Stranger Things Overview

Ownership

Who is the owner?

• Stranger things is owned by Netflix a subscription based streaming service.
• Netflix produce many other 'Netflix originals' like stranger things such as 'Riverdale' and 'Dynasty' which have been similarly successful and popular.

How is it funded?

• Funding for 'Netflix originals' comes from the subscriptions that viewers pay monthly to watch Netflix content.
• Netflix diversified by introducing the 'Netflix originals ‘their first being 'house of cards' released in 2013.
• This is because Netflix must pay companies to stream content that doesn’t belong to the. By producing their own content, they can keep it on the site forever with no charge. This is an example of vertical integration.

What aspects of production, distribution and circulation do they own?

• Netflix is the only distributer of its original content.
• This helps fund their products because it attracts more people to watch more Netflix originals thus gaining subscribers to the      streaming service.

How do they reach their audience?

• Netflix has around 100 million subscribers with a global reach however content differs country to country,
• Within its first 35 days on the streaming service stranger things averaged 14.07 million adults aged 18-49.
• Audience is measured by the public by 'Nielsen ratings' as Netflix is based off subscribers not viewership.

How do they maintain their audience?

• Netflix maintains its audience by releasing new series constantly and releasing episodes weekly whilst keeping previous episodes up so you can start watching or re watch whenever you like.
• Netflix uses social media like Instagram, twitter and YouTube to market its content and they are successful in engaging with their audience.

Production

Who produced it?

• Stranger things was produced by 21 laps entertainment a commercial American film and television company.
• They have produced other tv series such as 'last man standing' and films such as 'night at the museum'.

 How much did it cost?

• Stranger things season 1 had about an approximate $48 million budget.
• The cast consisted of famous 80's stars such as Winona Rider and David Harbour. Alongside an unknow group of children such as Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard.
• 100s of crew members were involved in the making of stranger things.

Pre Production?

• Stranger Things was created by Matt and Ross Duffer, known professionally as the Duffer Brothers. The two had completed writing and producing their 2015 film Hidden, which they had tried to emulate the style of M. Night Shyamalan, however, due to changes at Warner Bros., its distributor, the film did not see a wide release and the Duffer Brothers were unsure of their future.
• The premise of stranger things was written around the Duffer Brothers fascination with the cold war and experiments that took place during the cold war such as project MKUltra a mind control experiment thus inspiring the character 11's mind control abilities.
• The concept of the 2013 film Prisoners, detailing the moral struggles a father goes through when his daughter is kidnapped was inspiration for the disappearance of Will and the effect that has on Joyce and Jonathan. 
• Other influences cited by the Duffer Brothers include Stephen King novels and films produced by Steven Spielberg. Such as 'it' and 'stand by me'.
• Stranger things is told throughout 8 episodes which would be unconventional for a regular broadcast tv series however With Netflix as the platform, the Duffer Brothers were not limited to a typical 22-episode format. Eight episodes allowed them to give time to characterization in addition to narrative development; if they had less time available, they would have had to remain committed to telling a horror film as soon as the monster was introduced and abandon the characterization.

Production?

• The filming of the first season began in November 2015.
• The brothers had desired to film the series around the Long Island area to match the initial Montauk concept. However it was difficult to shoot in Long Island in the cold weather, and the production started scouting locations in and around the Atlanta, Georgia area.
• Filming for the first season concluded in early 2016.
• Director of photography Tim Ives shot the first season with Leica lens and the 6K Red Scarlet Dragon to "make sure that our images had the soft and round tones that are in '80s films"; this is achieved through digital image processing. Ives said that these cameras allow them to create an adaptable quality to the recorded film that is adaptable to a wide range of viewing experiences, including support for newer and future television technologies such as high dynamic range video that was just becoming adopted at the time of filming.

Post Production?

• Season 1 was edited by Kevin Ross and Dean Zimmerman.
• To create the aged effect for the series, a film grain was added over the footage, which was captured by scanning in film stock from the 1980s.
• The brothers had wanted to avoid any computer-generated effects for the monster and other parts of the series and stay with practical effects, so they created an animatronic to play the part of the demogorgon. However, the six-month filming time left them little time to plan out and test practical effects rigs for some of the shots. 
• They went with a middle ground of using constructed props including one for the monster whenever they could, but for other shots, such as when the monster bursts through a wall, they opted to use digital effects. 
• Post-production on the first season was completed the week before it was released to Netflix

What was the distribution release strategy?

