{"id":1372,"date":"2026-06-04T23:39:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T23:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1372"},"modified":"2026-06-04T23:39:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T23:39:09","slug":"stranger-things-monster-directors-and-more-unpack-storytelling-techniques-and-embracing-weird-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1372","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Stranger Things,\u2019 \u2018Monster\u2019 Directors and More Unpack Storytelling Techniques and Embracing \u2018Weird Ideas\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tThe directors behind some of Netflix\u2019s biggest hits of the year came together to speak to their creative processes and storytelling techniques in conversations moderated by Variety<\/em> in partnership with Netflix.<\/p>\n

Read more Emmy Predictions: The Three \u2018Ps,\u2019 a Comedy Frontrunner and a Network Crown Up for Grabs<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tAntonio Campos, who directed \u201cThe Beast In Me\u201d; Max Winkler from \u201cMonster: The Ed Gein Story\u201d; and Alexandria Stapleton, director of \u201cSean Combs: The Reckoning\u201d spoke with Variety\u2019s<\/em> Jazz Tangcay about their visual languages, the challenges of documenting an unfolding story and portraying real-life people.<\/p>\n

\n\tCampos described his show as \u201ccontemporary noir,\u201d saying, \u201cwe embrace weird ideas\u2026 I\u2019m always thinking about the edit as the rhythm of the show and making it dynamic.\u201d Campos said he and his director of photography, Lyle Vincent, often drew inspiration from 1970\u2019s paranoia thrillers, like those from Gordon Willis or \u201cMichael Clayton.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWinkler also drew inspiration from films, like Truman Capote\u2019s \u201cIn Cold Blood,\u201d when building the stillness and quiet of the plains, aiming to make Gein\u2019s character appear small. Stapleton discussed the chaos and challenges of working on Sean \u201cDiddy\u201d Combs\u2019 story as the grand jury trial unfolded in real time. \u201cThe other thing that we were fighting was that everyone was really obsessed with these really scandalous details,\u201d said Stapleton. \u201c[There\u2019s] a whole doc about baby oil, and so we really wanted to dig under the hood to understand the context, the timeline, all of the origin story: how was this even possible?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWinkler also talked about the extensive interview and research process that went into the process and using a recording of Gein to help shape star Charlie Hunnam\u2019s performance, while Campos said he was also heavily involved in the production process, overseeing everything from color grading to sound mixing. Stapleton\u2019s editing process was trickier, as the team had no idea of the trial outcome until the last episode, often facing curveballs which included needing to find new footage and jurors to interview.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Duffer Brothers and Marc Munden also appeared in a separate conversation with Variety\u2019s<\/em> Michael Schneider to discuss \u201cStranger Things\u201d and \u201cLord of the Flies,\u201d respectively.<\/p>\n

Read more Amazon, Vice Studios Hit With Defamation Suit Over \u2018Hollywood Hustler\u2019 Documentary<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tRoss Duffer began by acknowledging the 10-year long process of making \u201cStranger Things,\u201d saying, \u201cEvery year we were learning something new, trying something new, and trying to swing for the fences as much as we could.\u201d Matt Duffer referred to wrapping the show as \u201cvery emotional,\u201d and added that they tried to \u201ctap into what it felt like in that first season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMunden explained the importance of staying as true to the \u201cLord of the Flies\u201d source material as possible, saying, \u201cI think the main difference is that you\u2019re just getting much more of the characters, in a way, than in the previous adaptations, and my take on it really was to be true to that period of the 1950s, in the middle of the Cold War, and bring all those elements in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe directors also discussed the challenges and joys of working with young actors. Ross Duffer said, \u201cWhat we were looking for is kids that felt really authentic, but because they\u2019re so young, it forced us to adjust the roles, because they\u2019re not necessarily playing Mike as written or Dustin as written, they\u2019re bringing their own personalities to it, and I think actually make them a lot more interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMunden revealed the difficult shooting conditions in Malaysia, including uninhabited islands, monsoons, and dangerous wildlife. \u201cWe could never film at night, yet a fifth of the script was set at night, so we ended up taking the infrared filter out of the camera and filming day for night, which turns all the foliage pink and orange,\u201d Munden explained. \u201cMaybe people wouldn\u2019t recognize it as night, but it might connote something a little bit different but it just adds to the hallucinatory feel of the piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAll three directors spoke about the emotional experiences of shooting the final episodes of their shows, and the pride and satisfaction of seeing their vision come to life.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018The Daily Show\u2019 Goes to New Orleans as Jordan Klepper Celebrates America 250 With a Drunk Pirate (EXCLUSIVE)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Netflix directors behind some of the biggest hits of the year participated in conversations moderated by Variety in partnership with Netflix.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[1316],"class_list":["post-1372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tv","tag-netflix-directors-unplugged"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Stranger Things,\u2019 \u2018Monster\u2019 Directors and More Unpack Storytelling Techniques and Embracing \u2018Weird Ideas\u2019 - Relocation Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1372\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Stranger Things,\u2019 \u2018Monster\u2019 Directors and More Unpack Storytelling Techniques and Embracing \u2018Weird Ideas\u2019 - 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