Game of Thrones

Introduction
Media has evolved and adapted to our ever changing society over the years, and one of the biggest ways it has done this is through remediation. Although there are many examples where new types of media are completely original works of literature, the foundation of evolving media is the remediation of old. A prime example of such remediation is the use of written works to create television shows and films, and we have seen this with popular shows such as Game of Thrones and entire series of films such as Harry Potter. As Bolter and Grusin point out, this idea of reworking media into a different form is not new, and "One example with a long pedigree are paintings illustrating stories from the Bible or other literary sources". The remediation of the Bible and other written works shows us not only that remediation has a long history, but also that our own creative nature drives us to envision things in many different forms. Sometimes it is just a particular work that is re-purposed, but often times we see entire forms of media undergo remediation, such as the move from orality to writing and from print to digital. Changes such as these have given readers and authors new ways to experience and produce literature. Some good examples would be the development of electronic literature and eBooks in the "wired world", but not everyone is a fan of change. Plato was a strong critic of the move from orality to written work since he believed it would produce "forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it," while the NEA fears that the rise of digital media and the fall of literary reading "indicate an imminent cultural crisis." While Plato's criticism of written work seems like an overreaction now, the NEA's views are being challenged as Web 2.0 has brought us new levels of social interaction and teamwork with projects such as Wikipedia, which is itself a complete remediation of both the concept of traditional written encyclopedias and electronic encyclopedias like Microsoft's Encarta. Remediation clearly takes many forms, and it will no doubt always have its critics, but it will continue to go on and provide us with new and exciting ways to experience and create literature well into the future.

While the remediation of literature has developed through changes in media and has advanced the variety of ways users can engage it, the "wired world" has provided new ways for them to interact and gain a sense of community without geographical barriers. Web 2.0 for example has allowed the creation of Wikis, which have given users the ability to collaborate and contribute vast amounts of information in a single place without geographical restraints. The web has also facilitated the creation of online social communities, which allow us to interact with each other and create communities surrounding specific topics. In the past, we would have to gather in person or on the telephone in order to discuss our opinions on television shows or books, but as Jenkins explains, "the water cooler has gone digital" as "Online forums offer an opportunity for participants to share their knowledge and opinions." So online forums, a product of Web 2.0, have given readers a new way to discuss, debate, and speculate about their favorite television shows and books. The ease of access creates a better experience for the users of media by allowing them to join large and diverse communities on their favorite topics, but it also asks the authors and producers to be a bit more aware of the communities themselves. The community that formed around Survivor, for example, strives for spoilers as they attempt to figure out the outcome of the show before it airs, and as Jeff Probst himself said when referring to keeping the secrets, "we have so many lies going, and we have so much misinformation that there is usually an out." The tactics employed by Survivor reveal the fact that the "wired world" has not only allowed readers to interact more with one another, but also that is has allowed the authors and producers of such media to interact with fans and monitor fan reactions to their work. Such interaction between reader and author, or in this case fan and host, would not have been possible before the advance of Web 2.0. The "wired world" has clearly changed the landscape of literature as we know it, and users and creators alike have adapted and taken advantage of the new possibilities that it has offered.

For my project, I will be examining the online communities that have formed in response to the HBO series Game of Thrones, which is based on a series of novels written by George R.R. Martin called A Song of Ice and Fire.  Game of Thrones developed a very strong following in its first season, as it appealed to fans of the books looking to see the stories in a new light, along with casual fans who were looking for something new and edgy to watch. Fan interest in the show has led to online knowledge communities such as the Game of Thrones Wiki, where users have compiled a wealth of information relating to the show, which ranges from character bios to episode recaps. Even the opening theme song has developed quite a following, as many YouTube videos exist showing covers of the intro. The show, as well as the novels, have also created a rather large amount of fan art, which expresses the artists' interpretations of the story and characters. While this project will cover the knowledge communities and the many forms of remediation that have developed in the online fan communities, it will also cover some interpretative disputes between fans in online forum communities. The show itself consists of ten episodes at about an hour each for a season, which requires the producers to make some changes when adapting the novels to the show. This sometimes leads to certain portions of the story being up for interpretation, and fans of both the novels and the show often debate the meaning of different scenes. Game of Thrones has completed two seasons covering the first two of the four novels that have been completed, and the online community will continue to grow as more information needs to be gathered, more story lines unfold, and new debates develop around the fans' differing interpretations.