• The first 8 minutes of season 1 episode 1 was release on YouTube on July 14 2016.
• The whole season consisting of all 8 episodes was then release on July 15th 2016.
• The season was released in keeping with the premise of Netflix’s 'binge watching' nature.

Marketing

Who marketed it?

• Netflix is responsible for marketing surroundign all of their originals

What was the marketing strategy?

• By releasing the first 8 minutes on youtube this creates a cliff hanger enticing people to want to watch the whole series and creating a media 'buzz'. This is a traditional marketing tool.
• Stranger thigns was advertised on social media such as twitter and instagram launching specific stranger thigns pages for fans to interact on.
• The fist post on the 'strangerthingstv' instagram page was posted on the 14th june 2016 only 1 month prior to the 8 minute release on youtube.
• Posters for stranger things were made in the style of fmaous movie posters from the 80's to attract an older audience to feel nostalgic and ebcome interested in the series as it will take them back to the 80's.

What is the role of the audience in marketing?

• Fans become prosumers by creating memes and fan art that circulate the internet which in turn become free press.
• Trending twitter hasttags such as #justiceforbarb start an online buzz which is also free press.

Circulation

Release

• Within its first 35 days on the streaming service stranger things averaged 14.07 million adults aged 18-49.
• It was released in the UK on July 15th 2016
• Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season an approval rating of 96% based on 82 reviews, and a weighted average rating of 8.04/10. The site's critical consensus states, "Exciting, heartbreaking, and sometimes scary, Stranger Things acts as an addictive homage to Spielberg films and vintage 1980s television."
• Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker also applauded the series and wrote, "This is astoundingly efficient storytelling, eight hours that pass in a blink, with even minor characters getting sharp dialogue, dark humor, or moments of pathos."
• In a negative review, cultural critic Grafton Tanner called the series "wish fulfillment" and "a window through which the present-shocked can gaze at a clichéd past."Similarly, Marinna Guzy of The Establishment wrote: "When confronted with a story like Stranger Things, a recycled retelling of an old story being marketed as homage and good, clean nostalgia, one has to wonder whether or not studios and content creators like the Duffer Brothers ever ask themselves whether or not the story they are telling is the one that should be told. What purpose does Stranger Things serve beyond reinforcing the status quo in the media landscape and perpetuating the dangerous delusion that things were better way back when?"

How can it be viewed

• It can be viewed on Netflix.
• The series is released as a whole not by weekly installments.
• You can purhcase stranger things box set or on DVD.

Additional spin off material

• The stranger thigns mobile game was releaesed 4th October 2017. A second game was announced to be released following the 3rd season in 2019.
• Dark Horse Comics announced a partnership with Netflix for "a multi-year publishing line" of stories set in the Stranger Things world. The first title would be a four-issue miniseries written by Jody Houser and interior art by Stefani Martino. The story would be set during the events of season 1, showing Will's perspective throughout his time in the Upside Down. The first issue of the miniseries was released on September 26, 2018.
• With the release of the second season of the series, Netflix also released Beyond Stranger Things, an aftershow hosted by Jim Rash. The guests of the aftershow are composed of cast and crew from the series, including the Duffer Brothers and the series' stars, to discuss the development and behind-the-scenes production of the series and its larger mythology.

Role of the audience in circulation

• Online have created a plethora of digital tools to celebrate the hit show. One popular example, Make It Stranger, is a type generator that allows you to “strangify” any words you choose into the show title’s unique font. These images can then be downloaded, Tweeted, or shared on Facebook.
• The “Stranger Things” synth machine, means you can customize your version of the theme song with Robert Vinlaun’s ramsophone.
• On Reddit this hub of fan activity showcases everything from video essays on ‘80s pop culture to real tattoos that were inspired by the series.

The Killing Overview

Ownership

Who is the owner?

• The Killing is owned by DR which is the Danish broadcasting corporation. It is a public service organisation (similar to the BBC)
• DR have produced many other similar dramas to The Killing such as 'Borgen' and 'The Bridge'.

How is it funded?

