{"id":9242,"date":"2017-01-19T07:34:53","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T15:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/dodge\/2017\/01\/19\/matt-and-ross-duffer-helm-break-out-netflix-hit\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T16:34:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T16:34:38","slug":"matt-and-ross-duffer-helm-break-out-netflix-hit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/dodge\/2017\/01\/19\/matt-and-ross-duffer-helm-break-out-netflix-hit\/","title":{"rendered":"Matt and Ross Duffer Helm Break"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges and doing extraordinary things is a central theme of the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things<\/em>, created by Chapman alumni Matt and Ross Duffer \u201907. Facing the unknown, the characters work together, creatively solving problems as they arise, to reach their goals.<\/p>\n

That theme also describes the careers of the Duffer Brothers, as they are known in the industry, who, at age 32, have seen their show create a firestorm of national media attention and Internet excitement, from the New York Times<\/em> to Rotten Tomatoes. With just one feature film under their belts, the brothers have reached a level of success that perhaps they could only dream about in film school, overcoming the extraordinary hurdles for new young writer\/directors in the highly competitive entertainment business.<\/p>\n

Over dinner on campus a little over a year ago\u2014just a month after Netflix announced its order for the new series, originally titled Montauk<\/em>\u2014Matt and Ross talked about their dreams and the steps they took to achieve extraordinary things.<\/p>\n

For the Duffers, writing was the way in, although the path they took often included two steps forward and one step back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to break into the business,\u201d says Ross, \u201cis to create something people want. \u201cOur dream scenario is to be handed a script that\u2019s great.\u201d \u201cBut,\u201d Matt adds, \u201cwith a great script, there are 20 great directors ready to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

They first caught industry attention for their thesis film Eater<\/em>, which was screened as part of Dodge College\u2019s First Cut in 2007. After the screening, Tony Sella, then Chief Creative Officer for 20th Century Fox, ran up to them and eventually set up a meeting for them at Fox Atomic, its genre production label. \u201cYou get beat up so much, that was a big moment of validation,\u201d Matt remembers. Yet nothing ultimately happened.<\/p>\n

\"duffer
Stranger Things<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Later, they wrote the spec script Hidden<\/em>, \u201cout of desperation that in a month we\u2019d have to go to work at Starbucks,\u201d Ross says. The script sparked a bidding war and eventually landed at Warner Bros. in 2011 with the Duffers attached to direct. Starring True Blood<\/em>\u2019s Alexander Skarsgard, principle photography began in 2012, but the completed film did not see the light of day until 2015, and then only on video on demand.<\/p>\n

After Hidden<\/em>, \u201cwe got offered tiny little horror movies we weren\u2019t interested in,\u201d says Ross. \u201cWe wanted to write something we wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet the Hidden<\/em> script opened the door to a new opportunity: an offer to write some episodes of M. Night Shyamalan\u2019s series Wayward Pines<\/em>, which they did staying at Shyamalan\u2019s Pennsylvania compound for seven months. Shyamalan became a mentor and, although they\u2019d never done TV, as Ross told Rolling Stone<\/em>, \u201cThat became our training ground. By the time we came out of that show, we were like, \u2018OK, we know how to put together a show.\u2019\u201d And the result was Stranger Things<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Duffers are brutally honest about the challenges and the opportunities of both the writing process and the business today.<\/p>\n

\u201cNinety-nine percent of what we do is just terrible,\u201d Ross says, \u201cand we throw it out.\u201d \u201cEven Spielberg has bad ideas,\u201d Matt adds. \u201cBut Spielberg has tons of ideas,\u201d Ross says, and \u201cmaybe one out of 10 or out of 20 is a gem.\u201d<\/p>\n

The brothers encourage young writers to just write and not worry about making a script perfect. \u201cJust write \u2018til it works,\u201d says Matt. \u201cDon\u2019t just go on Final Draft and start writing,\u201d says Ross. \u201cPlan it. The hidden outline is the movie; dialogue is just a formality. It\u2019s easier to see the big picture when you\u2019re zoomed back out to see the big beats.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, only one script was written when Stranger Things<\/em> began production, yet the story concept was so clear that Netflix bought it within 24 hours of hearing their pitch.<\/p>\n

The brothers are particularly enthusiastic about what\u2019s happening in television today. \u201cTV now is more novelistic,\u201d says Ross. \u201cIt allows you to ask, \u2018how many hours do we need to tell this story?\u2019\u201d As showrunners, writers\/directors, and executive producers of Stranger Things<\/em>, the brothers are very cognizant of the trust and the opportunity Netflix gave them. Not only were they able to decide how many episodes the story should take, but individual episodes even vary in length. As Ross told the New York Times<\/em>, Netflix has had so much success with the likes of producer\/director David Fincher (House of Cards<\/em>) and writer\/producer Jenji Kohan (Orange is the New Black<\/em>), \u201dthat they\u2019re able to roll the dice on some younger voices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding and pursuing their vision\u2014and working in an environment where it wasn\u2019t homogenized by committees and studio notes\u2014was a key ingredient in the success of Stranger Things<\/em>. That, and an emphasis on character.<\/p>\n

