Who is sitting on the iron throne? This Malteser travelled the world working on GoT
Its cast of conniving, back-stabbing, brave and beautiful characters have been in our lives for almost a decade. But now, the world’s biggest TV show, Game of Thrones, is coming to a close. SOB!
And while fans may feel like it’s the end of an era, one man in Malta is feeling a little more retrospective than most.
Colin Azzopardi worked on the show from Seasons 1 to 7. “I got a job as an Assistant Director when the first series was being filmed here in Malta in 2010. Then for Seasons 5, 6 and 7, I was promoted to UK Production Manager for the foreign unit.” He also has two certificates from the Emmys for his work.
Colin on location posing with an Emmy
Over the years Colin’s job took him to Croatia, Morocco and Spain as the show and its plot line became more and more elaborate and its popularity and budget grew. But, with the final season being filmed mostly in Northern Ireland, Colin wasn’t needed. “There was only one week of filming to be done in Spain for Season 8, so I didn’t get brought back this time. I was sad I didn’t get to work on it, as it would have been a great way to get some closure. But things like this happen in the industry and you just deal with it.”
Record breaking telly
And Colin’s relaxed attitude was welcomed on set, including when he helped co-ordinate one of the most daring and record-breaking scenes ever to take place on film or TV. “It was when we were shooting the 'loot train' scene in Season 7 in Spain. We broke the record at the time for the greatest number of people on fire at the same time on a TV show. The episode had 73 fire burns in it, which had never been done before. The logistics of this were unbelievable and took weeks of meetings and planning to organise.”
On location in Morocco for Season 3
Another of Colin’s career highlights was being part of one of the few crews ever to be allowed film in The Alcazar in Seville. In Season 5, the UNESCO World Heritage-recognised palace complex, was transformed into Dorne, the southernmost of the Seven Kingdoms. “It has thousands of visitors every day, but they shut it down for us. That was pretty special. We also filmed at the bullring in Osuna. This was transformed into Danzak's Pit in Meereen city, where the Sons of the Harpy tried to assassinate Daenerys Targaryen and it was the first time we saw her fly on one of her dragons. It was long, hot days and there was a huge amount of planning beforehand to make sure everything was filmed correctly for when the special effects and dragons are edited in later.”
All that pressure and long-hours can lead to small mistakes turning up on screen, like when a Starbucks cup accidentally made it into a pivotal scene in the final season. While Colin had nothing to do with this episode, he can see how easily it happened. “I’ve worked on productions where a plastic bottle has been left behind. There was a plane in the background in the movie Troy for example and someone was wearing a watch in Gladiator. These things happen and the cost of fixing them afterwards can been immense, so you just have to laugh at it I suppose.”
A small part
As Production Manager, part of Colin’s job is to take care of the extras as well as actors with small speaking parts – including his own one-off role. “In Season 6 I played a character called Maester Caleotte in the episode ‘The Red Woman’. I delivered a message and then got a dagger in the back. Even though it was only a bit part, I still got letters from fans from around the world asking me for autographs. But I never sent them back as I found it too strange.”
And speaking of pushy fans, how has he dealt with people asking him about plot lines before they have aired? “You kind of get used to it. Obviously, we sign a confidentiality contract, so we have to stick to it. I always make sure never to post photos on Facebook of me at work until after an episode has aired.”
Colin (left-hand bottom corner) walking into his scene in 'The Red Woman'.
Saying goodbye
The 40-year-old from St Julian’s has worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as Captain Philips and World War Z, but still says Game of Thrones has a special place in his heart. “I’ve been on a lot of stressful projects, but it never felt this way on Game of Thrones. Everyone from the top down was fantastic. They way the production team structured the show was like a family and everyone in the food chain mattered. They understood that we were all leaving our families, sometimes for months at a time, so we needed our workplace to feel like home. I gave our Executive Producer Bernie Caulfield the nickname the Fairy GOTmother as she was like a mother to us all.”
So, has Colin remained friends with anyone from the Seven Kingdoms? “I’m still in contact with Nathalie Emmanuel who played Missandei, and quite a few of the crew.” he casually adds.
We’re not jealous, I swear!