How Wētā FX Created Salt Lake City in The Last of Us

In the final episode of The Last of Us Season 1, the Salt Lake City baseball park serves as a key environment, crafted with stunning visual effects by Wētā FX. The scene represents a moment of calm and beauty in the post-apocalyptic world for Joel and Ellie.

Wētā FX used high-resolution drone footage from a car park in Salt Lake City to create the panoramic background. The existing buildings were modified with weathering, destruction, and overgrowth to fit the decaying world of the series. The team transformed the area into a Little League baseball field, adding a diamond, bleachers, stadium lights, and other details inspired by the original game.

To enhance the realism, trees native to Salt Lake City were placed around the park’s perimeter, while grasses, flowers, and shrubs were manually and procedurally distributed. Elements like puddles and plants were simulated with ambient motion to add life to the scene.

This attention to detail created an immersive, lifelike environment, perfectly capturing the contrast between the beauty of nature and the destruction in The Last of Us.