Posted in: Movies, san diego comic con, TV | Tagged: entertainment, film, On the Set with Vikings, San Diego Comic Con 2014, The History Channel, tv, Vikings
'On The Set With Vikings' Experience At San Diego Comic Con Is Immersive, Has A Comic
Rich Johnston and I saw them setting up an interesting lot on 2nd Avenue on Tuesday with what looked like a massive Icelandic landscape shot, and we watched workers pulling in bales of hay, walkways, and other paraphernalia. We argued about what it could be and I finally said, "Vikings?" The next day confirmed this as I looked between buildings out my hotel balcony view and saw the large "H" history channel logo. Time was tight but on Wednesday I ran across the street to see what was going on. I had heard there was a comic related to the show being given out at some point and was hoping to snag one too.
When I arrived they were just setting up to open the experience and fans were lining up. When they heard I was Bleeding Cool, they very kindly offered for me to tour the whole experience right away, but sadly I had interviews booked to run off to. But they did explain the set and experience to me and I grabbed some photos and what made my day–the comic!
Basically, the "On the Set" experience is very detailed and immersive for participants. They get to be treated to a full Vikings makeover individually and then have a custom video made of themselves to share on social media. The idea is that they get treated like "cast members" and create their own character and weaponry to take up for the duration of the event. The "back lot" fully constructed consisted of buildings, a model longship, and the excellent backdrop I mentioned earlier. Fully dressed and makeupped crew members were also present and their whole look was superb.
This is also being followed by a massive "meet the cast" event on Saturday from 1-2PM on the lot with Travis Fimmel, Katheryn Winnick, Clive Standen, and Alexander Ludwig and they'll be signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.
I can't complain too much about not receiving my own Vikings makeover yet since just seeing the set and getting the comic were nice surprises, but I am really getting my Vikings on today as I'll be covering their panel live and also participating in the press roundtables with the actors–the whole machinery of Vikings at San Diego Comic Con has been handled with excellent organization and communication with press in my experience so far and they've brought the world of the show to us here at SDCC.
Here are some more photos "On the Set":
And here's a peek at the comic "Blood Legacy" which looks like a very interesting window onto the characters and world of the show: