HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a prequel to Game of Thrones, is set about 100 years before the original Game of Thrones series and about 100 years after House of the Dragon. The series follows Dunk (Peter Claffey), a hedge knight, and his young squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

Tonally, it’s a bit different from the other Game of Thrones’ series. It is a much more intimate story with only one storyline; everything revolves around Dunk and Egg. The series is much lighter and more humorous, especially in the beginning, but then it gradually grows darker and more sinister as it reaches a climax in Episode 5, titled “In the Name of the Mother.”

Swedish cinematographer Gustav Danielson, FSF, (The Glass Dome, A Nearly Normal Family, Black Mirror) is nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on that episode — one of nine nominations for the show. Danielson also shot Episodes 1 and 2.

We talked with Danielson about his process of creating the show’s earthy, naturalistic visual style and the demanding dawn battle in Episode 5.

How would you describe the look of the show?
We wanted the show to feel naturalistic and beautiful without feeling too polished. We tried to do as much as possible in-camera using Northern Ireland’s beautiful landscapes rather than relying on big set pieces or greenscreen. Much of the show takes place outdoors, among ordinary people like Dunk and Egg. People are dirty, even the lords. We wanted to capture that earthy, gritty feeling.

The camera starts out on dollies and cranes and doesn’t go hand-held until the fight in Episode 5. We wanted to keep the camera movement simple and not overwork it, always letting the characters lead the camera so the audience can concentrate on the story and without getting distracted by fancy camera moves. Our A camera operator, Sebastian Barraclough, and our B camera operator, Peter Byrne, handled that perfectly.

What episode were you nominated for? Why was this episode the one you thought would resonate with voters? Can you describe the episode?
I’m nominated for Episode 5, “In the Name of the Mother.” This was my favorite episode when I first read the scripts. It’s the climax of the show, and the fighting sequence is the moment that the whole show builds up to, so it was an easy choice for me, especially since this episode has generated a lot of buzz among viewers.

The episode is mainly about the Trial of Seven, a seven-on-seven fight involving Dunk, and it also includes a long flashback sequence. When I first read the script, I had the feeling that our hero, Dunk, was about to die in the fight, so it was really important to set that mood for the battle.

Can you give us an example from that episode of something that was particularly challenging or that you are most proud of?
The fight was quite a complicated sequence in itself, involving actors, stunt performers and horses. On top of that, we set the whole fight at dawn, in mist, on a muddy field. All these elements made the shoot very challenging, especially trying to maintain consistent mist and light in the ever-changing Irish weather for almost two weeks.

How did you accomplish that? What was your process?
To control the light, gaffer Seamus Lynch had four Genie booms fitted with Caterpillar tracks and 20-foot by 12-foot flyswatters. We used black cloth to control the contrast and double nets and white diffusion in front of the sun to soften the hard sunlight. We also tried to schedule as much as possible to shoot backlit.

I’m also very grateful for the work our VFX team did to clean up the fog in post. Even though our SFX team, led by floor supervisor Tom Lloyd, worked really hard to get an even layer of mist across the battlefield, the changing winds sometimes made it very difficult. I had VFX supervisor Arron Roebuck by my side so we could decide where we needed more smoke and what could be fixed in post. The whole post department did a great job making the fog look consistent. The second unit, led by second unit director Rob Inch, and stunt coordinator Florian Robin did a fantastic job on this sequence.

What kit did you use and why?
On this show, I chose the lenses before deciding on the camera. We shot on Panavision Ultra Panatar anamorphic lenses with a 1.3x squeeze. The lenses have a very elegant, subtle anamorphic look that suited this show perfectly. The show’s aspect ratio is 2×1, so because the Ultra Panatars have a 1.3x squeeze and cover large-format, they fill the Alexa Mini LF’s 3×2 Open Gate sensor almost perfectly. For the long flashback sequence, we wanted a slightly different look since it’s basically a memory in Dunk’s mind. We shot that sequence on one lens, the Panavision T Series anamorphic 50mm. That lens is built for a Super 35 sensor, but we used a larger sensor area on the Alexa Mini LF to capture some of the artifacts outside the lens’ sweet spot. The lens has a very strong anamorphic look, which gave the sequence a more dreamlike feel.

What direction/feedback did you get from the showrunners/directors?
I’ve worked with director Owen Harris on several projects before this, and we always spend a lot of time talking about the visual tone of the project before shooting. I involve him in a lot of my decisions, like lenses, etc. We also have the same taste when it comes to lighting and framing, which makes our work during the shoot quite intuitive and fast.

This was the first time I worked with Ira Parker, the showrunner, and it was a very good experience. Before we started shooting, I had done a lot of tests so that we could all agree on the look, how dark the nights should be, etc.

Was there a lookbook?
Yes, I made a lookbook, mainly to help build the LUT and to visualize how the nights should look.

Can you talk about the on-set LUT?
It was created by the show’s colorist, Tim Drewett, who made an excellent show LUT. We created it from all the tests I shot with set pieces, landscapes, costumes and tent fabrics to get the right amount of color and earthiness. We wanted the look to feel like 35mm film, but we also toned down the greens in the grass, which made the whole camp feel less lush and more earthy.

How did you work with the DIT and the colorist?
I worked closely with Tim Drewett at Warner Bros. De Lane Lea in London. He was onboard from the beginning, first creating the show LUT during testing and then fine-tuning it during the first days of shooting, and he stayed on until the final grade. It was an absolute pleasure to work with such a skilled and dedicated colorist.

What haven’t we asked that you feel is important?
On a show of this scale, it’s really important that all the departments work together. Much of the look we wanted to create for the show is in the colors of the costumes, the armor, the sets, etc. Costume designer Lorna Marie Mugan and her team did an amazing job with all the costumes, and we tested fabrics thoroughly in front of the camera.

The same goes for the art department. We collaborated closely with production designer Tom McCullagh to create sets that we could light as naturally as possible, and we tested lamps, tent fabrics, etc. So what I basically want to say is that the look of this show is a massive team effort, and I’m grateful to have worked with the best.