Rodeo FX delivered 267 shots for the second season of HBO’s House of the Dragon, with its contributions extending beyond the creation of stunning environments. All told, with a crew of 621 artists, they worked on 30 sequences, creating 41 assets and 35,516 frames with visual effects. The studio brought to life and animated three iconic dragons: Vermax, Moondancer, and Silverwing. While Vermax and Moondancer made their first appearances in Season 1, Silverwing, one of the largest dragons in Westeros, is a Season 2 newcomer.
The team described the careful crafting of the dragons, each embodying a distinct personality, which were illustrated in their respective scenes. Moondancer displays a more aggressive and “punk-like” attitude, which was especially apparent during the chase sequence in Episode 3. In contrast, Silverwing’s manner, though terrifying, is also regal and composed, as highlighted in the intense scene where Ulf encounters the dragon in a dark cave.
With no real-world counterparts for dragons, the Rodeo FX team delved into extensive …