• DR is funded through the media license, costing 2.492 DKK per year per household since 2017.
• Revenue also comes from commercial activities such as concerts and events in the Koncerthuset, from book, CD, and DVD sales, and from overseas sales of its catalogue of programmers.

What aspects of production, distribution and circulation do they own?

• DR owns the production and distribution of The Killing.
• It was produced by DR and initially released on DR1.
• Since its success it has been released on Amazon Prime.
• It has also been bought by the BBC and was shown on BBC4 in 2011.
• As well as the UK, DR also sold the series to a number of other broadcasters worldwide, and The Killing was eventually shown in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Russia and Spain with varying degrees of success.

How do they reach their audience?

• DR is a Danish National corporation that reaches all of Denmark.
• The Killing season 1 episode 1 on its release on 7th January 2007 amassed 1,550,000 Danish viewers.
• Season 1 in total amassed around 30 million views.

How do they maintain their audience?

• DR reaches its audience by trailers and advertisements on DRs channels to reach their core audience.

Production

Who produced it?

• It was produced by DR.
• DR is a nonprofit public broadcasting service.
• DR is the Danish national broadcasting service.

 How much did it cost?

• DR dramas typically come in at about €1m (US$1.1m) per episode.
• There is no significant cast member who would have required a large fee. The main cast is Inspector Sarah Lund: Sofie Gråbøl Inspector Jan Meyer: Søren Malling.
• Hundreds of crew members were involved in the production of The Killing.

Pre Production?

• Søren Sveistrup, series creator and head writer, worked closely with lead actress Sofie Gråbøl throughout the writing process to successfully develop the character of Detective Inspector Sarah Lund. 
• Gråbøl had a history of playing emotionally demonstrative characters on Danish television.
• The drama is told in 20, 50-minute episodes.

Production?

• The Killing was filmed in 2006.
• The Killing was filmed and set in Copenhagen.

Post Production

• Editors of the series include Elizabeth Kling and Amy Duddleston.

What was the distribution release strategy?

• DR distributed The Killing onto its main channel DR1.
• The first ten episodes were shown on DR1 each Sunday from early January to the middle of March 2007 and the intention was to show the remaining ten episodes in January–March 2008 however it was so popular in Denmark that in early March it was announced that the final ten episodes would be brought forward to the autumn of 2007 they were shown from late September to late November 2007.

Marketing

Who marketed it?

• DR was responsible for the marketing campaign.
• Traditional marketing tools such as trailers and posters were used.

What was the marketing strategy?

• Audiences were invited to engage and participate through a website made by DR which allowed viewers to answer polls on what they thought was going to happen next.

What is the role of the audience in marketing?

• Consumers of The Killing have answered to a blog set up by the guardian in the UK to discuss what Sarah Lund means to them which brings together a community of people all with a love of The Killing.

Circulation

Release

• The Killing was released in Denmark on 7th January 2007.
• It was released in the UK during the spring of 2011.
• The American version was made in 2011.

How can it be viewed

• The Killing can be viewed by purchasing the seasons.
• It can be viewed on amazon prime.
• On its original release one episode was released weekly on a Sunday.

Additional spin off material

• Due to the success of The Killing in the UK an American version was made by fox to broadcast in the US rather than the subtitled Danish version.

Role of the audience in circulation

• Prosumer content can be found online such as fan made merchandise.
• There is a community online for The Killing mainly located on forums such as Reddit to discuss plotlines and theories of what is going to happen next in the series.

Evaluate The Relevance Of Clay Shirkys 'End Of Audience' Theory To Long Form Television Drama

Clay Shirkys end of audience theory argues that in the 'new' media every consumer is now a producer. Behaviour is variable across different sites, with some of the audience creating content, some synthesizing content and some consuming content. According to this theory user generated content creates an emotional connection between people who care about something. The 'old' media created a mass audience. The 'new' media provides a platform for people to discuss. This theory applies to Stranger Things because fans have taken the content from Stranger Things and used it to produce their own content such as memes, fan art and edits. This is known as becoming a 'textual poacher'. Similarly, on twitter fans have created viral hashtags such as #justiceforbarb and #weareallbarb this allows an entire community to come together of people who all love Stranger Things who can discuss and share ideas and theories. This in turn develops a community known as a ‘fandom’. This can have a positive impact on Netflix because the content the prosumers create acts as free press for Stranger Things exposing the content to an even wider audience. On the other hand, this could also have a negative impact on Netflix because negative reviews and criticisms can also go viral quickly which may deter people from watching. Likewise, with The Killing DR have created their own webpage where viewers can take part in polls to see what the audience believes is going to happen next, however this platform was created by the producers of The Killing DR which does not make it fully audience driven. A blog was also made on The Guardian with this site for people to say what Sarah Lund meant to them, this again is allowing people to come toegther on the 'new' media to discuss their common interests and create a communtiy for The Killing.

