The more than a minute-long, 360-degree shot of the battle took three and a half weeks to stage and film. Director Neil Marshall included it when he saw the fully realized Castle Black set and felt that this set and action "were just screaming for it." It was blocked and rehearsed in two hours and shot in seven takes with a camera mounted on a crane. Marshall stated that the greatest miracle was that they got such a complex scene on film in only seven attempts and that no one got hit by the sweeping camera, which was an indication of how well everyone had timed their movements.
Upon its release, this episode starred the fewest main and recurring cast members (5), and is the first episode to give Kit Harington top billing.
Kit Harington called the filming of this episode the hardest thing he had ever done. He later changed his mind after filming Hardhome (2015), which he found "twice as hard".
Similar to Blackwater (2012), this episode takes place entirely in one location, the Wall, and does not include any parallel story lines. It is also the third episode, following The Kingsroad (2011) and The Rains of Castamere (2013), to not have a single scene set at King's Landing.
Neil Marshall: as one of the archers on top of the Wall in this episode. He is the bald man drawing his bow around 00:25:16 after Jon yells "Draw!"