Stranger Things Cinematography Breakdown — A Nostalgic Approach to Lighting, Camera, & Lenses

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Stranger Things Cinematography Breakdown — how the Duffer Brothers and primary DP Tim Ives used lighting, color, lenses, and aspect ratio to create the cinematic look of their ‘80s-heavy influences.

Stranger Things Cinematography Breakdown ►►
What is 2:1 Aspect Ratio ►►
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro to Stranger Things Cinematography
00:44 - Duffer Brothers Nostalgic Vision
01:20 - Chapter 1: Lighting
03:54 - Chapter 2: Color
06:00 - Chapter 3: Cinematic Look & Feel
07:46 - Final Thoughts/Takeaways

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Stranger Things Cinematography Breakdown

The cinematography of Stranger Things is a conscious and direct homage to the sci-fi and horror films of the 1980s. Creators the Duffer Brothers and their primary cinematographer Tim Ives used every aspect of cinematography towards this goal — the lighting, color, lenses, aspect ratio, and more. In this Stranger Things cinematography breakdown, we’ll look at each of these aspects and how they contribute to the overall look and feel of the show.

Stranger Things Lighting Techniques

Inspired by the work of DP Allen Daviau, especially the films he shot for Steven Spielberg, Tim Ives did a number of tricks to emulate the lighting. For example, using high color contrast for interiors (warm inside, cool outside) and using book lights to create softer illumination.

Color in Stranger Things Cinematography

The first three seasons of the show saw a dramatic shift in the color palette. The first season is much more subtle and desaturated compared to the second and third seasons. The latter of which saw the inclusion of more neon lights and saturated colors more reminiscent of the teen comedies of the ‘80s like Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Cinematic Look and Feel of Stranger Things Cinematography

The camera and lenses themselves help bring all of these aesthetics together. Despite shooting on digital cameras like the Red Dragon, the lenses were tested specifically to match those used by these influential films. Coupled with the cameras and lenses used in Stranger Things, a subtle film grain was added in Post-Production to give it a more filmic look. And the aspect ratio was decided on 2:1, which is more reminiscent of cinema than television.

All in all, the Duffer Brothers and Tim Ives have made purposeful and aesthetic choices when designing the cinematography of Stranger Things. By using everything from the lighting to the aspect ratio, they have fused their influences into something all its own.


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VIDEO EDITOR: BRANDON SCULLION
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♬ SONGS USED:

“Stranger Things Theme (C418 Remix)” - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein + C418
“My BOOBS hurt”- Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“System Override” - Makeup and Vanity Set
“One Blink For Yes” - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“Night of the Seventh“ - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“You’re Regressing Eleven“ - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“We Don’t Understand Each Other“ - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“Starcourt“ - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“He’s Here“ - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“Journalistic Instincts“ - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“We Are NOT Heroes“ - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“I Wouldn’t Remember Me Either“ - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“Aftermath“ - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
“People Are Strange” - The Doors

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