VFX artists point out glaring mistakes in House of the Dragon

House of the Dragon has been receiving mixed reviews from fans, with some critics praising its storytelling, characters, and visuals, while others have found it disappointing. The show has been praised for its faithful adaptation of George R.R. Martin‘s work. However, others have found the time jumps hard to follow and the characters complex to connect with. Opinions on House of the Dragon are divided, and the show may not be for everyone.

VFX Artists Critique House of the Dragon’s Dragon Fire

The Corridor Crew, experts in visual effects, took a closer look at the dragon fire in House of the Dragon and were disappointed with what they saw. They pointed out inevitable mistakes; for example, they made a YouTube video where they analyzed a scene where Vermithor breathes fire on some innocent people. Niko Pueringer, a pyrotechnics expert, said the fire doesn’t look real. He thinks it’s too dark and perfect and that real fire is way more dynamic and illuminates everything around it. VFX artists, in an interview with Corridor Crew, expressed,

“So first off, fire doesn’t work like this. I’m tired of seeing pre-disturbed bulbous fluid. That’s not at all how this happens… Or just the way the fire is working at the end of this fire blast shouldn’t be these pre-contained soft pockets of bumpiness. It should be speed. It should be motion blur. Like where is the movement coming from here? And then secondly, here, it’s all dark.”

Deeper Issues in House of the Dragon

The dragon fire in House of the Dragon looks pretty fake, which is a big deal since dragons are a huge part of the show. But that’s not the only problem. The writing and pacing have been criticized, and even the author of the books, George R.R. Martin, has expressed his disappointment. The writing and pacing are also off, and the budget issues have worsened. While better fire effects are significant, the show must focus on improving the story and pacing first.

“That thing, that’s a bright wall of fire. There’s no light coming from it. I get it, it’s a TV show, I get it, but this is my beef with Hollywood fire. It doesn’t move like fire. It doesn’t light the scene like fire. Turn up those lights. Just blast those lights! It makes such a huge difference. Just blast the scene with those lights. It looks lovely. Raising the brightness is an apt and seemingly inexpensive solution.” 

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