At the beginning of November, the filming of The Last of Us was going quite smoothly.
Saoirse Ronan's performance was outstanding. She and Tom Cruise developed a wonderful chemistry, and their scenes together were absolutely brilliant.
Today's shoot was the giraffe scene, one that the crew had been preparing for a long time.
Gilbert didn't want to film it using green screen technology; instead, he had the art department build a full set.
They found an abandoned mining town somewhere in New Zealand, with Mount Cook visible in the background. Although it was summer in the southern hemisphere, the snow still lingered on the highest peaks.
Because the area was close to Antarctica, even in summer the temperature didn't rise very high.
The mining town sat at the foot of the mountain, and on clear days, Mount Cook could be seen in full view—it was a perfect scenic spot.
Unfortunately, the town had only one long-damaged road, making transportation difficult. It wasn't until the crew settled in that the local government funded repairs for the road.
After the crew left, the place would most likely be developed into a resort, with the filming location preserved.
The tourism boost from The Last of Us might not reach the level of The Lord of the Rings series, but some effect was better than none.
The crew put tremendous effort into the set design. First, they scanned the terrain of the mining town into a computer. Then they began digital design work before transforming the real location according to that design.
The art department spent three months transplanting and planting all kinds of trees and vines to recreate the images that existed in Gilbert's mind from the game.
Of course, some tall buildings and background elements would later be added through visual effects.
The power of nature had reshaped the city, and without human interference, Earth seemed even more beautiful—a fact that was, ironically, quite striking.
Once the town set was ready, giraffes from major Australian zoos were brought to live there. Zoo staff also stayed on-site to take care of them and prevent any issues.
Although animal protection groups still remembered Gilbert's past reputation all too well, it was best not to give them any excuse to attack the production team.
When everything was finally ready, Gilbert led the crew to the location in November.
"Wow," Charles Roven exclaimed, "just a few months ago this was a desolate little town, and now it looks like this."
"Yes," Gilbert praised, "it's all thanks to everyone's hard work. We'll shoot part of the action scenes here, as well as the most important sequence.
How are the giraffes? They won't bite, right? Don't scare Ellie."
The assistant director replied, "No, they won't bite, director. These giraffes are very gentle."
"That's good," Gilbert nodded. "Go check whether the two actors are ready. We can start anytime."
"Yes, sir."
After a short while, both actors confirmed they were ready, and the scene officially began filming.
The set was large enough, so Gilbert arranged six camera positions to film from different angles, ensuring smooth continuity in the actors' performances rather than changing positions after each shot.
Tom Cruise, being experienced, maintained great condition and had no issues. Gilbert's main concern was Saoirse Ronan.
Although the young actress was extremely talented, child actors often entered and exited emotional states very quickly. Between two takes, her performance could easily shift.
"No problem. OK?"
"OK."
After both actors signaled their readiness, Gilbert checked with all departments and gave the signal to start filming.
One camera began from a moving perspective. Joel and Ellie arrived at a beautiful spot.
Ellie looked at the distant snowy mountains and the city covered in greenery and vines, exclaiming, "Are you kidding me?"
Joel followed behind her, gazing at the snow-covered mountains and the lush, overgrown city. He felt a sense of peace, though he didn't realize Ellie's reaction came from seeing the giraffes.
Ellie began chasing after the giraffes excitedly and urged Joel, "Come on, hurry up!"
She ran ahead and pushed open a door, revealing a room with a collapsed wall covered in vines. A giraffe was leisurely using its height advantage to nibble at the plants growing on the broken structure.
"See that?" Ellie whispered to Joel, "Shh! Don't scare it."
"I won't," Joel said softly.
He slowed his steps, quietly approached the giraffe, and gently patted its head.
"What are you doing?"
"It's nothing," Joel motioned Ellie over. "Come on, let's go!"
Ellie's small hand trembled as she reached out to touch the giraffe's head. Seeing how gentle it was, she relaxed.
"Hey! Friend," Ellie said to the giraffe, turning to Joel. "This is so damn cool."
Indeed, Ellie was a girl who could swear, but it never felt unpleasant or out of place.
The giraffe wandered off, strolling leisurely.
Ellie watched and said, "Oh, where is it going?"
Seeing the direction, Ellie gestured for Joel to follow. "This way, come on! Let's go!"
"Slow down, little one."
Joel followed, and the two climbed upstairs, opening a metal door to reach the rooftop, where they saw even more giraffes.
Ellie gasped, "Wow, look at these adorable creatures."
The two looked at the distant snow-capped mountains, the overgrown city devoid of people, the leisurely giraffes, and various other animals.
Joel asked, "So, this is everything you wanted?"
Ellie turned to Joel and let out a soft laugh. "The journey has had its ups and downs, it wasn't smooth. But you can't deny the scenery is beautiful."
The two fell silent for a long while. After a moment, Joel said, "We don't have to do this, you know that, right?"
Ellie shook her head bitterly. "What other choice do we have?"
"Go back, go back to Tommy. Just… don't wade into this mess anymore."
"After everything we've been through, after everything I've done," Ellie sighed. "This can't end without a result."
Joel said nothing and pushed open the door that led to the path they were destined to take.
"Click!" Gilbert applauded. "Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely excellent. This scene is coherent—passed."
After finishing, Tom Cruise patted Saoirse Ronan on the head and said to Gilbert, "Just now, I felt like I was acting opposite an award-winning actress. It was amazing."
Saoirse Ronan, receiving praise, felt a little shy.
"It's all thanks to Uncle Joel and the director. I just did what I was supposed to do."
"Well said, Ellie," Gilbert applauded. "Young actors today lack that awareness. If everyone could just do what they're supposed to, what would we even worry about?"
Saoirse Ronan's performance was outstanding, and the crew had grown accustomed to it. The girl was talented, and in time, she would achieve great things.
And having starred in Gilbert's films, could her future really be anything less than bright?
After this scene, Gilbert shot some additional footage and then filmed some action sequences and gunfight scenes elsewhere in the mining town.
Scenes of Ellie using a gun to fight zombies were, of course, included. Throughout the journey, she wasn't just a helpless little kid.
She would tell Joel dry jokes, sometimes acting as a commentator, critiquing characters or certain types of zombies.
Additionally, she provided Joel with a lot of assistance. Places that were difficult for adults to traverse, she could manage. At critical moments, Ellie even picked up a gun to help Joel fight zombies.
Both on-screen and off, Joel and Ellie's bond gradually deepened.
...
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