1 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: Hey there, it's Jonathan Strickland, and I'm here to introduce 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: a playlist of ten episodes of my podcast tech Stuff 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: that are all about entertainment and entertainment related fields, from 4 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: video games to television series, two films to internet videos 5 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: from yesteryear. So I hope you guys enjoy these episodes. 6 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: You can go to the tech Stuff podcast page and 7 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: subscribe to listen to all sorts of episodes about tech 8 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 1: from all realms, and hopefully this will provide a little 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: bit of entertainment, a little bit of education, and probably 10 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: more than a few puns, because that's kind of how 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: I roll enjoy this playlist. Welcome to text Stuff, a 12 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: production from I Heart Radio. Hey there, and welcome to 13 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 1: tech Stuff. I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. I'm an executive 14 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 1: producer at iHeart Radio, and I love all things tech 15 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: and we are going to continue our playlist on entertainment. 16 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: And this episode involves a couple of the members of 17 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: the crew for Stranger Things, the Netflix series, who came 18 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: into the office and talked about what they do in 19 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:39,320 Speaker 1: order to make the sets work the way they're supposed 20 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: to it actually, and how they look too, and you know, 21 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: Stranger Things was set in the eighties, so getting everything 22 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: to look period appropriate, if not you know, accurate, was 23 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: a bit of a challenge, especially with all the tech. 24 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: So we're gonna take a listen to this episode. I 25 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: have to thank my two special guests who have joined 26 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: me for this episode of tech stuff, Jess and John, 27 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: who both have worked on multiple projects, but the one 28 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: we're talking about specifically today is the Netflix series Stranger Things, 29 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: a show that I binged immediately when the first season 30 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: came out and fell in love with it, not just 31 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: because I recognized some of the people in it, but 32 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: because it really felt to me like it didn't feel 33 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: like a show set in the nineteen eighties. It felt 34 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: like a show that was made in the nineteen eighties 35 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: and somehow disappeared and then resurfaced twenty years later, and 36 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: it's it's so evocative, and I wanted to have both 37 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 1: of you on to talk about your roles in making 38 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: this show what it was. So we're gonna talk today 39 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: about sort of the text side, the the behind the 40 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: scenes side of making a show and and the work 41 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: that you do and how that ends up contributing to 42 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: this overall effect whatever the show maybe or the movie, 43 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: whatever the project is. In this case, we're talking about 44 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: something that is a period piece. But you know, obviously 45 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: there are other ones where you have a very different 46 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,359 Speaker 1: feel for whatever the project is. So I'm going to 47 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: start with you, John, John, you are rigging gaffer. Tell 48 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: listeners who have seen I'm sure the term gaffer in 49 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: the credits what that means, because I think a lot 50 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: of folks just don't know. The gaffer is just a 51 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: department head that's in charge of the electrical so electrical 52 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: distribution and lighting. Um. I think the term comes from 53 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: old man. Yeah, with the old man on the crew, 54 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: he's in charge of the lighting. Yeah. They have a 55 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: the term gaffer in uh and Lord of the Rings. Actually, 56 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,279 Speaker 1: Sam Wise gamgees father is called the old gaffer. Uh. 57 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: I say that because of my Lord of the Rings geek. 58 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: So what are your responsibilities typically on a on a 59 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: shoot as a riding gaffer. I'd provide the power to 60 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: the set and any any lighting that we can get 61 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: up before beforehand before photography, We'll get that done as well. Cool. 62 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: So you are making sure that all the stuff that 63 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: needs to work is actually going to work. An important 64 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: role on any production and how did you get your 65 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: start in in the business known as show I was 66 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: a nanny for a director of photography in eight the 67 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: summer of ninety eight, and I watched his kids during 68 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: the summer and after at the end of the summer, 69 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: he had me tag along with him to go work 70 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: on a film. And after the film, he was like, Oh, 71 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: you'd be great this. You should move to l A. 72 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: I got my friends that can hook you up at 73 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: a camera rental house and you can do that for 74 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: a little while. And I was like, I don't want 75 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: to do that. I want to move to New York 76 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: City and be a bum. So I didn't get into 77 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: it right away. I was a maintenance man and apartment 78 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 1: complex and all my tools were