Knowledge Communities
Several knowledge communities have been built around Game of Thrones on the web. These include both fan sites and wikis that compile information on the show. Knowledge communities allow fans to gather together and and post information on a shared interest. These sites generally have character bios, episode recaps, and even user reviews. Some of the communities take the form of wikis, while others are fan sites that include blogs, interviews, forums, and updates on upcoming Game of Thrones events. I have chosen two particular sites to concentrate on, the first of which is winteriscoming.net, which is a blog that revolves around the television series. The second site I will be analyzing is the Game of Thrones Wiki, which consists of a character bios, episode recaps, and fan written articles relating to the television series.

WinterIsComing.net
The site winteriscoming.net is a blog based site dedicated to the Game of Thrones television series on HBO. It was created in 2008 and provides news, rumors, speculation, and discussion about the series. Like most Game of Thrones sites, there is a spoiler policy, since the novels are well ahead of the television series and spoilers are hard enough to avoid already. The site gathers information and posts blog stories discussing significant developments relating to the series. Since the series is currently filming its third season, one of the popular items has been news of new cast members. Most recently, a rumor was reported that Noah Taylor and Burn Gorman had joined the cast. Posts like these not only help the fan community gather knowledge and updates on what is going on in the series, they also provide a space for user discussion in the comments section. The comment section is where fans get to speculate and share their own information on the matter discussed in the blog post. Although Game of Thrones is not a reality show, users searching for information regarding upcoming seasons while they are still being filmed resembles the actions of the spoiler community discussed in Spoiling Survivor. Although the users in this case are not trying to spoil the outcome, they are trying to discover who is in the cast before it is officially announced, which is one of the major objectives of Survivor Sucks. Winteriscoming.net effectively functions as a knowledge community in that it allows fans to interact and share information, and that it provides them with newly gathered and discovered news and rumors about the show. The site even collects a series of different photos from the show, including behind the scenes, publicity, and promotional photos released from HBO. There are also sections for episode guides, cast information, and even a map that shows many of the filming locations. Overall the site functions well as a knowledge community as it offers users a collection of information regarding the already made episodes of the show, while also keeping them up to date with developments related to the upcoming season.

Game of Thrones Wiki
The Game of Thrones Wiki is a prime example of a knowledge community, since it represents a true pooling of data facilitated by a community of fans working together. The wiki includes pages for every episode, which include the summary, cast, crew, and even memorable quotes. There are also character pages, which have been completed in great detail thanks to one of the major characteristics of a wiki, which is to invite "all users to edit any page or to create new pages within the wiki." Open community collaboration allows many individuals to contribute and improve information on the site. Without an active community, this kind of detailed information would not be possible, and the quality would not be as good. Even though some may assume that allowing users to freely edit a page would lead to bad information, we must consider Linus's Law that “given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow." Basically the more active the community is, the less likely irrelevant or inaccurate information will survive on a site like the Game of Thrones Wiki. The detailed information on the site also shows the dedication of the fans. Like winteriscoming.net, the Game of Thrones Wiki also offers a collection of photos and an opportunity for users to discuss the show, but on the Wiki user discussion is facilitated in a forum called Watercooler. This forum features user discussions and allows the users to ask questions, discuss episodes, or even make suggestions for the site. The wiki also attempts to protect users from spoilers that may arise from the novels, and they do this through a strict spoiler policy where "spoilers and events from the books are not permitted on entries on this Wiki." This is a recurring theme in knowledge communities surrounding the television series Game of Thrones, as the novels it is based on have progressed much further than the show. The Game of Thrones Wiki represents a very solid knowledge community, an active user base, and an incredible wealth of detailed information that only a community facilitated by the internet could provide.

Remediation
Remediation takes many forms, including art, fan fiction, and fan made video reproductions. A popular series like Game of Thrones is bound to experience several forms of remediation with its extreme popularity, and the online communities of the internet have allowed fans to reach an immense audience with their different takes on the series. There are countless videos, fan art, fan fiction, and even games available that have been inspired by Game of Thrones. It is also important to note that Game of Thrones is itself a remediation of the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R.R. Martin. For this project, I will concentrate on two forms of remediation that have developed in the fan community, the first of which will cover the videos posted on YouTube that cover the Game of Thrones intro song, and the second will cover the fan art that has been inspired by the show.

YouTube
YouTube is a large online community that allows users to post their own videos. The videos are only limited by the creativity of the user, as there are game reviews, stunts, and walk-throughs on how to tie a tie. When Game of Thrones was aired the intro song became very popular, and many fans have taken to YouTube to post their own unique covers of the song. The vast amount of covers that can be found reflect the passion that fans have for the show. The original song utilizes a cello to produce the melodies, but fans have made some unique versions using different instruments. One of the most unique is a cover by YouTube users "MermicolioN", who cover the song using bagpipes. This particular cover is especially interesting because it puts a whole new spin on the song, while also maintaining a certain medieval vibe that stays true to the show's character.



