How complaints of 'House of the Dragon' being too dark forced production to pivot
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Following the highly awaited release of 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 on June 16, 2024, excitement and speculation around the return to Westeros are at an all-time high. As a prequel to 'Game of Thrones,' the series delves deep into the Targaryen dynasty, promising an epic saga filled with fantasy, intrigue, and high-stakes conflict.
However, amidst the fervor surrounding the premiere, viewers quickly voiced complaints about the darkness of Season 2's initial episodes. Many fans and critics alike noted the difficulty in following crucial scenes due to poor lighting and murky cinematography.
This feedback prompted a swift response from the production team, who acknowledged the issue and vowed to make adjustments.
Did 'House of the Dragon' production addressed viewer's feedback?
In response to viewer concerns, HBO and the production crew swiftly took action to improve the viewing experience. They committed to enhancing lighting setups and adjusting post-production techniques to ensure that subsequent episodes are clearer and more visually accessible to audiences.
The showrunner Ryan Condal told The Hollywood Reporter: "We went into Season 2 very conscious of the feedback. Season 2 is much more in line with my particular aesthetic and what I think the show should look like. It’s not a massive difference, but I don’t anticipate getting the ‘it’s too dark’ note again.”
This pivot reflects the production's dedication to delivering a top-notch viewing experience and maintaining the series' high standards. As viewers eagerly dive back into the Targaryen civil war and the intricate political machinations of Westeros, these adjustments aim to enhance the storytelling and visual clarity, ensuring that Season 2 of 'House of the Dragon' continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Internet reacts to improved visual clarity in 'House of the Dragon' along with old experiences
With the release of 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 addressing viewer concerns over its initially dark visuals, Reddit users are now sharing their varied responses. Some express relief and appreciation for the improved viewing experience, noting adjustments to lighting and production techniques.
Others reflect on past frustrations with previous seasons' cinematography and sound quality issues. The community discusses these changes alongside criticizing the previous showrunner for not listening. As discussions unfold, opinions range from praise for the show's enhancements to ongoing critiques of broader industry trends in television production.
This fan points out that Miguel Sapochnik's directorial style for making 'Game of Thrones' and 'House of the Dragon' both too dark visually, despite viewer complaints, the fan wrote: "Miguel Sapochnik was the reason GOT and HOD were too dark. He directed all the episodes that were under-lit. He refused to bend to the criticism of viewers being unable to see anything. Even after GOT he still continued that was on HOD. Now that he is no longer show running HOD, we can finally see again."
Along with this another fan expresses frustration with dark visuals, highlighting specific problematic scenes, "Great news. And can I say, I'm pretty sick of the viewer being blamed when pretty much everything else on TV looks fine. I did all the right things with TV settings, it was still unwatchable at times (esp. the day for night sequence, and the brothel scene)"
However, few users were seen having the previous showrunner's back saying: "It’s medieval show with candle at night, of course it’s dark."
Meanwile, another user appriciated the showrunner's effort and penned: "Lord. If this is true praise Jesus. I just planned on watching on my Samsung tablet vs my Samsung (newer) tv."
Following this one fan points out a specific issue with previous showrunner and wrote: "The issue wasn’t simply the darkness - but the fact that they filmed certain episodes clearly during the day and tanked the exposure and raised the color temperature to make it seem like it was moonlit. Looked washed out and unnatural."
On the other hand, a user criticised the 'House of the Dragon' shedding light on unclear dialogue due to poor mixing or competing sound elements. The user wrote: "Great. Can shows focus better on audio mixing too? Dialogue is difficult to hear in a lot of shows."
Another user suggested a theory for show's being too dark, they stated: "Darker scenes alows them to cut the budget , it cuts down on set design as well as cheaper CG can be used I hate this trend that is going on lately it’s in movies too but it’s way more obvious and annoying in streaming shows where it’s already obvious when the budget is tight."
Despite mixed reactions, the adjustments made by 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 to improve visual clarity have garnered significant attention on Reddit.
How to stream 'House of the Dragon' Season 2?
'House of the Dragon' is streaming on HBO Max on Sunday, June 16, 2024. To watch the series, you will need a Max Subscription
The streaming platform typically offers three packages that you can choose from depending on your budget.
The low-cost plan that supports advertising costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. The second package, which does not support advertising, costs $15.99 per month or $149.99 annually.
Meanwhile, the third package, titled Ultimate Ad-Free, costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 annually.
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 trailer
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 is available for streaming on HBO Max.