An insight into the world-building of Stranger Thins emphasizing on the contrast between Hawkins and the Upside Down.

How Stranger Things&#8217; &#8220;Upside Down tentacle-building factory&#8221; Created a Creepy Hawkins Alternative

“Now, this is a story all about how my life just flipped, turned Upside Down!”
Wouldn’t we love to hear this narration from the Fresh Prince of Hawkins, Will
Byers? Poor thing. One minute he was playing Dungeons and Dragons in Mike’s
basement, and the next, just owing to one minor biking mishap, he ended up in
the haunting alternate reality of the Upside Down. Do you think Stranger Things
would be just as terrifying and gut-wrenching for a viewer if the distinction
between the real world and the netherworld of Hawkins weren’t so stark and
authentic?

Contrary to popular belief, while CGI and VFX are an integral part of the show,
most of the bones of world-building that define the aesthetics of Stranger
Things are the good old physical sets. And who better than production designer
Chris Trujillo to give us a deeper understanding of this ominous world preserved
in an 80s Time Capsule and its darker counterpart?

ALSO READ: Science EXPLAINED: The Upside Down From ‘Stranger Things’ Can
Actually Be Real?
[https://netflixjunkie.com/science-explained-the-upside-down-from-stranger-things-can-actually-be-real/]


HAWKINS: A STRANGER THINGS HOMAGE TO THE 80S

A suburban utopia. Pretty country houses with winding driveways, cul-de-sacs, a
big school, and the downtown. Everything looks right out of a small-town America
postcard. The quainter the place, the greater the possibility of something
sinister going on. Think, The Good Place
[https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80113701]. Having said that, conceptualizing a
time period that is not contemporary can look like a Hodge-Podge of a
stereotypical mess if not treated right.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Production designer Chris Trujillo revealed
[https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-secrets-behind-designing-the-multiverse-of-stranger-things]
what it takes to “furnish an ’80s multiverse.” “It’s always about finding the
most period-correct, authentic elements,” says Trujillo. Apparently, he and his
team recreated the setting of the fictional town of Hawkins in a neighborhood in
Atlanta that have “houses that haven’t changed much since the ’70s or ’80s…
including all the knickknack[s] and bric-a-brac.” This allowed them to get the
layers of 70s and 80s life accurately. The team also chased down government
auctions to procure equipment for school, the sheriff’s station, and even the
lab.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Hawkins.webp

The fourth season even saw a change in location with California into the mix.
The team shot in New Mexico as they found the perfect house for the Byers and
Eleven. According to Trullijo, the town they found “was a straight-up untouched,
un-remodeled time capsule. The lighting fixtures and the hardware that existed
in the space were exactly what we wanted.” Apart from a few finishing touches
like the wallpaper or the carpet, “the architectural bones of it were just
quintessential,” added Chris.

ALSO READ: 7 Questions The Duffer Brothers Need to Answer in ‘Stranger Things’
Season 5
[https://netflixjunkie.com/7-questions-the-duffer-brothers-need-to-answer-in-stranger-things-season-5/]


THE CONTRASTING MACABRE OF THE UPSIDE DOWN

Let’s talk about the Dark side of the Moon AKA the Upside Down
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-originals-is-upside-down-really-a-portal-to-middle-earth-stranger-things-stars-discuss-the-possibilities-of-samwises-return-to-frodo/].
It’s basically the imagery of the picture-perfect Hawkins left to rot with pests
and monsters infesting every nook and cranny. Instant heebie-jeebies. The
Stranger Things [https://netflixjunkie.com/tag/stranger-things/] production team
basically filmed Hawkins part of the script first and then transformed the same
sets for the Upside Down. They had a “pretty specific idea” for the aesthetics,
which was “spreading disease and this set of tentacles and spores.” 

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The_Upside_Down_S01-E08_SS_003.webp

Before the visual effects take over, the sets get a new dressing with “rubbers,
foams, plastics, all kinds of different paints.” These fabricated the
ever-growing “crazy vines” contributing to the eerie, slimy display of this
alternate dimension. To show the yang to the yin of the Buyers’ house or Mike’s
basement, they would “float different kinds of organic material in the air.”
Some sort of “organic pussy willow fluff” among others was used to create “an
Upside Down
[https://netflixjunkie.com/stranger-things-every-mock-up-of-the-upside-down-raking-15-landmarks-in-the-real-world/]
tentacle-building factory.”

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/the-upside-down-might-take-over-hawkins-in-stranger-things-season-4-main.webp

Another addition to the spooky world this season was the Creel House and the
even spookier Grandfather Clock. Trujillo illustrated, “I find grandfather
clocks inherently creepy. Just by their nature, they tend to loom and surprise
you with their timing.” They found the perfect one for season 4, probably “in an
estate sale or from an antique vendor.” The clock was “meant to be a focal
point… a physical metaphor for the dark realization of power.“ And boy, did it
deliver!

ALSO READ: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Has The Most Powerful Meet-Cute When
Eleven Confronts Vecna In The Upside Down
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-stranger-things-season-4-has-the-most-powerful-meet-cute-when-eleven-confronts-vecna-in-the-upside-down/]

We tend to forget how much work goes into creating even the smallest of sets. To
create two versions of the same, we tip our hat to the entire production team
for the sensational world of Stranger Things. What did you think of these
production designs in the show?

Natasha Vijan

Comment

How Stranger Things&#8217; &#8220;Upside Down tentacle-building factory&#8221; Created a Creepy Hawkins Alternative - Netflix Junkie

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Natasha is a writer at Netflix Junkie. Despite completing her Masters in Architecture from Hochschule Anhalt in Germany, she decided to follow her passion for storytelling.

Apart from working as an architect in the past, Natasha currently also ghostwrites for various travel and lifestyle blogs like italyfoodies.com, mypureplants.com and more. Moreover, she has also been involved as a screenplay analyst with Outstanding Screenplays London.

An avid cinephile, Natasha especially enjoys quirky dark comedies and gangster films. She can talk about films by Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie for days and even aspires to make her own film someday. When not at work, she can be found at at outdoor music concert or a stand-up gig. Additionally, she’s a feminist, LGBTQIA ally and a strong mental health advocate.

https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-how-stranger-things-upside-down-tentacle-building-factory-created-a-creepy-hawkins-alternative

How Stranger Things&#8217; &#8220;Upside Down tentacle-building factory&#8221; Created a Creepy Hawkins Alternative - netflix-junkie

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&#8220;Now, this is a story all about how my life just flipped, turned Upside Down!&#8221; Wouldn&#8217;t we love to hear this narration from the Fresh Prince of Hawkins, Will Byers? Poor thing. One minute he was playing Dungeons and Dragons in Mike&#8217;s basement, and the next, just owing to one minor biking mishap, he ended up in the haunting alternate reality of the Upside Down. Do you think Stranger Things would be just as terrifying and gut-wrenching for a viewer if the distinction between the real world and the netherworld of Hawkins weren&#8217;t so stark and authentic?
Contrary to popular belief, while CGI and VFX are an integral part of the show, most of the bones of world-building that define the aesthetics of Stranger Things are the good old physical sets. And who better than production designer Chris Trujillo to give us a deeper understanding of this ominous world preserved in an 80s Time Capsule and its darker counterpart?
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/science-explained-the-upside-down-from-stranger-things-can-actually-be-real/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Science EXPLAINED: The Upside Down From ‘Stranger Things’ Can Actually Be Real?</a>
<h2>Hawkins: A Stranger Things homage to the 80s</h2>
A suburban utopia. Pretty country houses with winding driveways, cul-de-sacs, a big school, and the downtown. Everything looks right out of a small-town America postcard. The quainter the place, the greater the possibility of something sinister going on. Think, <a href="https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80113701" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Good Place</a>. Having said that, conceptualizing a time period that is not contemporary can look like a Hodge-Podge of a stereotypical mess if not treated right.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-41884 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/episode6.png" alt="" width="2500" height="1406" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/episode6.png 2500w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/episode6-300x169.png 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/episode6-1024x576.png 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/episode6-768x432.png 768w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/episode6-1536x864.png 1536w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/episode6-2048x1152.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" />
In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Production designer Chris Trujillo <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-secrets-behind-designing-the-multiverse-of-stranger-things" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> what it takes to &#8220;furnish an ’80s multiverse.&#8221; &#8220;It’s always about finding the most period-correct, authentic elements,&#8221; says Trujillo. Apparently, he and his team recreated the setting of the fictional town of Hawkins in a neighborhood in Atlanta that have &#8220;houses that haven&#8217;t changed much since the &#8217;70s or &#8217;80s&#8230; including all the knickknack[s] and bric-a-brac.&#8221; This allowed them to get the layers of 70s and 80s life accurately. The team also chased down government auctions to procure equipment for school, the sheriff&#8217;s station, and even the lab.
<a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Hawkins.webp"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-41885 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Hawkins.webp" alt="" width="1444" height="758" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Hawkins.webp 1444w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Hawkins-300x157.webp 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Hawkins-1024x538.webp 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Hawkins-768x403.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1444px) 100vw, 1444px" /></a>
The fourth season even saw a change in location with California into the mix. The team shot in New Mexico as they found the perfect house for the Byers and Eleven. According to Trullijo, the town they found &#8220;was a straight-up untouched, un-remodeled time capsule. The lighting fixtures and the hardware that existed in the space were exactly what we wanted.&#8221; Apart from a few finishing touches like the wallpaper or the carpet, &#8220;the architectural bones of it were just quintessential,&#8221; added Chris.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/7-questions-the-duffer-brothers-need-to-answer-in-stranger-things-season-5/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 Questions The Duffer Brothers Need to Answer in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5</a>
<h2>The contrasting Macabre of the Upside Down</h2>
Let&#8217;s talk about the Dark side of the Moon AKA the <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-originals-is-upside-down-really-a-portal-to-middle-earth-stranger-things-stars-discuss-the-possibilities-of-samwises-return-to-frodo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upside Down</a>. It&#8217;s basically the imagery of the picture-perfect Hawkins left to rot with pests and monsters infesting every nook and cranny. Instant heebie-jeebies. The <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/tag/stranger-things/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stranger Things</a> production team basically filmed Hawkins part of the script first and then transformed the same sets for the Upside Down. They had a &#8220;pretty specific idea&#8221; for the aesthetics, which was &#8220;spreading disease and this set of tentacles and spores.&#8221; 
<a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The_Upside_Down_S01-E08_SS_003.webp"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-41887 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The_Upside_Down_S01-E08_SS_003.webp" alt="" width="1920" height="958" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The_Upside_Down_S01-E08_SS_003.webp 1920w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The_Upside_Down_S01-E08_SS_003-300x150.webp 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The_Upside_Down_S01-E08_SS_003-1024x511.webp 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The_Upside_Down_S01-E08_SS_003-768x383.webp 768w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The_Upside_Down_S01-E08_SS_003-1536x766.webp 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></a>
Before the visual effects take over, the sets get a new dressing with &#8220;rubbers, foams, plastics, all kinds of different paints.&#8221; These fabricated the ever-growing &#8220;crazy vines&#8221; contributing to the eerie, slimy display of this alternate dimension. To show the yang to the yin of the Buyers&#8217; house or Mike&#8217;s basement, they would &#8220;float different kinds of organic material in the air.&#8221; Some sort of &#8220;organic pussy willow fluff&#8221; among others was used to create &#8220;an <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/stranger-things-every-mock-up-of-the-upside-down-raking-15-landmarks-in-the-real-world/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upside Down</a> tentacle-building factory.&#8221;
<a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/the-upside-down-might-take-over-hawkins-in-stranger-things-season-4-main.webp"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-41889 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/the-upside-down-might-take-over-hawkins-in-stranger-things-season-4-main.webp" alt="" width="1200" height="675" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/the-upside-down-might-take-over-hawkins-in-stranger-things-season-4-main.webp 1200w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/the-upside-down-might-take-over-hawkins-in-stranger-things-season-4-main-300x169.webp 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/the-upside-down-might-take-over-hawkins-in-stranger-things-season-4-main-1024x576.webp 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/the-upside-down-might-take-over-hawkins-in-stranger-things-season-4-main-768x432.webp 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></a>
Another addition to the spooky world this season was the Creel House and the even spookier Grandfather Clock. Trujillo illustrated, &#8220;I find grandfather clocks inherently creepy. Just by their nature, they tend to loom and surprise you with their timing.&#8221; They found the perfect one for season 4, probably &#8220;in an estate sale or from an antique vendor.&#8221; The clock was &#8220;meant to be a focal point&#8230; a physical metaphor for the dark realization of power.&#8220; And boy, did it deliver!
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-stranger-things-season-4-has-the-most-powerful-meet-cute-when-eleven-confronts-vecna-in-the-upside-down/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Has The Most Powerful Meet-Cute When Eleven Confronts Vecna In The Upside Down</a>
We tend to forget how much work goes into creating even the smallest of sets. To create two versions of the same, we tip our hat to the entire production team for the sensational world of Stranger Things. What did you think of these production designs in the show?

7 Questions The Duffer Brothers Need to Answer in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5

‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Has The Most Powerful Meet-Cute When Eleven Confronts
Vecna In The Upside Down

Science EXPLAINED: The Upside Down From ‘Stranger Things’ Can Actually Be Real?

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How Stranger Things' "Upside Down tentacle-building factory" Created a Creepy Hawkins Alternative - Netflix Junkie

Natasha is a writer at Netflix Junkie. Despite completing her Masters in Architecture from Hochschule Anhalt in Germany, she decided to follow her passion for storytelling. Apart from working as an architect in the past, Natasha currently also ghostwrites for various travel and lifestyle blogs like italyfoodies.com, mypureplants.com and more. Moreover, she has also been involved as a screenplay analyst with Outstanding Screenplays London. An avid cinephile, Natasha especially enjoys quirky dark comedies and gangster films. She can talk about films by Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie for days and even aspires to make her own film someday. When not at work, she can be found at at outdoor music concert or a stand-up gig. Additionally, she’s a feminist, LGBTQIA ally and a strong mental health advocate.

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Would the Upside Down in Stranger Things Be as Scary Without These Production Designs?

https://www.netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-how-stranger-things-upside-down-tentacle-building-factory-created-a-creepy-hawkins-alternative/

How Stranger Things’ “Upside Down tentacle-building factory” Created a Creepy Hawkins Alternative

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