- [Michael] Hi, I'm Michael.
This is "Lessons from the Screenplay."
(keyboard clicking) (suspenseful music)
Pitching an original concept can be a daunting challenge.
In the case of a new TV series,
the show's creators must find an efficient way
to communicate a compelling premise and cast of characters,
as well as a story engine
that will keep the narrative engaging episode after episode.
But when screenwriter-director team, Matt and Ross Duffer,
were pitching "Stranger Things" to network executives,
their biggest hurdle was conveying the show's tone,
a unique blend of supernatural horror
and their favorite 80s adventure movies,
which often featured kids as the protagonists.
And even once the series was greenlit,
the writers still had to communicate this tone
to another audience,
curious viewers wondering
exactly what kind of show this would be.
(glass shattering) (screaming)
So, today I want to dissect each scene
of the pilot's prologue
to examine the inspiration and origin of these scenes,
beginning with the series pitch deck,
and to ultimately discover
how the Duffer brothers clearly communicate tone
through every step of the writing process.
Let's take a look at "Stranger Things".
(suspenseful music)
When pitching an original concept,
one tool screen writers and directors often use
is a document known as a pitch deck or a series bible.
And with the pitch deck for "Stranger Things,"
which was originally titled "Montauk,"
the Duffer brothers created a highly visual illustration
of how they saw their new series.
The creative formatting of the document
helps communicate the show's tone,
as it's designed to look like an old Stephen King paperback,
even borrowing specific elements
from the cover of "Firestarter."
The introduction also references several movies
whose tone the show planned to emulate,
"E. T.," "Jaws," "Poltergeist" and "Stand by Me."
And each section of the pitch deck
is followed by a still frame from one of the 1980s films
that inspired the creators.
These films span two distinct genres,
"Alien"-style sci-fi horror on one end of the spectrum,
(banging)
and "Stand by Me" style coming-of-age stories on the other.
So, in the first episode of "Stranger Things,"
the Duffers open the show on one end of this genre spectrum,
with a sci-fi horror sequence in the Hawkins laboratory.
(suspenseful music)
The very first scene of "Stranger Things"
needs to set up a classic, instantly recognizable
monster movie tone.
To accomplish this,
the Duffer brothers made sure their screenplay
doesn't just describe what the audience sees,
but also what we hear.
So, right from the first moments of the pilot,
the script includes evocative sound cues.
"Interior, Hawkins labs, sub-level corridor.
"Fluorescent lights flicker.
"A siren warbles.
"And we continue to hear that low-end rumble.
"Whoom! (door explodes open)
"The door explodes open, the hinges shrieking.
"A scientist staggers out, terrified."
But it's not just the intense, heightened sound design
that places the audience in a horror mindset.
Back in the "Stranger Things" pitch deck,
the Duffer brothers painted a clear picture
of how they wanted to portray supernatural monsters
in the show,
writing, "Our supernatural entities
"will remain mostly obscured throughout,
"hidden in the shadows tucked away just off screen."
And true to this vision,
the monster is not revealed at all in this scene.
But rather the implication and sound of the monster
let our imaginations run wild.
"A strange rumbling noise, coming from above him.
(rumbling) "He looks up at the ceiling.
"His eyes grow wide and--
"Watch through flickering lights
"as the scientist is sucked up
"toward the ceiling by something."
These tried-and-true horror techniques
are clearly communicated
in both the pitch deck and the script,
and they let the audience know
they're in for a classic monster movie.
But then, the next scene swings us
toward the other end of the "Stranger Things" tone spectrum,
as we meet our main characters playing Dungeons and Dragons.
The next scene of the pilot
emulates other movies referenced in the pitch deck,
like "E.T.," "The Goonies" and "Stand by Me,"
establishing a kid adventure tone.
- The demogorgon!
(grunting) We're in deep shit.
- [Michael] By insisting on the realistic use of profanity,
the Duffer brothers made it clear right up front
that despite featuring four young leads,
"Stranger Things" is not a Disney style kids show.
Instead, "Stranger Things" hearkens back
to the classic coming-of-age films of the 1980s
that the Duffer brothers grew up with,
which often focus on a group of tight-knit friends.
In a section called The Kids,
the show's pitch deck paints a distinct picture
of each boy's personality,
as well as the dynamics of their group.
For example, "Lucas Conley.
