House of the Dragon armourer reveals how he makes fight scenes look real
Blacksmith Aaron Houghton discusses his experience working as an armourer for the HBO series 'House of the Dragon' in Wales. He details the process of creating authentic-looking weaponry for the show while balancing his own craft business.
Why it matters
The article highlights the economic impact of major film productions on local regions and the specialized skills required for high-budget fantasy television.
Image source, Theo Whiteman/HBO Image caption, Aaron had to make plastic swords and axes look real
A blacksmith has described the surreal experience of repairing swords and painting background weapons on the set of the Game of Thrones prequel.
Series two and three of House of the Dragon were filmed around north Wales and Aaron Houghton worked as an armourer on set, making sure all the actors looked authentic in the fighting scenes.
Based on George RR Martin's epic fantasy novel A Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon stars Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke.
Aaron is now combining working on the sets of productions when they come to the area with using his blacksmith skills to teach people how to make knives, swords and axes.
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