The ’80s nostalgia of “Stranger Things” is weirdly entrancing. It seems to go beyond just what we can see, pervading every frame of the adventure-horror series. Maybe that’s because its creators’ love of the time period and its iconic films extended beyond the dialogue, sets, and costumes.

Behind the scenes, Aaron Sims of Aaron Sims Creative (ASC) used extensive practical effects to bring the strangest thing of all, the Demogorgon, to life. In 2017, that means making use of a pretty special technology that has come to replace clay character modeling. That’s right, the first Demogorgon was not, in fact, from the Upside Down — it came from a 3D printer.

Sims is a fan of the benefits of concrete, practical effects in creating a realistic experience for the viewer, and the Duffer Brothers agreed. He described the benefits of basing effects in real objects:

“As soon as you can hold something in your hand and turn it around and run your thumb over the surface texture of it, it feels more real. It feels, in a weird way, more impressive. To actually feel what it’s going to be makes it real. And, all of sudden, makes it worth making it in the end.”

Definitely dig into the whole amazing longread on FormLabs blog, and print your own monster designs here.

make your own stranger things

 

Images via FormLabs blog