The Impact Of Netflix

Netflix and other streaming services have changed the way in whcih we watch television and movies.

Opposed to having to wait every week for 1 episode you can now 'binge watch' entire series that have been uploaded to netflix over as much or as little time as possible.

However "Netflix generates on average roughly 38 minutes of viewing per day in households that have it, linear TV generates more like 3.5 hours of viewing per household on average and well over 2 hours a day even amongst the younger, so-called “Netflix generation”. A billion hours streamed by Netflix compares to 65 billion hours streamed (ok, broadcast…) by linear TV. And although Netflix offers a great service – simple, smart, easy to use and relatively inexpensive, and although some of its original programming is getting widely talked about and often praised for its quality, t here is little to suggest that people are, as yet, doing anything more revolutionary than adding it to their existing TV diet."

Because services like netflix make their revenue by monthly subscriptions, and only streaming content which they must pay to stream whilst also not being able to keep the content, Netlfix has began creating netflix originals such as 'stranger things' where it is produced and distributed solely by Netflix meaning they do not have to pay to stream it.

Stranger Things Advertising

• A variety of methods were used in advertising stranger things such as TV/social media/word of mouth

• Stranger Things created a mysteriously placed billboard for Hawkins Power & Light around New York and Los Angeles, and made it interactive with a working 1-800 number. Callers initially heard menu prompts and on-hold music -- which gave way to the Stranger Things theme and clues about season two.

• The 80’s music in Stranger Things 2 played an important role in setting the scene. With Spotify’s new campaign, you can find out your Stranger Things character match. Just log into Spotify at spotify-strangerthings.com and it will evaluate your music preferences and give you a playlist to listen to based on your character match.

• Stranger Things launched a 360-degree virtual reality video that boasts over 2 million views. It allows viewers to put themselves into one of the show's most famous sets. 

• Reebok’s reboot of its Ex-O-Fit shoes. Reebokteamed up with BAIT and Stranger Things to throw it back to when these sneakers were popular. Featuring Dustin’s Ghostbusters-inspired drawings

• The stranger things trailer was uploaded onto youtube to reach online viewers

• The first 8 minutes of episode 1 were also released on yotube before the series release on netflix

• Youtube was an ideal place for the distribution of advertisments as it is free for views to watch and be enticed in but then you must pay netflix to watch the whole series.

• The role of fans plays a bit part in advertising as they become prosumers by creating memes and fan art whci hin turn become free press as they circulate the internet.

• For the release of season 2 Netlflix teamed up with kellogs for a superbowl ad after kellogs eggos had featured in season 1 and although it was not paid promotional product placement the sales of eggos increased dramatically.This is known as synergy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Egf5U8xLo8

The Killing Representations

What is being represented in this still and how?

Nana
In this still nana is represented as a vulnerable and victimized female. We can see this through the mise en scene as there is lots of negative space surrounding nana emphasis that she is alone putting her in a vulnerable state. She appears very isolated because of this emphasizing the danger present. She is seen wearing white clothing which symbolizes her innocence and naivety however we see stains of blood and mud covering her showing that this innocence has been abused. Blood also has connotations of injury and danger showing that she is not safe. This adheres to the gender stereotype that female chastity is sacred and their is a loss of innocence if this is lost. Nana's body language and facial  expression show that she is hiding because she is hunched over cowering beneath a tree with a panicked expression showing again that she is not in a safe space and needs help. The setting is dark but there is light shining above her which we know is the plane flying over. She becomes exposed by the light and is now in sight of whatever she is running from which strikes fear into the audience as she is now visible. This still fits into the Nordic noir genre as we have a dark setting in the forest which is very bleak and miserable which is a typical convention of this genre. The forest is also a typical setting and convention of detective genre as it has connotations of mystery and getting lost.