\"duffer
Stranger Things<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMarvel films are based on a corporate vision, not a director\u2019s vision,\u201d says Matt. \u201cIn TV, you can be more consistently surprised. With Marvel, there\u2019s a predictable third act.\u201d And so, predictably, the brothers advise aspiring filmmakers to stay away from \u201cexecutives who are in it for the business and find those who are passionate about film,\u201d says Matt.\u00a0 He also discourages writers from \u201clooking at the market to figure out what you think the market wants. Ignore all the noise,\u201d he says, \u201cand write what you want. If you truly love something, someone else out there will love it too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking back at their days at Chapman, the brothers find that a well-run student crew is \u201c95% like a real production.\u201d \u201cFilm school was well worth it. We walked on set really prepared,\u201d says Matt. \u00a0\u201cFilm school is the easiest, fastest way to surround yourself with people who love film,\u201d adds Ross.<\/p>\n

The most valuable thing they learned at film school? \u201cJust going out and doing it,\u201d says Ross. Matt, not surprisingly agrees. \u201cThe experience of making Eater<\/em> was invaluable.\u201d As these two young filmmakers riding the crest of the wave of excitement have discovered, it\u2019s not impossible for passion and commitment to following your dreams to lead to a deal at Netflix, or a being offered a feature to direct or finding yourself interviewed by Rolling Stone<\/em>. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.<\/p>\n

From the reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\n

While a Rotten Tomatoes score of nearly 5,000 ratings showing 96% of the audience liked the film and scored it 4.75 out of 5, perhaps the most important review of all, at least to the Duffers, came from just one fan\u2014Stephen King.\u00a0 The brothers grew up devouring his novels and watching film adaptations. King tweeted: \u201cStranger Things is pure fun. A+. Don’t miss it. Winona Ryder shines.\u201d Horror director Guillermo del Toro also chimed in on Twitter: \u201cStranger Things<\/em> may be a lot of thngs (sic): King, Spielberg, 80’s, myself (Duffers pointed that to me) but what it is, above all, is good!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rolling Stone<\/em>: \u201cStranger Things<\/em> has become a buzzed-about breakout hit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Newsweek<\/em>: \u201cOn paper\u2026Stranger Things<\/em> was a risk. The fact that it, and the Duffers, have defied expectations, can perhaps be rooted back to just over a decade ago when Matt and Ross Duffer first began exhibiting the flashed of brilliance that have made them Netflix\u2019s hottest new commodity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Variety<\/em>: \u201cStranger Things<\/em> is the kind of genre entertainment that doesn\u2019t forget the second word of that phrase, but it is primarily interested in watching believably flawed people wrestle with the idea that some things are unknowable, and that having \u2018answers\u2019 doesn\u2019t necessarily prevent the arrival of pain and confusion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wall Street Journal<\/em>: \u201cThis show is a delight to watch, comforting and compelling and pitched in just the right tone\u2026. these eight episodes are as assured, inventive, satisfying, and compulsively watchable as anything Netflix has produced to date. The show\u2019s dexterous mixing of horror and heart is blissfully sincere and uncynical, sporting no pointy irony that might obnoxiously jolt us out of its beautifully rendered world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The New Yorker: \u201cStranger Things<\/em>\u2026has a rare respect for both adult grief and childhood suffering. It\u2019s an original\u2026.this is astoundingly efficient storytelling, eight hours pass in a blink, with even minor characters getting sharp dialogue, dark humor or moments of pathos.\u201d<\/p>\n

On being co-directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another mark of distinction for the Duffer Brothers is that they won approval from the DGA to be listed as co-directors, a credit rarely granted. The Duffers have recounted more than once the terrifying experience of being grilled in front of a panel of legendary directors as to how they truly share the job. As Ross tells the story, even the Duplass brothers (Mark and Jay) didn\u2019t get DGA approval, having been asked what they would do if one got sick. The answer that they would go ahead with production was \u201cthe wrong answer,\u201d Ross says. The Duffers\u2019 answer demonstrated how completely they work as a team. If one of them got sick? \u201cWe\u2019d shut down production.\u201d As Matt added in an interview with the New York Times, \u201cWe\u2019re pretty much dysfunctional apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the Duffers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix: Matt and Ross are young visionaries, with deep knowledge of the creative and business challenges are getting movies and TV shows made and I attribute much of that to their studies at Chapman.<\/p>\n

Stranger Things<\/em> producer Shawn Levy in an interview with Steve Weintraub on Collider.com remarks on how the Duffers pitched their idea with \u201cgenuine humility and complete self-assurance\u2026actually seeking partnership and collaboration\u2026.They\u2019re filmmakers,\u201d he says. \u201cThey will go on to direct many, many movies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eater:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here is The Duffer Brother’s thesis film from Dodge College from 2006.<\/p>\n

Eater – 2007<\/a> from Dodge College – Chapman U<\/a> on Vimeo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EDITOR\u2019S NOTE:<\/strong><\/em> This article originally appeared in the Fall 2016 issue of In Production. Read other great articles, and catch up on older issues, by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Out Netflix Hit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":526,"featured_media":9243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"Janell Shearer","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[850,851],"class_list":["post-9242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","tag-stranger-things","tag-the-duffer-brothers"],"yoast_head":"\nDodge College of Film and Media Arts | Chapman Blogs<\/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:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/dodge\/2017\/01\/19\/matt-and-ross-duffer-helm-break-out-netflix-hit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Matt and Ross Duffer Helm Break - 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