My Top 5 Shots In Every Episode Of TLOU

My Top 5 Shots In Every Episode of TLOU

Episode 2

Number #5

An incredibly intimidating, memorable shot. I love the horde below, and the over-the-shoulder shot with Ellie out of focus. It’s such a terrifying picture, and also really helps drill in how dangerous the infected can be.

Number #4

TIE! Two absolutely gorgeous shots that I thought could work well as a pair in this list since they’re both remakes of shots from the game. These are absolutely breathtaking, and showcase the ruined city so incredibly well. I love the way they use focal point to draw your eyes to specific places in the shot, and I adore the change from the game with the gorgeous golden lighting.

Number #3

I could go on about this shot forever. I adore the way Tess is framed in the arch, and her reflection on the floor. This shot really draws your eyes to the center using the walls, rays of light, and the contrast of the brighter floors and reflection. It’s just excellent.

Number #2

I’ve written about the symbolism of this shot in another post (that ended up being my most popular TLOU post ever), but it’s just absolutely fantastic. Ellie in the light and Joel in the dark, with Tess as a transition between the two. It’s just so incredible and symbolic, not to mention the beauty of the contrast and the sunbeams and the shadows. It’s just breathtaking on so many levels.

Before I reveal my #1, here are some honorable mentions…

Something I’ve mentioned before, and will absolutely mention again, is how much I love the shallow depth of field of a lot of TLOU. I’m an absolute sucker for shots in which danger is blurred out behind a character (that will come up in other posts), and this shot does it so well. I also love the beam of light, and the intensity of the shot. It’s just really cool and well executed all around.

Not only is this shot gorgeous from a set design and lighting standpoint, but we also get the best character in the entire world ever: PIANO FROG! WOOT WOOT!!

I just love the way the sinkhole take up a lot of the shot, and Ellie and Tess are in the foreground. I think it’s really unique, and is this really cool way of making the shot look pretty, but also show scale.

Number #1

Not only does is this shot absolutely gorgeous, but it also works so well from a symbolism standpoint. Ellie lingering where Tess died, not able to push past it like Joel pretends he is, with the burning statehouse in the background, and the stricken, shocked expression on her face. It’s gorgeous, heartbreaking, and an indicator of what’s to come… (Also the only place I could find this shot unobstructed was a ‘Ending of TLOU Ep 2 EXPLAINED’ video, so apologies for the channel logo on the bottom left)

Tune in for ep 3 tmrw!

Awesome, super thorough list of questions I’d like to answer! Or just… ask me a question all of your own. I’ll answer those too haha

ask game for fanfic writers

do you know how you want the story to end when you start, or are you just stumbling through the figurative wilderness hoping to find a road?

talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

on a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy incorporating romance into the average story?

what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

have you ever made a playlist about something you were writing as an elaborate means to procrastinate when you could have been actually writing and if yes drop a link, son

do you have any kind of consistent writing schedule or just hoping for the best?

tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote

what’s your relationship with constructive criticism and feedback like? do you seek it out? how well do you take it?

in an ideal world where you’re already super successful and published, would you want to see a tv or movie adaptation of your work? why or why not?

at what point in the process do you come up with titles, and how easy or hard is that for you?

what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

do you ever have trouble focusing on writing? how do you get around that? 

talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you.

what’s your worst writing habit? 

where do you share your writing?

where is your favorite place to write?

what is your favorite line you’ve ever written?

what is your most and least favorite part of writing?

what are some books or authors that influenced your style the most?

what is your favorite trope to write?

pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about.

describe your writing process from scratch to finish.

how do you deal with writers block?

on average, how much writing do you get done in a day?

what’s your revision or rewriting process like?

do you like to write one-shots or series, and why?

do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished? 28. And who do you share them with?

handwritten notes or typed notes?

give us a spoiler for one of your stories.

most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you.

tell us about one of your characters who’s an absolute joy to write

do characters influence your writing style?

do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

how do you name characters and places?

tell us about a character who’s very different than you who you love a whole lot

do you base your characters of real people or not? If so, tell us about one.

when creating characters, what comes first: appearance, backstory, motivation, personality, something else?

how many stories do you work on at one time?

are you an avid reader?

best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

what is the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.

describe the aesthetic of a story in 5 words.

how did writing change you?

any writing advice you want to share?

name three of your favorite fanfic writers.

what time are you the most productive when it comes to writing?

what story are you most proud of?

do you reread your own stories?

do you want to be published some day?

do you plan or do you write whatever comes to your mind?

share the synopsis of a story you work on that you haven’t published yet

how many unfinished ideas/stories are you working on at the same time?

when writing, do you have an outline? and do you stick to it?

what’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

what is the last thing that a fic made you google when you were reading it?

what is the last thing that a fic made you google when you were writing it?

where is the most dangerous place that you’ve read fic?

where is the most dangerous place that you’ve written fic?

what was the first commercial property (book/movie/tv show/etc) that you realized was actually professional fanfiction?