Troles
In this still we see Troles being given his watch back off his assistant. This still challenges the patriarchy in this role reversal as the woman seems to have dominance over the man in this political setting. Rie is shown to be confident and in control of the situation. There is a morally complex issue in this still as they are mixing love life and work life which we can see as she appears to be manipulating him by towering over him. The low level lighting in this still is also a typical convention of the Nordic noir genre as it imply's a sense of secrecy in this still. The prop in this still is the watch and the watch symbolizes a sense of time keeping and organisation. Bye Rie having the watch it shows that she is in control of his supporting this idea that she is not to be trusted as she represented as an untrustworthy character. This subverts the usual gender stereotype particularly in politics that women are inferior because she is clearly quite influential and powerful. This links to Judith Butlers theory that gender roles are created in how we perform so by creating this representation of Rie as dominant it becomes naturalized in society with repetition.

Theis & Pernille
In this still Theis and Pernille are represented as a classical version of how marriage is, the man is dominant and works and the woman stays at home to clean and is submissive. This is shown through their clothing as he is wearing work clothing form begin at work all day and she is wearing causal relaxed clothing. Theis appears to be more dominant because of his body language towering over her and Pernille appears to be more submissive as she stands beneath him.

How Is The UK Newspaper Industry Attempting To Combat The Fall In Print Circulation?

The UK newspaper industry is attempting to combat the fall in print circulation by using websites and apps to distribute information. Many newspapers have online sites where there articles are published. The websites make money by having advertisers advertise on these sites, however this does not match the amount made by the purchase of a copy in circulation so it does not close the gap on how much money the news brands are losing. Through posting article links on twitter and facebook news brands are able to amass a large following in which advertisers will pay a lot of money for ads to be put on these pages because it will be viewed by lots of people. Other news brands such as the telegraph have a paywall where people pay a subscription to the newspaper in order to view their content and articles. News brands may also advertise competitions on their paper to encourage more people to purchase them in circulation as they could be in the chance of winning something. 

How Is Media Language Used By The Duffer Brothers To Present Representations Of Character And Setting

Scene 1

Media language is used by the duffer brothers to present representations of character and setting in the opening scene when we see the lab man running down the corridor. He is represented to be weak and impotent. We know this man is intelligent and of importance because of his costume he is dressed in a smart suit with a lab coat showing he is a scientist and someone we would normally trust or be reliant on, because he is a scientist, we can infer that this is an experiment gone wrong. However, the use of lighting, flashing lights and alarms signals to the audience that something has gone wrong and it evokes a feeling of panic. The camera angle as the man is running around the corridors is a mid-shot to convey the emotion properly and we can see by his face he is worried and out of breath. We then get an over the should angle of him looking behind him this signify's that something if following him or he is being chased. A close-up shot is then used on the elevator button and the man pushing it repeatably emphasizing that he is in hurry drawing our attention to the fact that lives could be in danger as it is so urgent that he gets away from whatever is chasing him. Once the man gets in the lift, we see a point of view shot from the man's perspective looking down the corridor whilst he is potentially safely in the lift which heightens the tension because as an audience our instinct is to think that something is going to scare us by running down the corridor. This is subverted when we get a close up ariel shot of the man looking up into the elevator to signifying to the audience that something scary is above him. As he looks up, we hear monster like noises to show that whatever is chasing him is not of our understanding as it is not a familiar sound. We have another mid shot whilst the lift doors close and the man is lifted into the ceiling, but the doors are closed before we can see what it is taking him. The lighting throughout this scene is dark and low suggesting an element of secrecy and things that are trying to be hidden or concealed because of the use of shadows also. The setting implies that this is a government facility because of its basic minimal look with bare walls and floors making it look like lab corridors. This builds a representation of the scientist being afraid and panicked which subverts the normal power structure of society as it shows the people who we put in charge in the government to be weak and useless in a time of crisis making this scene a commentary on the government. 

