STRANGER THINGS - LESSON 3: INDUSTRY
KEY FACTS:
//The series was first aired on Netflix on the 15th of July 2016
//There were only 8 episodes
//Written and directed by the Duffer Brothers (Matt + Ross)
WRITERS + DIRECTORS:
the Duffer Brothers - born 1984
//They began making films in the third grade using a Hi8 video camera that was a gift from their parents.
//They relocated to Orange, California to study film at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts where they graduated in 2007.
//After writing and/or directing a number of short films, their script for a post-apocalyptic horror film, Hidden, was acquired by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2011.
//The brothers directed the film in 2012 which was released in 2015.
//Director M, Night, Shyamalan read the script and hired them as writers/producers on the Fox TV series Wayward Pines.
THE IDEA:
//After discussing the movie as a jumping-off point, the brothers began talking about what Matt describes as "bizarre experiments we had read about taking place in the Cold War", specifically Project MKUltra, a mind-control program led by the CIA from the 50s through to the 70s.
//That led them to placing the show in 1983, a year before the Cold War-hysteria epic Red Dawn came out, and it brought into focus the fantasy aspect of the story they'd wanted to include.
//"We wanted the supernatural element to be grounded in science in some way," Matt says. "As ridiculous as it is, the monster [in the alternate dimension] doesn't come from a spiritual domain and its not connected to any religion. It made it scarier. I don't believe in ghosts, but I believe in aliens and alternate dimensions."
PRODUCTION + DISTRIBUTION:
//Produced by 21 Laps (TV and Film credits include Night at the Museum)
//Original Netflix series, so paid for by them and distributed by them exclusively.
//Ranked as the most popular digital series in the US only after the week after it's release on Netflix (3x more viewing than OITNB)
NETFLIX:
//Has over 100 million customers worldwide, all paying a minimum of £5.99 a month.
//CEO Ted Sarandos has championed the production house, "Netflix Originals", Netflix's in house production company, by committing $8 Billion to original content in 2018.
//This includes 30 mew anime series and 80 new films.
//Double Oscar-winning film Manchester by the sea was a netflix original, as was Oscar nominee Roma.
//This is an example of vertical integration - Netflix doesn't pay anything to any outsider companies to produce or distribute their products. All the money is kept in-house.
WHY NETFLIX?
//In large part, the success of Stranger Things is attributed to it's pacing and binge-ability - a quality characteristic of Netflix.
//In it's early iterations, the Duffer Brothers wanted Stranger Things to be a film. It wasn't until meeting with Netflix that they could not only decide their ideal format, but also to let their series play out without being restricted to a standard 13 or 22 episode run.
> Matt Duffer - "The cool thing about TV is that you have a lot more time. (but) you're not stuck now with 22 episodes. It's almost impossible to tell a cinematic story when you have that many episodes."
> Ross Duffer - "This is almost really the first time that I can think of in history that people are able to come up with a story, and they're able to go, how long should this be? Should this be six hours? Should this be seven hours? Should this be eleven hours? And Netflix is very good at not dictating how many episodes it should be."
BUDGET:
//We don't know. Netflix don't release budgets or viewing figures, but the Duffer Brothers have said that it was low-budget.
//The profit is unknown because Netflix is paid via a subscription rather than per programme. It was clearly successful.
CAST:
The cast were largely unknown with the exception of 2 star names:-
//Winona Ryder - Beetlejuice, Edward Scissor Hands, Alien Resurrection, Star Trek
//Matthew Modine - The Dark Knight Rises, Transporter 2, Full Metal Jacket.
The rest of the cast were unknown child actors in order to save money and not sacrifice the plot to expectations of celebrities.
MARKETING:
//The marketing of the series used a variety of methods to create visibility and word of mouth.
//Methods mixed above-the-line and below-the-line techniques.
//Targeted a range of potential audiences.
Above the line:
//Trailer - released on YouTube on the 9th of June 2016
//First 8 minutes - released on YouTube the day before the show aired.
//Social Media - The series has it's own official Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts with links to announcements.
Below the line:
//Twitch Streams - A 4 hour live-stream on Twitch where a team of influencers played various games in an 80s themed basement set where viewers voted on jump-scares.
//360 video - an interactive 360 video was posted to the YouTube channel of the Byers House.
//Social Media - Also shares fan art, memes and Gifs produced by the community.
//Emmy's Appearance - The cast performed Uptown Funk at the Emmy's, it wasn't on TV but was reported on later.
//Fake News Report - They created a fake 80s News report regarding Barb's disappearance which was posted on YouTube.
//Game - There is a Stranger Things Game where you can play as the characters.
//Synergy - During the Teaser Trailer for Season 2, which was aired at the Superbowl halftime, it starts like a Kellogg's commercial, advertising Eggos, Eleven's favorite food in the show, in order to capitalise on their increased sales since the show's release.
HELPFUL LINKS:
Hidden Trailer
Netflix 2017 Budget Article
How Netflix Changed TV Video
Will Netflix Really Steal Traditional TV's Crown Article
Ways of Watching Content Article
Binge Racing Article
Revisit Season 1 Article
Stranger Things Trailer
First 8 Minutes of Chapter 1
360 Video
Twitter
Emmy's Appearance
Fake News Report
Stranger Things Game Trailer
//The series was first aired on Netflix on the 15th of July 2016
//There were only 8 episodes
//Written and directed by the Duffer Brothers (Matt + Ross)
WRITERS + DIRECTORS:
the Duffer Brothers - born 1984
//They began making films in the third grade using a Hi8 video camera that was a gift from their parents.