what’s the weirdest reason you’ve ever shipped something?

what’s the best insult you’ve read in a fic?

what is your favourite title for a fic you’ve read? 

what is your favourite title for a fic you’ve written? 

when have you felt the most confident in your writing? 

when have you felt the least confident?

how long will you spend on a story or scene before you give up?

how do you write emotional scenes? do you ever feel what the characters feel?

are you very critical of your own writing? how much do you find yourself editing (either during the writing or after the fact)?

how do you balance writing and life? do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of writing you have to do?

what do you do if a scene gets too serious?

how do you visualize scenes? do you see it like a movie in your head, or do the words just flow?

are you a planner, pantser, or planster?

do you know how your story ends before you start writing?

what is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain? 

how do you write kissing scenes?

how do you choose where to end a chapter?

are you an over-writer, under-writer, or just-right-er?

do you try to put themes, motifs, messages, morals, etc in your writing? if so, how do you go about it?

if you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of writing advice specific to you, what would it be?

“proper” punctuation or all lowercase?

less is more or more is more?

said: overused or underused?

what would be on a moodboard for your current wip(s)?

which season best matches the mood of your wip(s)?

does your writing style change depending on the genre you write?

if you could have another author write your wip for you (bc we all dream of this occasionally), who would it be?

sarcastic narrators: entertaining or overdone?

do you notice your own voice in your writing style?

how has your writing style changed over the years?

first, second, or third person?

do you hear other people’s writing styles when they talk?

do you prefer dialogue or description?

do you describe a character’s appearance all right away or in pieces?

romantic/social sideplots: interesting or irritating?

abstract or detailed romance scenes?

what don’t you like about your writing style?

was being a writer a dream of yours when you were little? or did it spring up when your older? or is it just a hobby? 

open question to the writer.

a compiled list of asks for me to reference. they are not my own. just some of my favorite questions i’ve picked out from a couple different lists. feel free to reblog and use too!!

before we get an official announcement on who is replacing biden as the nominee, im just going to put this out there: do not mess this up. i don't care how little you like politics. i don't care if this new nominee isn't your first choice.

our alternative is trump. third party splits the votes, and abstaining is just going to fuck the entire united states over. your vote (AND support) matters, and i better see anyone who doesn't want trump to be elected and the United States to become a fascist, authoritarian regime throwing their full support behind this new nominee.

we have three months to go. we're in crunch time. if you don't want to lose your rights, support this new nominee with everything you've got.

edit: just in case this somehow wasn't obvious, this is NOT the post to be a pessimist on. don't say we're fucked. say TRUMP is fucked. we can't go back and change the nomination timeline, but we can absolutely support our new nominee and ensure they get elected.

Question 2 from the writers ask game! Please :3

Lochnessie! Wooooo!

2: Talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eye and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

Oh god, so so so many times. I will tell you one that… um… Will make you lose some faith in me as a writer lol

*cough* Joel and Ellie’s fight in Scratches *cough*

@bearrycool we’re making matching bracelets together, sorry it’s non-negotiable. You don’t want to? Too fucking bad. Here’s your fucking bracelet.

My Top 5 Shots From Every Ep of TLOU

Episode 5

TW: Gore

Number #5

An absolutely gorgeous one that really shows off the tenderness of this scene through the warm lighting and intimate feel. Ellie silhouetted in the lamp light is beautiful, and centering of her between the two beds is really great.

Number #4

An absolutely amazing shot from the ‘Kansas City Freed’ sequence. The shallow depth of field, making the crown out of focus, looks incredible. And the blue and yellow lighting works so well.

Number #3

Not only is this just a gorgeous shot, but the symbolism is absolutely stunning. This is right after Henry paints the mask onto Sam’s face, and seeing the way that it’s reflected back onto him, since he’s Sam’s hero, is just so brilliant and fantastic.

Number #2

I mean, what can I say? I am an absolute sucker for shots in which there’s out of focus danger in the background. But this one is amazing on so many other levels, too. The lighting from the fire looks incredible, and the shallow depth of field, showing the flames and lights in the background through the dirty windows, is just fantastic. All that mixed with the intensity of this shot make it just absolutely incredible.

Before I reveal my #1, here are some honorable mentions…

TLOU ultra-wide shots never miss, and this is no exception. I love off-centering of Ellie and Joel, and the way they’re framed by the streetlights. It just looks amazing!

This shot is so intimidating. The chains in front, something they’ll use more of in episode 8, and the dim, dreary vibe of the room really make this feel gritty and dirty in such a fantastic way. I just can’t get enough!

Just an absolutely gorgeous shot. I love the different colored lights and the way they reflect off the metal in the hallway.

Just an absolutely bangin’ landscape shot.

I just love the use of focus in this show, and the way that it helps give this scene a very melancholy, introspective tone by making Joel alone, even when there’s someone with him.

Number #1

MY BOYYYYYYYYYYY. MY BABY BOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.

Tune in for ep 6 tmrw!