Scene 2

Media language is also used to create a representation of Hopper. The first scene we meet Hopper he is represented as lazy and slobbish. The scene begins with an establishing shot of Hoppers house showing all he is unorganized and messy. We have a wide shot of him lying on his sofa in the morning asleep. We can hear the TV is still on playing from the night before showing that he has perhaps gotten so intoxicated he has passed out on his sofa unable to make it into his bed. The use of props such as beer cans on the coffee table imply that he is a heavy drinker as well as the ash tray imply that he is also a heavy smoker. Hoppers costume of jeans we can infer were worn the day before and he fell asleep in them with no shirt show a lack of hygiene or caring.  We the see a close up of him looking at his watch showing the importance of the time implying he is probably late to be somewhere. His facial expression shows that he is tired and disorientated probably because of a hangover. We then have another establishing shot of the forest which has connotations of health and freshness which is juxtaposed as it pans over to Hopper who is shirtless smoking on his porch when smoking obviously has connotations of disease and an unhealthy lifestyle.  The constant referral lot smoking and drinking could suggest that Hopper is under stress and that is his coping mechanism to relive. We also see a close up shot of his medicines and pills on the bathroom counter this draws out attention further to the idea that he is depressed or something traumatic has happened in his life which we later learn is his daughter's death. Next, we have a series of close ups that show him putting on his uniform emphasizing the gun and the badge to show that he is a police officer. This is not expected after we have just seen the state he has woke up in. This subverts the normal representations we have of police officers being strong and protective hero's when Hopper is represented to not even be able to look after himself let alone the town. This may foreshadow the fact that the adults in Hawkins will not be able to solve the case and it will be the younger generation who are ignored and undermined who are able to solve the case.

Scene 3

Media language is used to create a representation of Joyce byers in the firsts scene we meet her she is presented as rushes and stressed. The scene opens with an establishing shot of the Byers house, which in comparison to the wheelers house is quite small and run down implying a lack of income. One of Joyce's first lines is her calling out to Jonathan for help, her eldest son, showing her reliance on him for everything because she is a single mother. Joyce has Jonathan making breakfast, taking Will to school and making sure he came home the night before because she is always working and has no one else who is able to do it. This would explain the lower amount of income for their home. We can also infer this because Jonathan later reveals the reason he did not make sure Will was home was because he was picking up extra shifts showing he is also relied on for income in the house meaning that Joyce puts lots of responsibility onto him because Will has no father figure besides Jonatan. Throughout the scene there are wide/mid shots where we ae able to see the clutter in the house because no one has time to clear up as they are all always working because the most important thing will seemingly be having enough money to put food onto the table. We then see another juxtaposition between the Byers and the Wheelers when they are on the phone. The lighting in the Wheeler house is bright and sunny shining onto the table where as in the Byers house it is quite drab and dark. The Byers have a single mother with the older brother doing everything he can to help and they’ve managed to lose Will contrasted with the seemingly prefect family unit of mum and dad with 3 brothers and sisters all sitting around the table having breakfast together. All of this builds the representation that Joyce is a very busy, hardworking single mother who is struggling to stay afloat. She is constantly out of breath throughout the scene from rushing around and her facial expressions are always stressed signifying how much she has to do within the household. This almost makes it inevitable that something was going to happen to their son because everyone is so busy they forgot about Will. So busy they didn’t even realize until just before he had to go to school that he hadn’t gotten up yet.

