

The art department took various pieces of work as inspiration, such as Robert Polidori's photographs following Hurricane Katrina, which were used as a reference point when designing the flooded areas of Pittsburgh. To achieve the sound of the Clicker, they hired voice actress Misty Lee, who provided a sound that audio lead Phillip Kovats described as originating in the "back of the throat". The sound of the Infected was one of the first tasks during development the team experimented with the sound in order to achieve the best work possible. This minimalist approach was also taken with the game's sound and art design. He used various instruments to compose the score, including some that he was unfamiliar with, giving a sense of danger and innocence. Known for his minimalist compositions, Santaolalla was contacted early in development. The Last of Us features an original score composed primarily by Gustavo Santaolalla, along with compositions by Andrew Buresh, Anthony Caruso, and Jonathan Mayer.
