PRODUCTION THE LAST OF US
NO TURNING BACK As Ellie faces ever more danger, her relationship with Dina becomes integral to her emotional growth
and shooting people,” she reveals, “but I think the reason why the show is so special is that the story is grounded in the characters, their humanity and putting them in these extreme situations.” While hesitant at first, she revelled in the chance to shoot action sequences. “[They] are fun to handle because of challenges like: ‘How do we put the camera in this character’s perspective and crawl through the snow or run through a subway car?’ Whatever it is, it’s fun to solve those problems.” A human-centred story at its core, The Last of Us allowed Goldschmidt to play with the interaction of action and emotion. “I definitely want my photography to serve the story. I’m not that interested in splashiness and for that reason The Last of Us is a good fit for me,” she admits. “It’s fun to work with all these people and wonder, ‘What’s this going to look like?’ You find these areas that are yours to design and to inform.” Thanks to Goldschmidt’s craft, Through the Valley – and the series as a whole – will certainly go down in TV history. The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming now on Max in the US and Europe, and Sky or NOW in the UK
We were all very nervous. Everybody felt that – even if they weren’t admitting it.” But Goldschmidt’s work on the series didn’t stop there; she also served as DOP on episodes 4 and 7 – the Season 2 finale. “Episode 4 is mostly sets and at night – the total opposite set of visual parameters [from episode 2],” she adds. “That’s how I find my self-expression: figuring out the best way to present the lighting, atmosphere and these incredible spaces. In terms of where I should put the camera, it’s just what emotionally feels right to the characters and the story.” Episode 204 is unique in other ways too, from creating effects in camera to
centring on Ellie’s journey with Dina, her friend and romantic interest. “I found that really satisfying, to hone in on two people and their relationship, and how that changes over the course of the episode,” comments Goldschmidt. “I love it for all the reasons that it’s totally different from episode 2. There is a cool action scene, but there are some lighter scenes as well. That is why the show is great; it balances both light and dark.” For Goldschmidt, the darkness and violence were an initial deterrent, and she questioned whether she was right for the job. “Part of the reason I don’t play video games is that I don’t like going around
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