A number of things define Stranger Things. Most importantly, it’s enjoyable, but that kind of entertainment can be found practically anywhere nowadays. Every character has at least a few seasons’ worth of laugh-out-loud moments, who can resist binge-watching an entire season of this nail-biting show? There is a lot going on, sure, but the most noteworthy thing about Stranger Things is the cast of unique and detailed monsters.
Stranger Things is, perhaps more than anything else, terrifying. Of course, the supernatural aspect of the program is what generates those thrills. From Demogorgons to The Mind Flayer, this television series is filled to the brim with intriguingly disturbing monsters. But how were these monsters made? Continue reading to learn how each of the monsters from Stranger Things was created!
How Are Demogorgons Made?
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There were several different Stranger Things monsters, but the Demogorgon was the first and is still arguably the show’s main antagonist. This is the same creature that initially devoured Barb (RIP), assaulted Nancy through the tree gateway, tormented Will, and terrorized Eleven. It resembles a demon with a face that opens to reveal what seems like billions of teeth and a shrieking roar. It’s a scary thing!
One of these bad boys was completely roasted (literally) by Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve at the end of Season One after they battled it for a little while before killing it by setting it ablaze. Eleven also destroyed a different one by using her talents to vaporize it.
The Demogorgon monster was created by Spectral Motion, a creature effects company from Los Angeles that has previously collaborated with Guillermo del Toro. They just had a little over two months to finish the creature, so there wasn’t much room for error.
The Demogorgons you see in Season 1 were created by using aspects of practical horror. Actor Mark Steger wore a monster suit with an artificial head while filming the monster, which was partially captured using motion capture technology. The head and limbs featured animatronic components that needed to be controlled remotely. Steger frequently had to stand on metal stilts that were nearly 10 inches high. Despite the suit’s complexity, putting it on only took 30 to 40 minutes, and weighed about 30 pounds!
Steger’s face was visible when the monster suit’s head was opened, but it was eventually digitally swapped out by a mouthpiece made by Spectral Motion. A puppeteer on the set used a remote control to move the monster’s hands and arms.
In scenes where a person in a suit couldn’t possibly pull off the effects called for by the script, computer visuals for the monster were utilized. The visual effect shots for the monster were handled by Aaron Sims Creative, who created the concept art for it.
How Was Vecna Made?
Vecna is the newest inhabitant of the Upside Down. Vecna, like past antagonists from Stranger Things, is based on a Dungeons & Dragons character who was a wizard who then became an undead creature. He is a powerful adversary with abilities to change reality like a god. He has the power to paralyze individuals and manipulate minds. After Season 4, the audience becomes aware of his real past.
A full body cast of Bower was used as the basis for the BGFX team’s creation of Vecna. Modeling clay was then used to create Vecna’s prosthetics. The crew had to immerse the base in water to activate a soap layer between the clay and plaster of paris body, which would make it simpler to separate the prosthetic into separate sections after spending a month sculpting the figure.
How Was The Mind Flayer Made?
The Mind Flayer serves as the major antagonist and monster in Stranger Things Season 3. The Mind Flayer, which takes its name from a monster from Dungeons & Dragons, is an evil entity that takes possession of a host and utilizes it as a vehicle for its evil deeds.
The Mind Flayer controls a number of people through Billy in this most recent season (the majority of whom are ultimately transformed into flesh goo), including Heather Holloway, his fellow lifeguard, Tom Holloway, Heather’s father and the editor of The Hawkins Post, and Doris Driscoll, an elderly woman who informs Nancy of the infected rats. Long story short, The Mind Flayer possesses the rats.
The Mind Flayer transforms these possessed bodies into a single, enormous monster with six legs by melting them all down. With each body that is melted down, the monster grows larger and larger. Terrifying, right?
How Were Demodogs Made?
Demodogs are the fifth form of a Demogorgon. Demodogs are carnivorous creatures that follow the Mind Flayer’s orders. They roughly resemble a large dog in terms of size and scale. Demodogs, as well as the show’s Demogorgons, were entirely computer-generated beginning with Season 2.
