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The Last of Us Season 2: Raising the Game with Luke Towers
It seems obvious now that HBO’s adaptation of the hit videogame The Last of Us would break the decades-long losing streak of videogame adaptations. With a drama-rich story and gameplay that was already described as “cinematic”; the HBO series already had strong foundations before they added a star-studded cast, new original stories and – of course – breathtaking visuals.
With the second season tackling the second game’s intense story, whilst adding more ambitious sequences of its own, we sat down with 1st AC Luke Towers to chat about all the ways that The Last of Us Season Two escalates every aspect of Season One.
Having worked on the first season, Towers had experience with the demands of the show – but that doesn’t mean he knew what to expect.
The Last of Us is a show that can pivot at any moment and anything can get thrown at you at a moments notice. Carrying forward from Season One into Season Two, you learn to be as prepared as can be with knowing the content that we are shooting on the day but also every single day to come. Patience and communication are essential.
One of the biggest challenges this season really came down to schedule. Anything could change at a moment’s notice and we needed to be ready to pivot and have all the right pieces in place – script changes becomes crucial. We had fantastic examples set for us with the leadership – from Ksenia Sereda returning from Season One and Catherine Goldschmidt ASC joining in Two – and how dialled-in they were with every detail of the show.
The camera setup for The Last of Us also received a remaster between seasons, with a custom upgrade to the lens package – and a subtle change that makes a huge difference to the series’ visuals.
For S2, Ksenia [Sereda] was excited to bring on the ARRI ALEXA 35. In S1 we had shot with the original ARRI ALEXA Mini and Cooke S4 lenses. When Ksenia decided to bring the ALEXA 35 onboard, she also began a long collaboration with Sarah Mather and Matt Kolze at ARRI Rental to alter the original Cooke S4 lenses we loved so much – converting the iris blade assembly from 8 blades to 16 blades.
This ultimately changed the T-stop of each lens when wide open and showcased some amazing bokeh when handling all the out-of-focus specular background highlights. The genius of this adjustment is definitely on full display at the Jackson New Year’s Dance scene in Episode One. Here’s a sample of the effect that gave us when you look at those out of focus highlights. Perfect globes!
The soft and comforting images of the Season premiere are quickly shattered, however. The centrepiece in Episode Two, Through the Valley, is a gigantic battle between human survivors and an army of Infected. It was a mammoth undertaking for the team: juggling VFX shots, practical effects and a lengthy shot list in inhospitable conditions.
The logistics and variety of equipment was definitely a challenge for everyone to keep organised. We had Technocranes, Ultimate Arms on ATVs, a Ronin 4D (for the fence-crawling sequence) and handheld cameras ready to go at all times – it made for a fun and crazy shoot. We would have at least three cameras going fulltime and supplement from there based on needs.
Through the Valley was definitely the biggest episode of television I’ve ever been involved in. It required two full units (main & second unit) going fulltime. Each unit had day counts in the twenties, so needless to say it was a huge endeavour for all departments, but it shows in the final edit of that episode.
That dedication and craft from every department is on full display in every second of Through the Valley’s hour-long runtime as the episode jumps between the sweeping stakes of the assault on Jackson to the far more personal drama in an isolated ski lodge.
Set in the post-apocalyptic remains of the USA, The Last of Us was actually shot in Canada. This continued through in the second season, and Through the Valley in particular sent the crew up into the Rocky Mountains. Even with a fully-staffed team, a camera breakdown in the cold wilderness is the last thing you want to happen – and Murphy’s Law says that it will happen. How do you keep yourself – and your gear – safe?
The second season was filmed primarily in British Columbia, with the mountain portion filmed in Kananaskis, Alberta. I’m a local to Alberta and have spent a lot of time filming up in that mountain. I’m very familiar with that environment and have come to find many tricks when dealing with the elements in the cold. Over the course of my career, I have found the philosophy of “if you take care of the gear, the gear will take care of you” has led me well. The show also had such a great team of skilled and supportive camera technicians for the season, so every day felt achievable.
Ultimately when dealing with those frigid temperatures I try to use the camera’s own ability to generate heat and trap it to maintain a good temperature for the camera and all the accessories (such as video transmitters or wireless follow-focus) that we are running. Making use of the Bright Tangerine line of matte boxes with their modular capabilities was such a huge addition to our arsenal of tools.
Our Misfit Atom and Misfit Kick matte boxes were used on the various setups to help keep movement authentic and streamlined whilst also offering convenient filter placement. For the more down-to-earth approach in the camerawork, they helped Towers and the team keep each rig as low-profile as possible.
This show is probably 95% handheld camera work. With that, it helps for the operators to have a small camera build so they can feel loose and free to manoeuvre however needed.
There’s so many rewarding moments on a set like this, but as a Focus-Puller on a very heavy handheld show, one of the great aspects I love about The Last of Us is when you get in sync with an Operator and shots start to feel lyrical and fluid.
With the show renewed for a third season before the second even finished airing, The Last of Us isn’t slowing down or scaling back any time soon.
The Last of Us is streaming now on HBO Max.
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