ with people.

And this is where will we stop for the now. We are about halfway through Battle at this point and what is coming up is some great stuff. The body pile - which I have seen being thought of as a mimic to Dany’s body surfing on her slaves (I’m going to go into depth about how it really isn’t in that post), Sansa bring the Knights of the Vale, and of course Ramsey’s beat down. This is the penultimate episode of the season so of course there is a ton in here to look at. I hope you all hang in there with me...forehead kiss awaits if you do.

See you next time!

#jonsa is here #jonsa #jonsa is endgame #jonsa is coming #directorial analysis #Female directors #battle of the bastards

A View from Behind the Camera - GoT Episode 6 x 9 - Don’t Bring me Back

Here we go again, fam! Tonight we will look at the Don’t Bring Me Back scene or Jon and Mesliandre in the tent. This is a short scene lasting less than two minutes from start to finish but there is a lot there direction wise.

While we will still go over the shots and the angles, this scene is fairly simple, visually speaking. This one is all about the writing and the acting. Because it is so short and so simple it can be easily overlooked. But it shouldn’t be. There is a lot going on. So let’s get to it shall we?

We open the scene with an aerial shot of the encampment (CGI most likely) and we can see a small figure that we come to know as Jon walking toward a tent.

We next cut to an interior shot of Melisandre’s tent. The shot is a wide shot with the camera placed at the far end corner of the tent so we can see her seated in a full body profile and we can see the entrance to the tent. He addresses her when he enters then the camera POV shifts to a low angle establishing shot. The camera is pointing up from a place at the ‘table’. We see Melisandre frame left and Jon comes to stand just off her shoulder about a half a foot away from her chair. Carice must look over her shoulder to speak to him.

The brazier is an integral set piece because it 1. helps illuminate the scene but 2. provides a focal point for the shot for the both the actors and the audience. We hold this shot for the start of the conversation after Jon’s line “Any advice?” We cut to a close-up of Melisandre. She gives us a bit of a wry smirk and answers ‘Don’t lose’ We cut to a favor-on of Jon, with Melisandre in the foreground and blurred. Jon is our focus in this moment. Both are focused on the brazier. Kit takes a couple of beats. Beats don’t really have a numerical value. When we ask actors to ‘take a beat here’ we are essentially asking for a pause but letting the actor’s discretion for length. It’s what feels right to the actor. If the pause they take is too long then we will step in and adjust. The pause here is about a second. Then he speaks. “If I do, If I fall, Don’t bring me back.” A couple of things are happening here. Kit takes every word carefully. Jon wants to be sure that Melisandre understands EXACTLY what he is trying to say. Also he doesn’t move. He stands completely planted. His head barely pivots when he says “Back” He only shifts his eyes from the brazier to her.

Let’s think about this for a moment. We are coming off the tent scene which Sansa says she’ll kill herself if Ramsey wins. At this point in the narrative Jon only has Sansa left. He is certain everyone else in the Stark family is dead. He doesn’t know about Bran or Wonder Ayra yet and he’s well aware that Rickon is as good as dead. The writers have given him these lines, and the director has given him this blocking, for the very reason that Jon doesn’t want to live in a world where there are no longer any Starks. He doesn’t want to be without his family, Sansa is his only tie to the living world. She is the only one save for Ned who truly calls him a Stark. (I’m speaking in terms of actual show dialogue here.) This is coming from a man who repeatedly talks about The Night King coming - even at this stage in the game. He knows that The Long Night is coming and his skills could be useful. But no. If he loses to Ramsey he wants to die because to be alive is to know that he is without Sansa, that he failed her. Shipping aside, this is still the meaning of this line.

We cut to a medium favor-on of Melisandre.

We stay with her through her lines and halfway through Jon’s next line. We don’t cut back to Jon until his word “not” then we get a close-up with the favor on again as he continues. We stay with Jon until Melisandre’s line “I serve the Lord of Light’ We switch back to a medium close up of her again. After that we quickly switch to an over the shoulder shot of Jon.

