[Note: Though the interview concerns the television series, GRRM makes a number of remarks related to the sexuality of characters in the series, and his approach to same.]
http://www.afterelton.com/tv/2011/01/gays-game-of-thrones-series-george-martin
[Note: This podcast was recorded during Fantasy Flight Games' "Days of Ice and Fire" event.]
http://www.bearswarm.com/episode-136-george-r-r-martin-and-a-song-of-ice-and-fire
George swore that if he was ever going to consider doing another cameo it would involve sitting in a chair, preferably with a large drink in hand. The life of an extra, standing hours in costume during dozens of takes was not high on his list!
One bit I found amusing was talking about creating names for writing. George first did a brief rundown on English names during the middle ages. Essentially a few simple names dominate. If your name wasn't Henry, Edward, or possibly Richard, you weren't going down in the history books. Then he talked about hearing interesting names and keeping those for future stories. He said when watching the NFL draft each year he picks up a couple of neat names for future use. Now I won't be surprised when Ser Ochocinco pops up in book 7...
George did mention you a few times Ran, He said he thought his hearaldry was pretty awesome until you actually produced them.
A few of the interesting bits that I recall off of the top of my head were some questions about the heraldry and armour. Westeros has better technology with dyes, than Medieval Europe did. Thats why they are able to great consistent colors such as scarlet, crimson, or burgandy rather than just red. Also they have ways to enamel or infuse colors to armour which weren't available to medieval smiths.
During the first Q&A someone asked if he had plans if he was "unable to finish the series." George asked for him to be stripped naked and be tossed out in the snow. :P He then said well at least you didn't say "pulled a Jordan". He actual did go on to reiterate he had no plans, but that if he were in a sitation like Jordan, he could forsee making contingency plans.
Then during the HBO Q&A he was asked what would happen when the TV show caught up to his writing. The audience groaned. George asked for this person to be stripped naked and tossed in the snow. He did say he felt he had a pretty decent head start, so hoped it wouldn't come to that. He also said that if something should happen to him , that David, and DB do know how the series ends. That was news to me.
The other bit of news was that at one point George tossed out the phrase 7 or 8 books in the series. I had not heard mention of a possible expansion to 8 books before.
One thing that I GRRM mentioned that I had not read before was that he filmed a cameo for the pilot in Morocco. It had been subsequently cut because everything was refilmed in Malta. Sorry if that is old news and I missed it.
After the reading, GRRM talks for awhile. He apologizes for the delay with aDwD. He states that past claims to have the book nearly finished were not attempts to deceive, just that he is guilty of "bouts of excessive optimism". He also comments on how his publishers claimed at the San Diego Comi-Con that there are only 5 chapters remaining. He states that this is true until he finishes one of those chapters and then decides that that chapter is too long and needs to be split into two chapters and then that causes adjustments needing to be made to other chapters, etc. Please be patient, he is honestly working on it the best he can. He talked about some other stuff, but none of it was especially note-worthy. Fun for those in attendance, but really worth rehashing here.
Then he did a non-HBO series Q/A (There is another Q/A later this evening dedicated specifically to the HBO series). Zero spoilers were released here. Any question even slightly spoilerish in nature was turned away, not even any subtle hints. I found only 2 questions especially interesting. Someone asked whether any of the songs in asoiaf were fully fleshed out (The Bear and the Maiden Fair, The Reynes of Castamere, etc)? GRRM replied that only the portion of the songs that exist in the books has been written and nothing else. He did comment on how he wished he had more musical talent. He joked about how so many of his former works have the word Song in them (A Song of Ice and Fire, A Song for Lya, Songs of Stars and Shadows, Songs the Dead Men Sing, Songs of the Dying Earth, Songs of Love and Death, etc). He says that when he was younger he was friends with a group of kids that had their own garage band and once they threw a party and a lot of pretty girls showed up and the band members were having a lot of luck with the girls and when 2 pretty girls asked him what instrument he played he replied, "the typewriter". "I went on to use that line many times but it never got me laid", he joked. The other question was how does he pronounce some of the characters names? He pauses, looks at us and goes, "Jon Snow, Ned Stark". After the laughing died down he did go through some of the more challenging names, though I don't have the linguistic ability to reproduce them phonetically here.
Here is a brief report on the panel with Kristian Nair that happened the other day at Octocon. The Rabbit has already posted a small report at WiC, but here are some of the things that I found interesting that weren't mentioned in the other report:
- So far Kristian has been in several scenes as a background character. IIRC, he has only had to say 'Hodor' twice so far. This week, however, his participation will become much more active and will involve jumping out of a bush.
