Stranger Things Production Designer Talks About Set Inspiration

Good series and stories always have good narrative. But those that are compelling to watch have a certain extra added to their set designs, which make the show's world come alive, wherever and whenever their setting might be.

Take the case of Stranger Things, for instance. You can't argue with the story or the script, because we're definitely heading into the second season knowing the first season by heart but also knowing that there's a lot more we need to discover. And as far as its actual world-building went the first time, it was easily established where it takes its roots from.

Production designer Chris Trujillo shared with Goldderby.com where they took inspiration from when creating the set, and how they went from paying homage to the ‘80s classics to eventually creating their own voice and brand throughout the first season.

"I always come from a little bit grittier, more textural side. I feel like that's also part of what makes it special, being able to bring some of the realism of indie filmmaking to the magical wonder of that sort of early ‘80s world."

It's easy to see where Trujillo is coming from--the world we were introduced in Stranger Things had all the makings of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Stand by Me. But further down, we're given heavy doses of darkness and creatures of the night—remember the forest scene?—that bordered on horror without really showing you the close-up of the monster.

Trujillo also points to the set design as one of the contributors to the overall success of Stranger Things. Again, this is something palpable with every episode. After all, Stranger Things works because it serves up an odd but oddly familiar world to audiences, to make the narrative and the mystery of the whole deal truly effective.

We can expect more horror for its second season—as if we really needed that—when Stranger Things returns this Halloween.

Read:The rain holds some very real horrors.

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