HBO was seriously concerned that the night scenes in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" would be too dark. In an interview with Polygon, Gustav Danielsson said that while working on the series, the company took into account the criticism faced by the final seasons of "Game of Thrones".
The creators wanted to show Westeros as it would look without modern lighting, while keeping what was happening on screen discernible. The benchmark was human vision, capable of adapting to darkness:
"It's never completely dark because your eyes adapt and you start to distinguish surrounding objects. That's how the night should be: dark, but still allowing you to see what's happening."
A special visual profile was created for digital cameras, imitating the image on film. During filming, Danielsson could switch between the finished picture and raw footage to monitor details in dark areas of the frame. Digital imaging specialist Sel Botwell Fitzpatrick also monitored the lighting.
HBO also conducted its own checks. The company's engineers gathered televisions with different settings in one room to see how night scenes would look on home screens and ensure that the image was not too dark.
Danielsson also shared other details about the production of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms". About 90% of the first season was filmed outdoors in Northern Ireland. The team worked in forests, mountains, and muddy fields instead of the large studio sets of "House of the Dragon". Filming the battle in the fifth episode took at least two weeks, and the early dawn in that scene was created using artificial fog, wind, and visual effects.
An unexpected problem was prop blood with added sugar, which attracted wasps. Some insects got into the shot, and the creators decided to leave them in: according to Danielsson, the wasps enhanced the feeling of what was happening and allowed the viewer to "almost smell" the scene.
Filming for the second season of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" has already concluded. The premiere of the continuation is expected in 2027. The exact date is not yet known.