//They relocated to Orange, California to study film at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts where they graduated in 2007.
//After writing and/or directing a number of short films, their script for a post-apocalyptic horror film, Hidden, was acquired by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2011.
//The brothers directed the film in 2012 which was released in 2015.
//Director M, Night, Shyamalan read the script and hired them as writers/producers on the Fox TV series Wayward Pines.
THE IDEA:
//After discussing the movie as a jumping-off point, the brothers began talking about what Matt describes as "bizarre experiments we had read about taking place in the Cold War", specifically Project MKUltra, a mind-control program led by the CIA from the 50s through to the 70s.
//That led them to placing the show in 1983, a year before the Cold War-hysteria epic Red Dawn came out, and it brought into focus the fantasy aspect of the story they'd wanted to include.
//"We wanted the supernatural element to be grounded in science in some way," Matt says. "As ridiculous as it is, the monster [in the alternate dimension] doesn't come from a spiritual domain and its not connected to any religion. It made it scarier. I don't believe in ghosts, but I believe in aliens and alternate dimensions."
PRODUCTION + DISTRIBUTION:
//Produced by 21 Laps (TV and Film credits include Night at the Museum)
//Original Netflix series, so paid for by them and distributed by them exclusively.
//Ranked as the most popular digital series in the US only after the week after it's release on Netflix (3x more viewing than OITNB)
NETFLIX:
//Has over 100 million customers worldwide, all paying a minimum of £5.99 a month.
//CEO Ted Sarandos has championed the production house, "Netflix Originals", Netflix's in house production company, by committing $8 Billion to original content in 2018.
//This includes 30 mew anime series and 80 new films.
//Double Oscar-winning film Manchester by the sea was a netflix original, as was Oscar nominee Roma.
//This is an example of vertical integration - Netflix doesn't pay anything to any outsider companies to produce or distribute their products. All the money is kept in-house.
WHY NETFLIX?
//In large part, the success of Stranger Things is attributed to it's pacing and binge-ability - a quality characteristic of Netflix.
//In it's early iterations, the Duffer Brothers wanted Stranger Things to be a film. It wasn't until meeting with Netflix that they could not only decide their ideal format, but also to let their series play out without being restricted to a standard 13 or 22 episode run.
> Matt Duffer - "The cool thing about TV is that you have a lot more time. (but) you're not stuck now with 22 episodes. It's almost impossible to tell a cinematic story when you have that many episodes."
> Ross Duffer - "This is almost really the first time that I can think of in history that people are able to come up with a story, and they're able to go, how long should this be? Should this be six hours? Should this be seven hours? Should this be eleven hours? And Netflix is very good at not dictating how many episodes it should be."
BUDGET:
//We don't know. Netflix don't release budgets or viewing figures, but the Duffer Brothers have said that it was low-budget.
//The profit is unknown because Netflix is paid via a subscription rather than per programme. It was clearly successful.
CAST:
The cast were largely unknown with the exception of 2 star names:-
//Winona Ryder - Beetlejuice, Edward Scissor Hands, Alien Resurrection, Star Trek
//Matthew Modine - The Dark Knight Rises, Transporter 2, Full Metal Jacket.
The rest of the cast were unknown child actors in order to save money and not sacrifice the plot to expectations of celebrities.
MARKETING:
//The marketing of the series used a variety of methods to create visibility and word of mouth.
//Methods mixed above-the-line and below-the-line techniques.
//Targeted a range of potential audiences.
Above the line:
//Trailer - released on YouTube on the 9th of June 2016
//First 8 minutes - released on YouTube the day before the show aired.
//Social Media - The series has it's own official Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts with links to announcements.
Below the line:
//Twitch Streams - A 4 hour live-stream on Twitch where a team of influencers played various games in an 80s themed basement set where viewers voted on jump-scares.
//360 video - an interactive 360 video was posted to the YouTube channel of the Byers House.
//Social Media - Also shares fan art, memes and Gifs produced by the community.
//Emmy's Appearance - The cast performed Uptown Funk at the Emmy's, it wasn't on TV but was reported on later.
//Fake News Report - They created a fake 80s News report regarding Barb's disappearance which was posted on YouTube.
//Game - There is a Stranger Things Game where you can play as the characters.
//Synergy - During the Teaser Trailer for Season 2, which was aired at the Superbowl halftime, it starts like a Kellogg's commercial, advertising Eggos, Eleven's favorite food in the show, in order to capitalise on their increased sales since the show's release.
HELPFUL LINKS:
Hidden Trailer
Netflix 2017 Budget Article
How Netflix Changed TV Video
Will Netflix Really Steal Traditional TV's Crown Article
Ways of Watching Content Article
Binge Racing Article
Revisit Season 1 Article
Stranger Things Trailer
First 8 Minutes of Chapter 1
360 Video
Emmy's Appearance
Fake News Report
Stranger Things Game Trailer
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