Friday, September 01, 2023
Emmy Nominee: The Last Of Us Production Designer John Paino On Why You Should Go To The Library
Below the Line: The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic world you can reach out and touch. Not only is it a splendid combination of practical and digital effects, but there’s a history and emotion in these environments and sets. If something is in these sets, it’s there to tell a story in HBO and creator Craig Maizin‘s respectful adaptation of the hit video game series.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I have not seen The Last of Us, but have heard a lot about it. I know this tv series is set in an apocalyptic world, and there is a constant theme of traveling/traversing. What I found particularly interesting and something I had never realized before, was the fact that there is always a way to take the past into your work. Although the movie is set in a world that doesn’t exist/is in the future, John Paino took reference images from Chornobyl to inspire his design. When I think about the daunting task of creating a future-istic world, I panic because it is challenging to think up something that hasn’t already been created. This article made me realize that it is okay to take inspiration from the past, to create a new future. Looking at different countries' architecture and different shapes from the past is such an inspirational jumping-off point for something brand new, perhaps mixing different cultures to create something new for a non-existent world. Not everything needs to be a completely new discovery, you can take from history and use aspects of the past to create something new.
As someone who is a fan of The Last of Us, it was interesting to read about the perspective of the production designer of the show. I was surprised by the fact that Paino does use other art as reference. As an artist, sometimes I am afraid of looking to other art for inspiration, but it is comforting to hear that someone so successful also follows a similar process. However, he does specify that uses fine art and not film, which makes a lot of sense. I guess that prevents him from getting too caught up into other production designs. I also thought that it was interesting that he purposely avoids using the internet. I wonder if this process will change with a new generation of production designers. There might be less and less designers that use books for research, and this may change the quality of design. I was surprised to learn that Paino specifically looked at books from Chernobyl. I feel like I would have never thought to have done that. I guess it’s important to learn how to research topics using out-of-the-box thinking.
I used to set aside time every Sunday night to watch the new episode of the Last of Us, by the end of the episode I was usually left crying or shocked and counting down until the next episode was released. I absolutely adored the first season and the production design was a big factor of why. The story’s world-building was hingent on the sets and how they influence the characters of the story and vice versa. It was very interesting listening to Piano’s choices in where the balance was with the interactions between character and world, specifically in the Mall or in Bill’s fortress. He was able to, in a matter of minutes, create a world that felt so real to an audience even though it was set in a fictional post-apocalyptic setting. Similarly, I believe that is part of why the video game was so popular, and it is interesting to read where the line between staying faithful to the source material and creating the same world for a new media can be.
I found this article fascinating. I got into theater DP via watching film behind-the-scenes, and so hearing about Paino’s process was so engaging, and definitely makes me want to watch The Last of Us. It was interesting hearing his comments about research, and going to the library. Books, and tangible objects as references are quite inviting, though I do find myself often turning to the swirling loop of the internet. However I agree that the library is probably an incredible resource that I should explore more, especially as you know exactly where the images or inspiration is coming from, whereas on the internet people can post things without citing the artist or original source material. Also, while looking in all of the locations Paino mentioned, it must be a great way to find ideas you wouldn’t have thought of, which could turn the direction of your design. It’s so impressive how the production team is able to curate the sets so specifically, and yet make them look so natural. The way Paino described attempting to make “sure things weren’t that beautiful” so they became more real. Especially being able to design around the idea of moving cameras, and possible having to take out a wall here and there for a shot. In theater there are no cameras, and so that’s not a complication you need to face as a designer, and I’d be interested in learning how one would go about that process of design for film/TV.
Post a Comment