A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms TV Promo
Bringing Westeros to The Office
When HBO asked us to help promote A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the newest series in the Game of Thrones universe, the concept immediately stood out.
The idea was simple: HBO would send a medieval squire to assist celebrities who happened to be fans of the show. What followed was exactly what you'd expect when a medieval assistant tries to navigate modern life.
We followed Marshawn Lynch, Drew and Alex from The Chainsmokers, and Noah Beck as they interacted with their overly helpful squire, with plenty of chaos and comedy along the way.
Directed by Allen Colombo and executive produced by Mike Fecadu, the project was designed to feel very much in the style of The Office. That meant handheld cameras, snap zooms, imperfect framing, documentary-style coverage, awkward reactions, and plenty of moments where the camera felt like another character in the room.
As a cinematographer, that kind of project is always a blast because it requires you to embrace imperfection intentionally.
Building the Documentary Look
The Office has become so iconic that most people immediately know what you mean when you reference it. The challenge wasn't recreating the show exactly. It was capturing the same energy.
We wanted the audience to feel like they were witnessing these ridiculous situations unfold naturally. To achieve that, we shot on two ARRI Alexa 35 cameras paired with Angenieux EZ zoom lenses and Hollywood Black Magic filters.
The Alexa 35 gave us beautiful dynamic range while still allowing us to move quickly and stay flexible throughout the day. My B-camera operator, Adriel Gonzalez, and I both operated handheld for much of the shoot. One of the most important creative decisions was allowing ourselves to be imperfect.
We were both pulling our own focus. We were both operating our own zooms. Sometimes we intentionally missed. Sometimes we zoomed a little late. Sometimes we overshot reactions. Sometimes we reframed awkwardly. All of that helped sell the documentary style. The goal wasn't precision. The goal was authenticity. And honestly, I love shooting this way when the project calls for it.
My Secret Weapon: The Cinesaddle
For projects like this, comfort and flexibility become incredibly important.
We had long days. Multiple locations. A huge number of setups. Very little time. Lots of movement. Lots of improvisation.
My secret weapon throughout the production was the Cinesaddle. It's one of those pieces of equipment that doesn't get talked about nearly enough. It allowed me to stay mobile, stay comfortable, and quickly reposition for whatever unexpected moment happened next. When you're shooting a project designed around spontaneity and reactions, anything that helps you move faster is a huge advantage.
Marshawn Lynch and the World's Greenest Golf Course
Another interesting challenge came during Marshawn Lynch's golf sequence.
The location looked fantastic.
The problem was that the green grass was reflecting green light everywhere.
And I mean everywhere. Faces. Clothing. Skin tones.
Everything was getting hit with green bounce.
The solution wasn't particularly complicated, but it did require time.
We used large pieces of black duvatine to absorb much of the unwanted reflection and create cleaner skin tones.
One of those challenges that's not technically difficult, but can absolutely become a problem if you ignore it. Fortunately we caught it early and kept things looking natural.
The Chainsmokers Party Scene
The party scene with The Chainsmokers was probably one of the most enjoyable setups of the entire shoot.
The comedy was already working. The performances were great. That meant we could have some fun visually.
Without giving away all my secrets, this was one of those scenes where we got to push the lighting a bit more creatively while still keeping everything grounded in the documentary aesthetic.
The challenge was finding that balance between:
Party atmosphere
Comedy
Documentary realism
Commercial polish
It's a delicate line. But those are usually the most rewarding scenes.
Finding the Light and Moving Fast
One of the biggest challenges on the project was speed. Every location had a massive shot list. Every celebrity had limited availability. Every scene required quick blocking, quick decisions, and then moving immediately to the next setup.
In many ways, that pressure actually helped the project. The fast pace naturally reinforced the verité style we were chasing. Instead of over-polishing everything, we were constantly reacting. Finding light became critical. Then augmenting it quickly.
Working alongside Gaffer Eli Tahan and his team was huge. They constantly found creative solutions on the fly. The real MVPs were the Nanlux 2400s. Those fixtures are absolute powerhouses. Two of them became our go-to solution whenever we needed to compete with sunlight. Combined with a shiny board, they gave us an incredible amount of control while still allowing us to move quickly.
I also rediscovered my appreciation for the LiteMat on this project. It's one of those lights that's always around, but for whatever reason I hadn't leaned on it as heavily recently. With modern cameras and higher ISO capabilities, the LiteMat became an incredibly useful key light throughout the shoot.
And when in doubt? Just go darker. That usually works too.oing to steal that trick again on another project.
Recreating Battle of the Bastards... With Cardboard Boxes
One of my favorite scenes involved the squire breaking down boxes. The concept was to loosely emulate the famous Battle of the Bastards sequence from Game of Thrones.
Obviously, we weren't recreating a massive medieval battlefield. We were recreating the emotional seriousness of it... with cardboard. Which somehow made it even funnier.
From a cinematography perspective, the challenge was finding ways to reference the original visual language while still keeping everything grounded in comedy. Those kinds of references are always fun because fans recognize them instantly, while everyone else simply enjoys the absurdity.
The Result
What I love about this project is that it embraces something that can be surprisingly difficult to pull off:
Intentional imperfection.
The Office style is deceptively hard.
The camera needs to feel reactive.
The zooms need to feel spontaneous.
The framing needs to feel discovered.
The audience needs to believe they're watching moments unfold in real time.
That requires a surprising amount of planning and discipline.
With strong performances from Marshawn Lynch, The Chainsmokers, and Noah Beck, excellent direction from Allen Colombo, fantastic lighting from Eli Tahan and team, and an incredibly hard-working crew, we were able to create something that felt playful, fast, and true to the spirit of both The Office and the Game of Thrones universe.
It's not every day you get to combine medieval squires, celebrity fandom, documentary comedy, and Westeros.
That's part of what made this one so much fun.
Production Credits
Project: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms TV Promo
Client: HBO
Director: Allen Colombo
Executive Producer: Mike Fecadu
Director of Photography: Drew Lauer
B-Camera Operator: Adriel Gonzalez
Gaffer: Eli Tahan
Talent: Marshawn Lynch, The Chainsmokers, Noah Beck
Camera: ARRI Alexa 35
Lenses: Angenieux EZ Zooms
Filters: Hollywood Black Magic
Lighting: Nanlux 2400, LiteMat, Expressive Natural Light Augmentation
One Day, Many Worlds
The thing I'm probably most proud of with this project is what we were able to accomplish in a single day. We moved quickly. We covered a lot of material. We recreated multiple visual worlds. We balanced comedy, nostalgia, and fan service. And somehow we managed to keep the entire day fun. That last part matters. Working with Chloe Cherry, Martha Kelly, Marshawn Lynch, Allen Colombo, the team at Effie Studios, and everyone involved made the production feel collaborative from beginning to end. There was a genuine sense that everyone understood the assignment.
Have fun with the material. Respect the original series. Create something entertaining. And make sure fans of Euphoria immediately recognize the references.
Production Credits
Project: Euphoria Season 3 TV Promo (HBO)
Director: Allen Colombo
Director of Photography: Drew Lauer
Production Company: Effie Studios
Talent: Chloe Cherry, Martha Kelly, Marshawn Lynch
Steadicam Operator: Ross Coscia
Production Designer: Theo Zaleski
Gaffer: Ron Arredondo
Lighting & Grip: Express Lighting and Grip
Studio: FS Studios, Los Angeles
Camera Rental: Mediabox Camera, Culver City
Camera: Canon C400
Lenses: Rehoused Vintage Pentax Takumar Prime Lenses (25mm & 50mm)
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