We’re not going to review the show just yet after the episodes we saw, although we hope we might give some vague first impressions soon, but we feel compelled to make a special note to highlight just how amazing the opening titles for the show are. Gorgeously produced, innovative, and best of all completely acknowledging the breadth and scale of the setting. And for our money, it’s much cooler than what the pilot script allegedly described, which was simply a raven flying over a map of Westeros from point to point; that was a good idea, but this ... this is inspired.
We asked HBO about who designed them, and were told that Academy Award-winning editor Angus Wall and his team at A52 was behind it. They’re HBO veterans, having designed the opening titles for Carnivale (excellent video and information here), Rome (beloved of classics departments in universities the world over, I’m told), Deadwood, and John from Cincinatti.
It has to be seen to be believed. Lets just say Westeros figures very largely. When we first saw it, I admit, it made me think of Minecraft Inception, a video of a modified version of the runaway-hit indie game (made in Sweden!) See that video below (it’s after the 1 minute mark that I’m particularly thinking), and make of it what you will…