Fans Perform a Wheel of Time Table Read of Caemlyn Scenes

The Dusty Wheel invited professional writer, filmmaker, and fellow Wheel of Time fan, Kristy Lussier, to write and discuss a Mock Screenplay Adaptation from The Eye of the World. Focusing on scenes in Caemlyn Kristy had adapted, she and fellow show guests Rebecca from Reading the Pattern, Alan from The Wheel Reads, BrotherDan from The Way of the Leaf, and Rob from Malkier Talks, performed a Wheel of Time table read. You can watch the full fifteen minute table read below:

Afterwards, the guests, viewers in live chat, and callers, asked Kristy to explain the screenwriting process she went through in producing her mock adaptation. This led to a fascinating look into the kinds of decisions writers adapting content for television go through, and why they make decisions to include or exclude scenes, plots, characters, and dialogue from source material.

Of course, this isn't the first time Wheel of Time fans have heard of table reads. Almost a year ago, The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime released a promotional trailer of the cast during their Episodes 1 & 2 table read. If you missed it, you can see it on WoTonPrime's Twitter or Instagram accounts.

Will there be more fan table reads at The Dusty Wheel?

Yes! During the show, they discussed tackling scenes from The Great Hunt, next. Is there a portion of The Great Hunt you would like to see adapted for TV by Kristy? The Dusty Wheel invited fans to leave comments with their preferences, and they mentioned plans to reach out to fans and content creators, to perform new roles, as Kristy has time to write a new Mock Screenplay Adaptation.

What exactly is a table read?

For details on what form table reads take, and why it's an industry practice, Marci Liroff on Backstage.com explains,

A table read is when actors sit around tables in a large room (or sometimes your living room!) and read through the script aloud. Each person plays a different role, and sometimes they play several roles. We have table reads for a few different reasons. When we’re trying to get the project off the ground, we invite investors and put together our favorite actors to help sell the material. Sometimes the writers and the creative team need the screenplay read so that they can hear how it plays. They often invite other writers so that they can discuss it after and do a “punch-up” for dialogue or for comedy. When I’m casting a feature film or television project, we invite the newly cast actors to a table read for the creative team, along with the studio and network executives. These readings can be very scary for the actor—even if she’s already been cast.

While The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime has not released additional promotional videos, fans did get a glimpse of actors holding their scripts from the Episode 5 & 6 table read early this year. In fact, it is certain table reads have happened for each of the four production blocks of filming, two episodes per block, to make up the eight episode, first season of The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime. What is a Production block? Adam Whitehead, a well known Science Fiction & Fantasy blogger, explains:

The block system sees several episodes combined into one solid block of filming and production lasting many weeks, maybe a month to two months. This block will involve the same behind-the-scenes personnel, and will be designed to maximise efficiency and minimize costs, so episodes set in the same location, using the same guest or recurring actors and so on will be combined, regardless of the actual transmission order of the episodes. Most notably, the same director will be assigned to the entire block. The block will be prepped, read-through, go through pre-production and budget meetings and then filmed and put through post in one long process. Usually whilst one block is filming, the next director will be stepping up and prepping the next block so the actors go from filming one block to the next (sometimes with a short break between them).

For more information of what has happened in each production block for The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime TV Series, we recommend you follow our resident Brown Ajah Detective, Geeky Eri. You should start here, with Geeky Eri's Block 1, Episodes 1 & 2, Breakdown, below. Make sure to like her videos and subscribe!