Here's What Game Of Thrones Looks Like Without Any CGI

So what better way to prepare for its impending return to our screens (July 16!) than by taking a look behind the scenes. A video on the Game of Thrones YouTube channel shows how the special effects are put together, stripping away the CGI to reveal the bare bones sets.

Daenerys riding a dragon? More like Emilia Clarke riding some giant moving contraption thing.

Jon Snow standing in freezing conditions at the Wall? Hello fake snow blown through a pipe at Kit Harrington.

And then, of course, there are times when the only way to simulate a firebolt shooting through the air is to get a firebolt and shoot it through the air. It's not all CGI, you know.

Somehow when it's all finished, as the video explains, it all ends up looking like this...

Which is far, far cooler.

This short video shows some of the work that goes into putting the show together. Because we’re so nice, though, we’ve also found this longer video for you, which shows some of the other impressive CGI work on the show.

Now excuse us while we go into hiding for another four weeks.