Tom McCullagh from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms discusses the process of minimizing Westeros and building connections - MovieMaker.

      After years filled with dragons, armies, and vast battlefields, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms adopts a more personal perspective on life in Westeros. Although the setting is recognizable, it feels more confined as the hedge knight Dunk seeks to define his role within it.

      This more personal focus influenced production designer Tom McCullagh, who previously served as an art director on Game of Thrones, in his approach to the spinoff series.

      “We found ourselves between two well-established worlds in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, both featuring grand physical sets and large-scale narratives,” he says. “We referred to Knight as a more local story in contrast.”

      This meant stepping away from King’s Landing and emphasizing rural settings, including tents, a marketplace, and the intricate jousting arena.

      “It was refreshing to explore the lives of innkeepers, peasant farmers, and traders,” McCullagh shares. “Rather than focusing on dragons or army movements.”

      Nevertheless, scale remained important, especially as Dunk, portrayed by Peter Claffey, arrives at the Ashford tournament. It was essential for the moment to feel immense without appearing overly extravagant or refined.

      “The concept was that it didn't require a massive budget, but had a rich history of jousting on that field,” McCullagh explains.

      To realize this vision, the team drew from time-worn and dilapidated English medieval churches, allowing them to create a setting that appeared layered and developed over generations. Executing this vision posed numerous practical challenges since the tournament grounds initially consisted of open land.

      “It was basically a green field site,” McCullagh notes. “We spent about 10 weeks preparing it—digging, constructing the steel framework for the stands and bridges, and landscaping the market area.”

      The bridge was not included in the initial designs, but showrunner Ira Parker proposed it as a way to connect two green spaces.

      “I agreed, ‘Yes, we can build a bridge,’” McCullagh recalls, adding that he later wondered about the implications of his response.

      Ultimately, this decision significantly influenced how the entire space operated. The bridge was not the only obstacle; the jousting scenes required sets engineered to withstand pressure.

      Dunk, or Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), often has to duck to enter buildings.

      “The entire set—everything from the lists to the posts and rails—was designed to be flexible,” McCullagh explains, noting this was crucial for the safety of both animals and crew.

      “They needed protection from potentially falling onto solid posts and such.”

      Filming in an outdoor location also presented environmental challenges, particularly since the crew faced “terrible weather from the moment we began working on that site.”

      The team also aimed to illustrate class distinctions through the characters’ movements around the grounds. McCullagh observes that Dunk feels comfortable in the market, mingling with traders and performers, but that ease fades in more formal settings, where some humor unfolds.

      “When he started searching around the house tents for assistance, the contrast in clothing and the finery of the people within was striking,” McCullagh notes, mentioning that all door frames and ceilings were intentionally designed to be low, highlighting Dunk’s height.

      “We wanted to create an uncomfortable atmosphere for him, so when he entered a room, he’d have to lower his head. Each time he goes into and exits Plummer’s, he forgets and hits his head on the doorway.”

      A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is available for streaming on HBO Max.

      Main image: Production designer Tom McCullagh on the main set of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. All photos are courtesy of HBO.