We stay with him for his quick line “How do you know what he commands?” Jon’s anger is building a bit but Kit keeps it low-key, a slow burn. We cut to a favor on shoulder shot of Melisandre in close up

We stay with this shot for a bit. What is really interesting in the shot, what gives it great texture, is we essentially have something framing her profile. Kit’s body is on one side and the shadows produced by the lightening designer on the other. You can see it really well in the above screenshot. She briefly looks up at him which then the camera shifts, it’s not really a pan or a smash cut but more of a gentle shift, to his face. We are in Melisandre’s POV for a split second as she continues. Jon is focused on her and that’s the shot we see until she says “I have no power” Then we return with the same gentle shift cut to the framing close up from the previous shot. We stay with her until his next line. We cut to him with a close-up, take a beat, and then he says “Why?”

We shift to a shot of Melisandre’s face, the same close-up frame shot as prior, for her answer. She takes a beat and then the camera shifts to an establishing shot which is a reverse of the start of the scene. We are essentially looking into the tent now as opposed being privy to the conversation. The audience is now ‘outside’ looking in. What we are seeing from Melisandre is great stuff too. Carice is a phenomenal actor. (Check out her film Black Book. She is riveting) In this bit we begin to see that The Red Woman is not as all powerful or confident as she seems. The audience gets much of this when she tries to bring Jon back in episode 1 and 2. We feel it here again. She tries to understand what the Lord of Light wants from her and Jon so she can make Jon understand as well.

Following Melisandre’s line “Maybe he brought you here to die again.” There is a beat of about 3 seconds before we shift focus once more and have an extreme closeup of Jon, staring into the fire. He doesn’t look at Melisandre until the words “do something like that” then back to the fire again. He is resigned here. He’s only course of action is to win because he knows that should he fall Sansa will be gone, Winterfell will be gone, and there is a very real possibility the Lord of Light will resurrect him yet again to live in the shadow of all that.

Cut to a extreme close up of Melisandre as she says “The one we’ve got.”

Back to Jon with another extreme closeup as he continues to stare into the fire. This lasts for about 3 to 4 seconds and then he turns. He does not look at Melisandre again. We pull out with the camera back to the wide angle establishing shot from the doorway and Jon exits the scene, covered completely in shadow. We are left with a really gorgeous closing shot of a shadowed Melisandre alone, once again framed - this time by the tent flaps of the doorway.

You can see how such a tiny scene, which doesn’t rely heavily on action, can pack a bunch. There is subtlety in scenes like this and that’s what we see in the acting choices from Kit and Carice.

That’s all for now, folks. Next up...THE BATTLE OF THE BASTARDS. Honestly the Battle itself is likely something I will need to split up into small chunks. Its a behemoth. It took them 25 days to film so it will probably take me four or five posts to cover it all. Let me know if you all want me to skip the actual battle and I will focus on the Knights of the Vale riding in and Jon and Ramsey hand to hand. That said I think there is a ton of good stuff directorial wise in the actual battle so.... One more thing, my asks are always open so if you want me to analyze other scenes or have questions about the production end of TV and Film shoot me a message.

I’m off! Have a great one, fam.

#jonsa #jon and sansa #Jon x Sansa #jonsa is coming #jonsa crack #jonsa is here #jonsa is endgame #directorial analysis #Female directors

A View from Behind the Camera - GoT episode 6 x 9 - Battle of the Bastards part 2

It’s time for us to explore another section of the Battle of the Bastards. In my last post we looked at the top of the scene to Ramsey’s line “Do you like games, little man?” We will start from there and end on the section of Rickon’s death. I happen to have a copy of the script as well and I will be following along with it as we go. I will be pointing out things in the script and how they do or do not show up on the screen and how the sentiments changes once in the hands of Miguel Sapochnik. So without further ado away we go! (It’s a long one. Sorry, folks)

