Because our Black Targaryen Queens deserved A LOT more screen time!
Let's get one thing clear ... I'm a fantasy SUPER FAN. Anyone who knows me personally can tell you that. Needless to say, HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon has become quite the fixation.
After reading all the books in George R. R. Martin's repertoire (several times over), my fascination and love for the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series is boundless. When I heard HBO was adapting GRRM's Targaryen history book "Fire and Blood", to say I was excited was an understatement. I re-read the novel for a second time in preparation to satiate my hype.
Initial Impressions of House of the Dragon
When it came out at the end of summer 2022, I watched in awe. The cinematography, the fast-paced narrative, EMMA FREAKIN' D'ARCY AND MATT SMITH!!!! The whole lot of it was so beautifully done, particularly in regard to its stellar cast of newcomers and veterans alike. Milly Alcock, Emily Carey, Olivia Cooke, and Paddy Considine, to name a few were all utterly BRILLIANT!
Rhaena and Baela Targaryen. Photo courtesy of HBO's House of the Dragon, episode 1x10.
House of the Dragon even took a step forward in terms of representation, depicting the powerful, longstanding House Velaryon as ethereally Black. Being of mixed-race heritage myself, these character portrayals were easily some of my favorite aspects of the show.
But I had one minor quarrel with the series ...
Rhaena and Baela Targaryen.
GIVE. THEM. MORE. SCREENTIME.
Having read the books, I understand why the show's timeline is dissected the way it is.
To be honest, I quite like its quick pacing, but without hopping into spoiler territory for my non-book readers, Rhaena and Baela play a HUGE role in the Dance of Dragons and should definitely have had a more prominent role in the show's first season.
Perhaps they'll be focused on more in the episodes to come, but, still, myself and a lot of the fandom wanted to see more of our Black Targaryen queens.
So, naturally, I decided to change that!
The Birth of a Fan Film
I gathered a small team of young creative professionals in my network, and we put together a short fan film to give Rhaena and Baela the justice they deserve. In a nutshell, it's glorified fanfiction that you can watch!
AND ... we did it all in a month on a micro-budget.
B2P is a small production company, so utilizing resources on a smaller scale to produce silver-screen-level content is our specialty.
The Making of "Why Must the Old Gods Take From Us So"
Pre-Production
The first order of business was securing a location that could double as Dragonstone. Because everybody obviously has a castle in their backyard, right?
Sorry, that'd be INCORRECT!
Due to budget limitations and the timeline I wanted to complete this project in, I drafted a script that took us into the tall trees and forests of Dragonstone, highlighting a key moment in Rhaena and Baela's lives, ensuring my text stayed true to their characters as already portrayed.
In further preparation, I also had to source and sew their costumes. I color blocked them in accordance with the Targaryen and Velaryon color palettes and even pulled some adorning jewelry to match the fit.
The CRAZIEST part ... was the wigs. Did I teach myself how to style wigs for this production?
Yes. Yes I did.
Production
With a tight schedule, we had to be efficient. Our talented cast and crew were all hands on deck, working from the wee hours of the morning to late afternoon, capturing all the intricacies of the scene we were shooting.
We utilized natural light and practical effects (minus the CGI-dragon I spent way too much time on in Blender) to keep costs down while maintaining a high-quality look and feel.
Did I mention we were running on two hot chocolates and a dream in 23-degree weather?
Post-production
Editing was where the magic happened. Our post-production team (it was me ... I was the post production team) worked tirelessly to piece together the narrative, adding in an elaborate soundscape and original score to fill the diegetic space.
Conclusion
"Why Must the Old Gods Take From Us So" is more than just a fan film; it's a love letter to Rhaena and Baela Targaryen and a testament to the power of passionate storytelling. While we may not have had the budget or resources of a big-budget production, we poured our hearts and souls into this project to give these remarkable queens the spotlight they deserve.
So, as we eagerly await the next season of House of the Dragon, I invite you to check out our fan film and join us in celebrating Rhaena and Baela Targaryen.
After all, sometimes the best stories are the ones we create ourselves!
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