‘It was my dream job’: Albertan describes working for The Last of Us
Posted Mar 19, 2023 11:50 am.
Last Updated Mar 19, 2023 2:46 pm.
The filming of The Last of Us in Alberta created many jobs in the province, and some are “dream jobs,” like Lindsey Kapitzke’s job as a crew dresser.
Kapitzke describes her role in The Last of Us as a costume buyer as “shopping as a job,” where she helped costume designers find and source costume materials.
“The costume designer paints what the character is going to look like. My job, as the buyer, is to meet with our designer and build the palette they’re going to use to paint the show,” she said. “Thankfully, because the creators of the game (on which the show was based) were so heavily involved in the production, we had access to all their concept art. So, that was very valuable for us.”
Kapitzke tried to source her materials locally — from Calgary. She also worked with a team based in Vancouver to source what she couldn’t find in Calgary.
“I always joke that it was my dream job – HBO gave me a credit card and let me loose in the malls in Calgary. Growing up, I loved shopping, and my dad was always like, ‘that’s not a job.’ Now, he’s just so proud of the work I’ve done,” Kapitzke added. “I bought Nick Offerman Ugg boots, which was a very weird thing!”
She adds Alberta’s “booming” film industry has helped her make use of her talents.
“The industry is massive and I’m really happy that it’s blown up so big,” Kapitzke said. “I want the film industry in Alberta to grow because it is such a wonderful industry. Film is always so beneficial and I’m happy that it’s getting the support it needs.”
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Kapitzke has been working in the film industry since 2019.
She’s majored in technical theatre and design, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Lethbridge.
“It’s so surreal working on the production and just how big it was. Then seeing the reception of the show and how big a hit it actually is, is so strange,” she said.
“ULethbridge drama graduates are really a different calibre,” said Kapitzke. “Having worked in this industry for a number of years now, our grads just know how to do stuff and get stuff done. I feel like they’re set up with such a good mindset and toolbox to start making their career what they want.”
The Last of Us is based on the best-selling, critically-acclaimed PlayStation videogame of the same name, lauded for it’s deep narrative and characterization of the collapse of modern civilization after a fungal disease devastates humanity. Many have drawn comparisons from The Last of Us to another widely-popular HBO show, Game of Thrones — in terms of its scale, budget, and ambition.
The series is also the largest film or television production in Canadian history. It began filming in and around Calgary in 2021.
— With files from The Canadian Press
