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Stranger Things

How to recreate the lighting setups for six scenes in Stranger Things 4

Jul 31, 2022 by John Aldred Add Comment
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I don’t know about you, but I find movies and TV shows a great source of inspiration. And I don’t mean the story, but the technical side of things. The blocking, the lighting, the editing, the grade, the music used and more all set the tone for what we’re viewing and it’s fascinating to try to reverse engineer and figure out not only how but why they made the decisions they did.

But here, we’re looking at lighting. And specifically, the lighting for certain scenes from Stranger Things 4. Bangkok-based photographer and filmmaker MIXXPST, along with his friend Gift Lee, decided to have a go at recreating some of the scenes from the popular show as they’re both big fans and I while they’re not pixel-perfect replicas of the originals, they illustrate some of the principles very well.

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Stranger Things’ Vecna is the perfect merger of practical makeup and VFX

Jul 13, 2022 by Dunja Djudjic Add Comment
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The fourth season of Stranger Things is over, and I finally got to watch the finale two days ago. Even if you haven’t watched it yet, I’m sure you’ve seen Vecna, the monster appearing in the series’ latest season. I mean, memes are all over the Internet!

Either way, you may find it interesting to see how this creepy creature was made. It was almost entirely practical effects, with a dash of VFX just to make it extra-terrifying. In this video from Vanity Fair, you’ll see how Vecna was made, what challenges the team faced, and you’ll hear plenty of interesting details from the set. Whether you’re a Stranger Things fan or not, I’m sure you’ll find the video really fun.

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Photographer recreates spooky Stranger Things scenes with Lego

Aug 6, 2019 by Dunja Djudjic 2 Comments
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Stranger Things has won the hearts of millions of viewers across the globe. Its aesthetic, story, atmosphere, and acting didn’t just create a tense and emotional journey, but they have also been an inspiration to artists. Lampert Benedek is a Hungarian toy photographer who was inspired by the popular TV show. So, he got a LEGO kit, some props, lights, and a camera and recreated some of the most exciting and spooky scenes from the show. Most of the photos were done entirely in-camera, and Lampert shared with DIYP how he did it.

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Feel old yet? This Stranger Things fan didn’t know what a darkroom was

Jul 29, 2019 by John Aldred 22 Comments
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For most of us who own cameras, we’ve at least heard of a darkroom, even if you’ve never been used one or been inside one. It’s been a part of photography for as long as photography has existed, and there are many still around today, despite the world going digital. A lot of people still shoot film, and there are plenty of darkrooms around the world you can hire, even if you don’t have your own.

One appears in Stranger Things quite frequently, and it’s somewhere we often see Jonathan go to develop his photos and make prints. One viewer, though, seems pretty confused as to what the hell this “red room” is. This viewer took to StackExchange to ask the question. Poor Ansel would be turning in his grave.

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How to recreate the epic Stranger Things opening sequence

Jul 8, 2019 by Dunja Djudjic Add Comment
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The third season of Stranger Things was launched four days ago, to the joy of millions of fans. The popular TV show is really inspirational in terms of lighting, transitions, costumes, and so on. But there’s one more thing – its minimalistic, eerie opening sequence. If you wanna try and replicate it, Javert Valbarr of FXhome will show you a tutorial to help you do it.

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Photographer sues Netflix for using his photo in “Stranger Things” without permission

Sep 19, 2018 by Dunja Djudjic 8 Comments
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Perhaps you remember the case from earlier this year, when Netflix was accused of using a storm image without permission for its hit show Stranger Things. Photographer Sean R. Heavey took the photo, and he is now filing a lawsuit against Netflix for copyright infringement.

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“Stranger Things used my storm photo without permission,” photographer claims

May 10, 2018 by Dunja Djudjic 9 Comments
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While watching popular Netflix show Stranger Things, photographer Sean R. Heavey had an unpleasant surprise. He thought that a giant storm cloud in one of the scenes looked familiar, and then he realized – it was one of his photos. Apparently, the creators of the show used his photo to create the scene, and the photographer says they didn’t ask him for the permission.

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These 25 creative transitions from Stranger Things will inspire your filmmaking

Nov 9, 2017 by Dunja Djudjic 1 Comment
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If you watch Stranger Things, you know there’s a lot to love about this show. And if you know at least a bit about filmmaking, there’s a lot more to love and pay attention to. In addition to the marvelous acting and exciting story, I particularly noticed the use of light and sound to cause tension. Another feature I started noticing in Season 2 are some creative transitions – and I’m not the only one who did. Zackery Ramos-Taylor has created a collection 25 transitions from the second season of this amazing show. If you’re a filmmaker, these could be a great inspiration. And even if you’re just a viewer, you can simply enjoy the collection of these creative editing techniques.

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How TV show Stranger Things title sequence was done 95% in-camera

Nov 4, 2017 by Udi Tirosh 11 Comments
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It’s been a long, long time since title sequences were made in camera, by optically projecting the titles frame by frame on film. It’s all digitally made now. Stranger Things, Netflix’s 80’s themed series has taken a cue from the 80’s not only on the content of the show, but also on how its titles were made.

The logo in the opening is not CGIed at all, it is actually shot in camera and then manipulated in a computer.

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Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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