- Kristian's make-up takes about an hour or less to put on every day and is rather sparse. His tattooes (face, hands) are covered during this process. He does not wear a wig and his hair is maintained as its natural color. He originally wasn't sure about that element since he has silvery-greyish hair, but now he has seen stills of him and Bran together and they look amazing. His costume is relatively simple and very hot.
- Spoiler: There will be a dramatic change in his appearance halfway through the series that will entail a change in his make-up.
- He and Isaac Hempestead Wright (Bran) are getting along well. I asked if he could tell some story about the kids and he produced one immediately, laughing that Isaac was going to kill him for telling it. Apparently Kristian got an iPhone last week and he got the Harry Potter wand app. Isaac was using his phone or something and did a very vigorous Expelliarmus that accidently, much to Isaac's chagrin, sent Kristian's iPhone sailing across the room to shatter! I personally think it just demonstrates Bran's future magical bad-assery, exhibiting itself from the very beginning. :)
- Originally they had planned for Isaac to come along as well and they would enter together with Isaac on his back, but Isaac's filming schedule is very tiring so he couldn't make it in the end.
- Isaac Hempestead Wright is extremely charismatic and is a pleasure to be around. He is also already a consummate actor - Kristian has never seen him mess up a line even once.
- Some of the cast have been more dedicated than others in reading the books. Others have been using the Wiki's to figure out what happens to their characters. D & D know some things that will be revealed in future books and GRRM is willing to tell some of the actors spoilery things about their characters futures if they really want/need to know.
- The kids seem to get along really well together and seem to be having fun. They are already a tight group.
- Kristian realizes that for the rest of his life fans will be coming up to him asking that he 'say the line.' He tries not to read the Board or forums because '50% of the time you hear what you want, 50% of the time you don't, and then you spend every day at home hiding under the duvet.' He has already been recognized; one night when he was doing a DJ set he looked up to see somebody taking pictures of him.
- So far he hasn't heard any of the cast or crew say bad things about us, the fans. [Phew. Crossing my fingers it stays that way/]
Afterwards Kristian and George stood for pictures. Then Kristian was kind enough to let the fans take pictures, get autographs and chat with him in the hotel bar before he had to drive back to Belfast. He was great and I want to thank him on behalf of all of us for being willing to hang out! You rule, Kristian! Rock On! Up the Irons! Raise the Fist of the Metal Child! So on and so forth!
That's all I can remember for now. If I think of anything else I will post again.
When I arrived at GRRM’s panel on screenwriting today scheduled at 2 pm, I noticed a familiar face sitting next to him at the table. It was like…who the hell is this big guy? I’ve seen him somewhere before? He has got a beard, some sort of silver hair…maybe another hidden Targaryen? In the next second it was like: OMG It is Kristian Nairn. It is our Hodor! He has arrived at last!
And I can tell you. Kristian is very nice, friendly, a geek himself (as he stated) playing WoW for many years.
It was GRRM, obviously very pleased with Kristian’s presence at Octocon, who posed many of the questions to him.
So, I am gonna relate as many answers as I was able to write down. Thankfully, SerMountainGoat from Westeros forums was filming all the session, and promised to upload it on youtube. Yes, I have some pics too. But I must find a way to upload it from the camera.
Well, here is what Kristian has to say about GOT:
First of all, he stated, the sets are unbelievable, he said he has not seen such a thing in his whole life. They shot most of his scenes in the Paint Hall and at Castle Ward so far. He would appear in 5 or 6 episodes, and yes they have been reshooting the pilot scenes with him.
He said he has read only the first book – and that it was amazing, at which point he became kind of red in the face, saying this in front of GRRM.
He pointed out that he was fascinated with kids and how they are bonding together as a real family. There is also a small, funny story involving Kristian, Isaac and Kristian’s mobile..
He said Isaac is a fantastic kid – small and light. Then continued "hopefully he would stay that way" – to much laughter. He also described the basket he uses – it is made of leather and it is very well crafted.
He mentioned his Vimeo audition and that he was not very pleased with it himself. We got to that subject, because GRRM himself admitted he had been shocked by it. Positively.
He also described his costume as very simple but very warm, and he has some trouble wearing it under all those lights on set.
It was a very funny moment when somebody asked: Are you afraid of us fans? He answered: Not at all.
GRRM repeated many of the things he already mentioned at Worldcon. Pointed out once again the possibility of making ASOS into two seasons (if we get there) and making all the stuff of AFFC and ADWD all together, not separately.
He mentioned once again his concern with the butterfly effect. And the influence that the series eventually could produce on his writings, he mentioned one character he might change a bit due to that (I think it is Osha).
GRRM also stated that the composer has been picked up but not yet announced.