"His attitude will land his friends in danger
"more than once,
"and put his friendship with Mike to the test."
"Dustin Henderson.
"He frequently bickers with Lucas.
"Their arguments are good-natured at first,
"but escalate as the stakes rise."
These roles and dynamics
are efficiently set up in the script
during the boys' game of Dungeons and Dragons.
- Will, your action! - I don't know!
- Fireball him!
- I'd have to roll a 13 or higher!
- Too risky, cast a protection spell.
- Don't be a pussy, fireball him!
- Cast protection! - Fireball!
(grunting)
- Where did it go? - Where is he?
- [Michael] As dungeon master,
Mike is established as the group's leader.
Dustin's reaction to the demogorgon
reveals him to be more fearful
and less confident than Lucas.
- It was a seven?
Did Mike see it?
Then, it doesn't count!
- [Michael] And Will demonstrates
that he's the most gentle and honest of them all
when he admits that he lost the dice roll.
- It was the seven. - Huh?
- The roll.
It was a seven.
- The demogorgon, it got me.
- [Michael] The pitch deck further lays out
how the Duffer brothers planned to capture a sense
of 80s nostalgia.
"The show will feature many period details,
"wood-paneled station wagons, analog technology,
"'Empire Strikes Back' in theaters,
"Blondie on the radio, et cetera."
1980s period details are on full display in this scene,
from the costumes
to the wood-paneled walls and patterned wallpaper
to the old TV and retro headlights on the kids' bikes.
And this scene also places another key element of tone
front and center, music.
Returning to the pitch deck,
"The soundtrack should similarly feel period, but timeless.
"Most of the music will be original,
"which we imagine as a cinematic, eerie,
"modern synth sound."
By making the unconventional choice
of hiring modern electronic musicians
to score "Stranger Things,"
the Duffer brothers nailed an essential element
of the show's unique tone,
original music that feels both modern and retro,
creepy and nostalgic, all at the same time.
But just as we've gotten comfortable
in the 80s coming-of-age nostalgia,
both ends of the tone spectrum
literally collide in the final scene of the show's opening.
(banging)
(grunting)
With a supernatural encounter.
(roaring)
The final part of the prologue
follows one member of the group of friends, Will Byers,
as he's pursued by the monster from the laboratory.
The scene continues to include nostalgic retro details
while bringing back
the sci-fi horror tone setting techniques
from the opening scene. - Hello, hello?
- [Michael] "He hears something on the other line,
"but not a voice.
"It is that guttural sound he heard in the woods.
"The pitch rises and falls,
"making a series of strange sounds."
And just as in the first scene,
the writers make sure to shroud the monster in mystery.
"We can't make out any features,
"but its proportions seem off."
This scene also includes a visual homage to E.T.,
taking an image that was featured in the original pitch deck
and recreating it for the climax of the scene.
(suspenseful music) (dogs barking)
(door bangs shut)
And the scene ends with a piece of writing
that indicates sound design, visual cues,
and camera movement all at once.
"We don't see what happens to Will.
"We just watch that naked dangling light bulb.
"We think the glass of the bulb is going to shatter,
"but then, the terrible streaking sound abruptly stops.
"We pull away from the light.
"The shed is empty.
"Will has vanished."
By examining the pitch deck of "Stranger Things,"
we see how the tone of a series
can be conveyed early in the development process.
And by analyzing the show's opening,
we understand how the show's creators
efficiently communicate this tone to the audience.
The first scene of the pilot is pure horror.
The second is pure coming-of-age 80s nostalgia.
And the third is pure "Stranger Things."
(suspenseful music)
(cheerful music) Hey guys, Michael here.
I wanna quickly tell you
about a project I'm involved with called Nebula.
Nebula is a subscription streaming platform
developed by and featuring creators like myself.
It's a place where you can watch all of our videos ad free,
and where we can experiment and create exclusive content
which we call Nebula Originals.
Our Nebula Original series is called Story Mode.
In each video,
we take the story analysis of "Lessons from the Screenplay"
and apply it to video games.
You can watch all the episodes
as well as original content from a ton of great creators
today on Nebula.
But it gets even better.
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the streaming service home to thousands
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So, if you sign up for CuriosityStream
using the link in the description,
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With this bundle,
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Thanks to CuriosityStream for sponsoring this video.
Thank you as always to the patrons on Patreon
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And thanks for watching.