While I am a huge fan of the bagpipes version, there are so many other great versions out there to be found. A fan could browse YouTube for hours finding covers using harmonicas, acoustic guitars, accordions, violins, and pianos. This song has clearly become a fan favorite, and the amount of fan remediation in the online community is almost staggering, and as Charles Caleb Colton famously said, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." The active fan community and its interpretations of the opening song reflect just how much the fans truly love the show. Amongst the many covers, my personal favorite happens to be by whitenoiselab, which can be downloaded in mp3 form here. This particular version takes a heavier and more electric approach to the song, while also using the original song in the mix. The heavy metal style combined with the original track brings the song to the modern day while still retaining the original feel. The project took five hours to put together, which again shows the dedication that can be found in fan communities and their remediation of Game of Thrones.



These are just a few samples of what the online community has created on YouTube in response to Game of Thrones, and there are many more worth exploring. The community that has formed around the series shows a lot of creativity, and the dynamic of online communities like YouTube facilitate this creativity and allows users to share it with each other.

Fan Art
Fan art is one of the major forms of remediation that can be found in the online communities surrounding Game of Thrones. Fan art is unique in that it allows users to truly express their vision of certain aspects of the show. Through this kind of art an individual's emotions, interpretation, and fascination with the show can be seen. There are many communities with a wide variety of Game of Thrones fan art, but deviantART offers a wide variety from different artists. The interest in Game of Thrones in this community is readily apparent, as 8,798 "deviations" currently pull up through a quick search. There are many fascinating interpretations of the scenery and characters from the show, but one theme that continues to show up is that of Daenerys and her dragons. She is a character loved by many members of the community for several reasons, the most obvious being that she has dragons. People are fascinated with dragons, and deviantART member "kittrose" created a particularly striking piece of fan art portraying Daenerys and her dragons. The user community has responded positively to her art, for example user "JohnMaki" likes the "gritty (rather than "sparkly") look to the depiction." DeviantART provides a community where users can share their passion about a show and share their work, while it also provides them with feedback and connects them to other artists and fans. Kittrose's piece provides an important example of the kind of passion and creativity that shows can bring out in their fans, and it shows how remediation allows them to express it.



Another great example of fan art that can be found in the deviantART community is a portrait of Tyrion Lannister done by deviantART member "euclase". Tyrion is played by actor Peter Dinklage, who won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role. He has quickly become the most popular character in the series, and euclase's piece of fan art does a great job of capturing his contemplative and studious characteristics.



The deviantART community puts fan art at the forefront of its design, and it is a great way for fans to experience unique a lot of unique remediation of the show's content, as well as a great way for fans to share their own creative remediation. The fans of Game of Thrones who create and share their own interpretations of the show through the use of art represent just how deeply it has touched them. Online communities have greatly enhanced not only the amount of fan remediation of shows such as Game of Thrones, but they have also increased their exposure to a much larger audience. The ability to create, share, and receive feedback on these kinds of works is perhaps the greatest advantage to the online communities that have formed around Game of Thrones, and it fosters an even deeper interest and participation in the show itself.

Interpretative Disputes
Online fan communities bring together numerous fans, and with these fans come their interpretations of the subject that has brought them together. Game of Thrones offers some interesting disputes, as there are discussions about how the show has strayed from the novels, disputes over fans interpretation of what is going on in the story itself, and some disagreement over cast selection. The most popular way for fans to gather together and discuss these kinds of issues are in fan forums. The largest fan forum for Game of Thrones is A Forum of Ice and Fire, which is located at westeros.org, and this is where we will find our interpretative disputes. Two main disputes worth analyzing are whether or not the Watch knows about the the Others, and a brief questioning of why Daenerys cannot be harmed by fire.

What does Mormont know?
A lot of intense events are constantly occurring in Game of Thrones, and these events sometimes cause fans to speculate on what exactly some of the characters know. As viewers, we are well aware of the existence of the Others, who are a race of supernatural creatures that have the ability to reanimate the dead, turning them into wights. Most believe that the Others no longer pose a threat, but viewers see them in various episodes of the show as they begin to reappear. The dispute that has begun on westeros.org is whether or not the Night's Watch, in particular Mormont, are aware of their reappearance, or just ignoring it. Member "DannySpud" chimes in with his thoughts on the matter:
 * "I really don't think that Mormont knows Craster was sacrificing to the Others. Mormont doesn't know they are back, and wouldn't let Craster strengthen them if he did. He probably just thinks that Craster believes the sacrifices bring him luck and safety and that at worst he's giving them to wildlings."