Stranger Things Scene Analysis

Benny's Death Scene
S1EP1 38:50 - 40:30

In this clip the scene is set in the back of Benny's kitchen with kitchen appliances and props forming most of the mise en scene. The scene is mostly dark tones and colours contrasted by Eleven in a bright yellow t shirt perhaps establishing her significance in the scene. Through the dialogue Benny is constructed as a strong protective almost father figure for Eleven. The scene shifts once someone knocks on the door because we move from mostly over the shoulder shots of Benny and Elevens conversation to a close up focused shot of Elevens worried face to signify that someone arriving at the door is disturbing to her and incites worry to the audience. When. Benny opens the door to the social services woman we hear crickets and a radio which is a peaceful moment that contrasts harshly with what is about to come almost tricking the audience into thinking there will be a resolution. Once invites the woman in the scene shifts as she pulls out a gun and shoots him. We see this through Elevens point of view so we can understand the further trauma she is seeing and going through. As soon as the trigger is pulled fast music begins signifying adrenaline or panic to the audience because this was non diegetic sound that the characters could not hear. Having Benny die shows us that it is dangerous to be close or associated with eleven because she is wanted by the government. This sets us up for later when the boys become her protective of her as we worry the same thing may happen to them. Most of this scene is a mid shot to show the focus on the body language and facial expression of the characters as we see elevens worried face and her body spring into action signifying she is being chased. As eleven runs away she pushes through numerous doors before she is confronted by two smartly dressed men, emphasizing their status and the fact they are not the same as Eleven, pointing guns at her which we see through her point of view, again signifying her vulnerable state as now she is alone without Benny to help her. We then see a tall man with White hair (Dr Brenner) come through the main door with two more men behind him in a triangle formation signifying his importance. The characters hear a large static sound from the back kitchen making their heads turn as the shot closes up on their face emphasizing that they think they know where Eleven is at this point putting her in danger. This also conveys that perhaps the sound is familiar to them like it is normal and they associate it with Eleven which is puzzling to the audience because it is not a regular earthly sound. We then see a mid shot of Dr Brenner walking through the back kitchen with plates and doors crashing showing the state of chaos. He finds Eleven is gone and the two men threatening Eleven with guns lying on the floor dead. This also establishes the children in the film as intellectually superior to the adults as she can outsmart the government officials. This subverts the normal power structure of society giving the power and control to those you wouldn't expect like children, becoming a social commentary of the government. This also links to the idea that the duffer brothers were heavily influenced by their interest in the cold war and the secrecy surrounding the government during this time period. This is reflected by the mystery surrounding Dr Brenner and why he wants Eleven as it is known many secret corrupt government experiments took place during the cold war. Following this moment Dr Brenner runs outside looking confused as he stares outside the shot widens onto the vast forest demonstrating that Eleven has successfully escaped the government again and will not be easily found in such environment as the forest has many connotations of being lost including the first moment in the episode when Will Byers last known location to the characters is in the forest before he was lost.

Mike,Lucas And Dustin Arriving at School The Day After Wills Disappearacne
S1EP1 12:20 - 14:00 

The scene opens with a wide establishing shot of Hawkins middle School with Mike, Lucas and Dustin riding their bikes into school. The school, students, a large yellow school bus and the water tower make up most of the mise en scene for the beginning of this scene. The establishing shot sets up the context for the scene establishing they are arriving for a normal day at middle school, this also emphasizes the youth of the boys because it places them in a setting associated with children. Stranger things is set in the 80's and uses many forms of intertextuality from the 80s. A large focus of stranger things is the comradery of the children as seen in many 80s classics such as 'it' and 'et' which the duffer brothers took inspiration form. As the boys are riding into school peaceful background music can be heard to imply the boys have not learned of Wills disappearance and it is still just a regular day to them. We then have a close up shot of the bike rack, with the first of the four slots being empty signifying wills absence, the boys are clattering their bikes into it which can be heard as well as the school bell ringing. The close up of the bikes also suggests the importance of it as we know that Will fell of his bike and left it in the forest which will be their last know place that will was. The bikes are an important element to the boys as it is their mode of transport and they are used frequently throughout the series which is also a reference to other 80’s movies such as ‘the goonies’ which the duffer brothers also took inspiration from. The school bell ringing suggests to the characters that will is late or not coming because he has not arrived. We can tell by the dialogue of the boys that Mike is worried about wills absence because it is not normal for him not to show up. This emphasizes Mikes intuitiveness as he is the only one who seems worried setting us up for later to expect Mike to be the one who takes action to find Will. The boys are wearing youthful, casual clothes expected of the 80s. Next, we have a conversation between Mike, Lucas, Dustin and their bullies. This is a mid-shot as they allow the viewer to pick up on the character's movements and gestures. Body language is important to conveying emotion, and the medium shot remains close enough to capture that emotion. We can see through eh boys' facials expression they are unhappy during this exchange as in particular a racist remark is made to Lucas which again establishes us into the 80s when racial prejudice was still normalized. Some moments of this scene are through a point of view shot so the harsh words of the bullies are more impactful to the audience. As the bullies exit the scene we have another mid shot of the boys as they walk away conversing about how Dustin can’t fight evil with his cleidocranial dysplasia and referencing superpowers which is another intertextuality reference to the 80s as the craze of sci fi spread. This is also ironic as we know later Dustin is able to fight evil against the demagorgans and the mind flayer later in the series.