Game Of Thrones Episode 3 Cinematographer Hits Back At Claims It Was Too Dark To Watch Properly

It wasn't their fault, OK?
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Warning: There are minor spoilers for Game Of Thrones season eight episode three ahead.

The cinematographer who filmed Monday’s Game Of Thrones has hit back at complaints about the episode being too dark.

The Long Night saw the hotly-anticipated Battle Of Winterfell take place, as armies from across the Seven Kingdoms united to fight against the Army Of Dead – with all of the action taking place at night.

Arya ❤
Arya ❤
HBO

To film the episode, the cast and crew managed a whopping 55 night shoots in a row.

While the resulting 1 hour and 22 minutes-long instalment certainly wasn’t short of action, many viewers claimed they were struggling to see what was happening:

Me trying to see who’s fighting whom in the dark. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/Ztv98xNb84

— Deanne Mullins (@worleygirl_74) April 29, 2019

GOT spoiler without context
Oh you can’t see anything? Thats cause the episode was dark af😒#GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/WIrt6wVE6T

— Abdelkader AlEzzi (@A2OAbdelkader) April 29, 2019

This shit is so dark wtf. #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/7ros9trDEu

— Matthew A. Cherry 🏁 (@MatthewACherry) April 29, 2019

So... this is unwatchably dark 😖 guess I’ll find out who wins next episode? Shame, so much money per episode but nobody thought to buy a couple of lights #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/hE6j6RqXwx

— Michelle van Gerven (@michellevg0703) April 29, 2019

Every time a scene that was super dark came on
#GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/U3Tp4wwppi

— Kathryn (@knollsy) April 29, 2019

Cinematographer Fabian Wagner has hit back though, and is quoted as telling TMZ: “We tried to give the viewers and fans a cool episode to watch.

“I know it wasn’t too dark because I shot it,” he added.

According to the US site, Fabian advised fans to avoid watching the episode on their phones, claiming that streaming services often have poorer visual quality because the episodes are compressed.

Instead, Fabian says, fans should watch the episode in a dark environment, on their TVs and adjust the settings to make sure it’s perfect.

Jon Snow
Jon Snow
HBO

The episode has broken records already, largely thanks to the 78 minute-long main battle scene, which is officially the longest in TV and film history – smashing the record previously set by the Battle Of Helm’s Deep in Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers.

The Long Night quickly became the most-tweeted about scripted show in TV history, with over 7.8 million tweets being sent during and after its US premiere (which was simulcast here in the UK at 2am).

Shortly after it aired, HBO revealed a 40-minute documentary about the making of battle scenes on YouTube. Watch it below...

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