We’re starting off this section with a two shot of Ramsey and Rickon. Rickon is blocked in front of Ramsey. Ramsey has his hands on Rickon’s shoulders and he is leaning in to say his next. We cut to a two shot before a reverse one so we are looking down the field at Jon and the Winterfell fight crew (Yeah, that’s what I’m going to call them) while we aren’t technically in Ramsey or Rickon’s POV that is what this shot is. We are in over the shoulder. Then we cut back to the two shot of facing Rickon and Ramsey and we hold here until Ramsey’s line “The sooner you make it to him, the sooner you get to see him again.” It’s important to note that the music that was previous underscoring the scene has gone silent. We have the dialogue and the sound of breathing (which would have been added in post). After the line we do a quick cut to Jon in close up. It’s not an extreme close up but it is pretty close. He is not centered in the shot which is done purposefully. Every shot that Sapochnik uses in the scene is slightly off kilter. This is to really drive home the uncomfortable nature of the situation. We cut back to Ramsey and Rickon in a close up of the same distance as Jon’s previous. Then we cut to the over the shoulder shot of Ramsey and Rickon as Ramsey sends Rickon down the field.

What I love about the next series of shots is how they build the tension for the viewer. We don’t know what it coming from Ramsey, we know he is up to something and we are all aware enough to know that Rickon is going to be wormfood, We just don’t know how that happens yet. The stage directions in the script at this point are very sparse so this is all Sapochnik painting us a picture. We cut to a shot of Ramsey. We are at an extreme angle and we are shot from below.

This makes Iwan almost larger than life against a grey background. The script gives us the stage direction of “Rickon turns. He sees the approaching solider, and what he’s carrying: a mean looking longbow and a quiver of arrows.” But that’s not what Sapochnik gives us. He’s still building the tension here so he ignores this set of directions in order to keep that slow burn going. We cut to Rickon’s face, he is visibly scared - the viewer knows there is something over Ramsey’s shoulder just out of frame but we are still kept in the dark about it until we cut back to Ramsey, using the same off kilter extreme angle shot as before but this time the soldier with the bow enters the scene.

We cut to a wider shot of Rickon starting to run and then a close up of Jon. Jon’s close up is almost split second before we head back to Ramsey. This time we have a two shot of Ramsey and the soldier. Ramsey pulls an arrow. He pauses and stares down the field at Jon. It’s a great directorial choice. We cut once more back to Jon. He turns and runs to his horse, the camera staying steady where it was for the close up. We shift to a closer camera angle as Jon jumps on his horse.

Once Jon charges forth we see that Tormund is behind him. The camera zooms in to focus on Tormund as he moves forward while Jon rides out of the shot. Next we have a close up of Davos on horseback, he is clearly watching Jon ride down the battlefield (And thus ignoring every single strategic bit of advice he was given in the tent scene earlier on.)

We cut to a long shot of Jon riding down the battlefield. This was most likely shot with a Russian Arm attached to the Land Rover I know they used for this sequence. It allows for a great range of motion and they can match the speed of a horse with it. Jon rides through the shot. What that means is the camera is stationary and Kit rides from one side of the frame to the other.

Next we cut back to Iwan as he nocks his arrow. Iwan has been directed to take his time nocking the arrow, to really enjoy it. It is clear that the direction Iwan was given is that you’ve scored ahead in the game. He got Jon to do what everyone told him not to do. Ramsey has the advantage. Extreme close up on Ramsey’s hand as he nocks the arrow which cuts to a shot of Rickon running down the field. The shot starts at his feet and quickly pans up his body so we can see him look over his shoulder at Ramsey.

Now we have an aerial shot of Rickon running down the field in between the columns of burning bodies on St. Andrew’s Crosses. This is a practical shot and not CGI. The field they are shooting in is honestly this big. Sapochnik gives us this view for two reasons 1. to show the grand scale of the battlefield and 2. to show the viewer that no matter what Rickon is not getting out of this alive. That said, he still ups the ante with the next series of shots.

We quickly cut to Ramsey as he shoots the first arrow. Then to a shot of Rickon’s feet as he runs hard, that pans up his body until we get to his shoulders. Also we need to note that once again we are giving an off kilter angle for this shot.

Once the pan reaches his shoulders we cut to a close up of his face. He is scared as hell, panting, and looking over his shoulder. Cut to a wide shot from field angle so we can see the arrow land near Rickon but not close enough to be a danger. We cut to a frontal shot of Rickon running, where he also trips over his feet. My bet is that was by accident but because he looks organic they kept it in the shot. We cut back to Ramsey and his quiver-bearer. The script tells us “Ramsey nocks another arrow, taking his time. He draws. He fires.” What we get is so much more. First Iwan has been directed to shrug and sigh at the missed first shot. Then he nonchalantly turns and pulls another arrow free. We get a close up of his face at the end of the follow through. Another great facial expression by Iwan.

