What We Can Learn From Game Of Thrones.

HBO’s Game of Thrones series produces 10 episodes a year, it’s followed by 6.6 million people, and is the most pirated series of all time. Not only that: every plot turn (and there are a lot!) generates a wealth of reaction videos and reviews (just search for “The Red Wedding“).

Although you may think that this success can only be built on complex schemes, the answer is very simple, as George R. R. Martin explains:

“Too many stories are too structured and too familiar. The way we read, the way we watch television, the way we go to movies, all give us certain expectations of how a story is going to go. Even for reasons that are totally unconnected with the actual story itself. You go to a movie, who’s the big star? O.K., if Tom Cruise is the star, Tom Cruise is not going to die in the first scene, you know? (…) The emotional involvement would be greater if somehow we could get past that. So that’s what I try to do.” [Vanity Fair, April 2014]

In an industry that usually takes the well-trodden path and shares obvious stories, we can only take on George R. R. Martin’s words and challenge current storytelling frameworks to create great, unexpected work.

Mariel Capisciolto
Account Manager UK