The first-ever Malta Film Week has kicked off that gives local talent the chance to discuss and share their experiences as part of the international film industry, but also the importance of growing their local cinematic landscape. During the panel discussion on Malta’s film culture and ecosystem, director Colin Azzopardi offered some insight into his work on Game of Thrones after the question came what the panel would prefer: working on film or TV? He offered some insight into what his experience was, as well as the pros and cons that come with it.
For me, it was a fantastic journey. One, being part of such a big project which after season 1, they knew it would do well, but they never expected it to do so well. It became like a cult and it sort of exploded, and your being part of the process. I started off as a AD, I was part of the creative process. And you’re getting involved in decision making and creating the looks of various culture in the story, and stuff like that. Then, moving on to production management and helping actually make the product on a massive scale, of course. The budgets on that were off the roof. And there’s a satisfaction in that, being part of that and being reocgnized for the awards and that kind of thing.
Colin Azzopardi
Just as much as he was praising the work that he was able to do with the HBO series, there was one large setback. Given its success, he was contractually obligated to work on the project for some time which limited his options of tackling other projects.
When I was doing Game of Thrones, I used to get calls for other projects, and obviously, you can’t do it because you’re tied down for so many years on a project. So, everything has its pros and cons, of course. I guess, if it was my TV series, then it’s a bit different because it’s yours and you’re involved with it, absorbed in the process.
Colin Azzopardi
Of course, the panel highlights that everyone has their own perspective on the matter. There may be some that enjoy the safety of a fixed contract while others prefer the freedom of managing their own projects, as highlighted by Azzopardi on the way you approach a project if you created it yourself. That diverse perspective also strongly reflects how complex the industry is
Source: YouTube