This is a fairly common idea, but other users soon pointed out the errors in this assumption. User "A Free Shadow" asks:
 * "How do you all explain Mormont's "Whatever you saw, you'll see it again" and understanding between him and Jon?"

Clearly there is a debate to be tackled here, and different users will have their own interpretations of the story. Online communities and the user forums are a great place for this kind of discussion, and members are able to bounce their ideas and questions off of one another. Online forums can function much like a digital book club, and they represent the way the internet can bring fans together to further enrich the experience. Everyone will likely come out with the same opinion they had beforehand, but sometimes everyone leaves with more questions than they started with, as seen when member "Black Crow" responds to the post by "A Free Shadow":


 * "Wonderfully ambiguous.
 * Mormont already knows about the White Walkers and in his conversation with Tyrion in AGoT very matter of factly refers to them being seen near Eastwatch, but is Mormont saying Jon will see the White Walkers again or is he saying Jon will see the baby again?"

"Black Crow" takes the argument that began with how much Mormont knows, and raised a whole new question about what the scene itself meant. Clever discussions and interpretative disputes occur regularly on fan forums, and the thought provoking discussion that can develop is a testament to the "wired world" and its ability to bring large numbers of fans together in one place.

Is Daenarys Immune to Fire?
A pivotal scene in Game of Thrones involves Daenerys walking into a fire with three dragon eggs, and then exiting the fire unharmed with the hatched dragons. Her brother Viserys suffered a rather cruel death due to molten gold, so the community has questioned why she was protected and he was not, as well as whether or not she is permanently immune to burns. Forum member "LadyFriend" asks "Why is it that Dany cannot be hurt by fire, but Viserys can?" This sets off an interesting discussion where users begin to speculate why she is protected, and whether or not it is permanent. The first simple response comes from member "Asha-Not Yara!", who assumes that "Dany has formed some sort of mystical connection with the eggs which protects her from the fire." "Asha-Not Yara!" notes that she has read the books, and this is the best she can come up with. An interesting dynamic of the online communities comes up here, which is the fact that many members of the online fan community have also read the novels, and they are able to bring detailed knowledge to the communities. The discussion does not stop here, as a few more users chime in with their ideas and interpretations. Forum member "The Anti-Targ" steps in with his own opinion on the matter:


 * "That was particularly played up for the TV series. In the books it's really only the final magical bonfire that suggests Dany is actually immune to fire. And book-wise that was a one-time thing. If Dany walks into another fire she will get burned. Whether the TV show makes her permanently immune to fire is an open question. I hope not. I think she should get mildly burned early next season and have some mystical person say that it was the whole incubation of the dragon eggs thing that gave her immunity. Now that the eggs are hatched she's no more immune than Viserys: i.e. you're not that special."

Again, a forum member with some experience with the novels is able to give some insight, though the opinion of "The Anti-Targ" is a little more cut and dry than that of "Asha-Not Yara!". There is no denying that Daenerys was able to come out of the fire unharmed, no matter what an individual believes gave her the ability, but "The Anti-Targ" took the discussion to the next level by claiming that it was a one time deal. Disputes such as this are common to fan forums, and fans enjoy sharing their opinions and disputing those of others. A user named "Awakened Edna" seems caught of guard by the post from "The Anti-Targ", and questions his statements:


 * "Ok, Wow, I missed that. I haven't read ADWD yet. Is that something revealed there? Are there hints earlier that I have missed that suggest her immunity to heat/fire lasted only through the dragons' gestation? I thought it was as another poster mentioned, that she has the Targaryan genetic disposition toward dragon, while Viserys didn't, and while previous Targs who drank wildfire and such didn't. I figured they were just hoping for the genes to align right for another dragon to awake."

Although this user appears the be asking questions of a more knowledgeable member, a further look shows that they sneak in some details that prove that Daenerys may in fact be immune to fire. There have always been stories that some of her descendents were able to drink wildfire. If this is true, then it is very possible that she may be permanently immune to burns. The discussion does not have a final settled upon answer, and the truth is anyone's guess. The important thing is that a fan of the series is not only able to wonder about such a topic, but that the online community gives them a place to interact with others and discuss it. The "wired world" has facilitated fans in a number of ways, and the ability for them to gather and have interpretative disputes is just another example of how the web has created an environment that is extremely favorable to fan interaction.



Links and Resources
Game of Thrones Wiki

WinterIsComing.net

YouTube

deviantART

Westeros: The A Song of Ice and Fire Domain

A Forum of Ice and Fire