We cut to Kit as he thunders down the battlefield. The camera does a slight slow pan with him as he goes. It is clear from his facial expressions and how he is riding that Jon is digging his heels in to get to Rickon. We flip POV and watch from the frontline as Jon continues across the field. We get a wide shot of the distance again, we can see a speck of Rickon as he runs from the other side between the columns of flayed men. Back to a favor on of Ramsey, this time in profile with the arrow nocked and ready to fly. Iwan has been directed to turn his head so that he is not focused on Rickon when he shoots. We cut to a favor on in the frontal position and the he lets the arrow fly, turns his focus back to Jon and Rickon and lowers the bow with a smile. Ramsey is toying with both of them. Also it is important to note that SmallJon Umber and Karstak both had lines and reactions script wise in this section. Sapochink’s choice to leave them on the cutting room floor was the correct one in my opinion. Despite the sheer size of this battle it is an intimate story between two bastards. Jon and Ramsey. How they are foils for one another.

Cut to an over the shoulder shot of Rickon running from Ramsey POV and then to a close up of Rickon from an upward angle. Next we get another aerial shot, this time from a different POV of the field. We see how close Rickon is to Jon.

Jon actually rides into the frame. Next we have a close up of Jon as he rides, determined, again he is not centered in the shot giving that same off kilter view to the audience. Also it’s important to note that the music has started to build in a minor key and is a steady, droning melody.

Now we cut to an extreme closeup of Ramsey pulling another arrow from the quiver. This makes the viewer believe this will be the arrow that kills Rickon.

Cut to a running Rickon, again from the below upward angle. Followed by a shot of Jon riding hard now. He’s been directed to twist in the saddle and reach his arm out and down to scoop up Rickon when (if) he reaches him.

We get a long shot of Kit riding, hand out stretched then a cut to a close up of Rasmey as he prepares to shoot. Pan to an extreme close up of the arrow point to a close up of Rickon running, the sun shining behind his head. Back to close up of Jon to extreme close up of Ramsey in profile to extreme close up the arrow point as he looses to close up of Ramsey in profile again to Rickon and finally to the arrow landing in the ground close to Rickon.

The shots in the sequence come faster and faster as Sapochnik builds the tension to it’s pinnacle. When we see the arrow land on the ground the audience is lured into a false sense that Rickon will make it. That Jon will scoop him up and ride him back to safety at the frontline. The music stops with the sound of the arrow breaking as Rickon runs it over.

We get a POV shot from Jon’s knee of his horse’s head as the ride toward Rickon then a wide shot view shot of the battlefield were we see the Stark Boys getting closer still.

Cut to Rickon and then wham, arrow through the heart. This is the insidious genius of Sapochnik. He has lured the viewer into a false sense of rightness. We inherently believe in the power of things coming in threes so a fourth arrow is out of the normal pattern. Also this is the only time we don’t see Ramsey shoot. It comes out of nowhere. Rickon turns and falls to the ground. We get a close up of his face as he gasps for breath. Cut to Jon, who is out of focus and is in slow mo, we can also hear a slowing heartbeat as Jon is brought into focus. Extreme close up to a very pleased Ramsey. Cut to Jon from Rickon’s POV.

We hold with Jon a few beats and then down to Rickon on the ground. This is one of my favorite parts of this section. As the breath fades out of Rickon so the light fades in the shot. It’s a subtle and perfect touch. (Thank you @thelawyerthatwaspromised for making this gif for us) The entire feel of the scene shifts once again in that moment.

And on that note...we’ve come to an end. Next up we will cover likely up to when the Knights of the Vale arrive. As always my asks are open for questions. Also if you would like me to analyze other scenes please feel free to ask and I will slot them in.

See ya next time!

#Jon x Sansa #jonsa is here #jonsa #battle of the bastards #directorial analysis #Female directors #jonsa is coming #jonsa is endgame