stolen, and I was like, 79 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: I'll go work on movies a security circuitous route to 80 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: get there. So did you have a background and electrical 81 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 1: work before you even got into the movie. I've done 82 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: like my dad does h V A C. So I 83 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: kind of dabbled on that during the whole maintenance for 84 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: apartment complex thing. I kind of understood electrical systems, right, 85 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: So you then take that understanding and you start pouring 86 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 1: it over to the production side. Where I imagine it's 87 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: a a a fairly uh strenuous process to make sure 88 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: everything is how it needs to be. Because obviously any 89 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:52,679 Speaker 1: time on any set is money, so anything that takes 90 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: extra time is going to cost the whole production extra 91 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: amounts of money. So I mentioned it's a fairly high 92 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: stress environment. It is. Yeah, Uh, I don't get a 93 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 1: lot of sleep. I always called Jesse will workaholic, but 94 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: really it's for me. I do it all at home 95 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: and she doesn't see it. It's fair. And now, Jess 96 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: you you were a set decorator, are still our sick 97 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:20,359 Speaker 1: decorator for stranger things. Also, congratulations on getting an Emmy 98 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: nomination for that. Thank you. That's amazing. I at this 99 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 1: first time I think I've ever sat down at the 100 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 1: table with an Emmy nominee. Uh yeah, it's it's a 101 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: big moment for me, That's what I'm saying. So let's 102 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: talk about what that means. What is what is actually 103 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: set decorator on a set? UM? So I work under 104 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 1: the production designer UM, and the production designer kind of 105 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 1: sets the look like, helps pick locations UM and then 106 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: you know, has a lot of references and different things 107 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: as far as the minutia of how a set comes together. Um, 108 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,479 Speaker 1: there's an art director who kind of oversees more the 109 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: construction end of things and then everything from like those 110 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: four walls. For the most part, I kind of deal 111 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: with so light fixtures and um, you know, carpet and 112 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: sofas and electronics and all the garbage and some sets 113 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: and piles up in the clutter. That's my specialty. So 114 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: when a when the art department has said, like, oh, 115 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: we've got this idea for what the the feel for 116 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: this particular set needs to be, Uh, it's your job 117 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: to go and actually procure all that, put it all together, 118 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: make sure that it's matching the vision for whatever that 119 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: that idea was right. Yes, and on a on a 120 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,679 Speaker 1: production that's a period piece, I imagine that also involves 121 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: lots of hunting around for really obscure and obsolete stuff. 122 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: It does. I spend a lot of time and I 123 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 1: always tell everyone dead ladies, basements, the state sales. I'm 124 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: always like emptying out the leftovers of houses, you know, 125 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: um after an estate sales over um. And you know. 126 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: In Stranger Things is one of those weird shows, especially 127 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: where everything is a little bit interactive kind of which 128 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: is why, Um, that's why I wanted John to be here, 129 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: because he's I think he's sold himself short a little 130 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: bit as far as like just preparing or providing power 131 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: to a set. Because we had so many interactive elements, 132 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: you know, lights and otherwise that um kind of had 133 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: to be period and had to be functional and do 134 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: a bunch of different things. So yeah, a good example 135 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: that would be, of course, the Christmas lights make up 136 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: play a huge role in that season of Stranger Things. 137 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's a communications device, and I don't 138 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: know how many of my listeners know this. Christmas lights 139 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: don't work that way. Typically you have them all rigged 140 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: ump so that if one goes out, they all tend 141 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: to go out, especially the period ones. So getting them 142 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: so that they very they light up in very specific ways, 143 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: uh probably meant a little bit of rewiring work and 144 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:59,559 Speaker 1: a little bit of rigging things in an interesting way 145 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: so as you could get to do it on command. 146 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 1: That was such an important integral part of the storyline. 147 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: I remember. I remember when they came and asked me. 148 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: They were walking through the Buyer's House set. It was 149 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 1: Chris and Jess and Todd and they were like, we 150 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: want to make each light go off and on d visually. 151 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: Is it possible? Yes? And I turned around and I 152 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: walked back in my little office and I was like, oh, no, 153 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 1: how am I gonna make this wart? Like, technically yes, 154 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 1: it's possible, practical not really, So so how did you 155 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: go about solving that problem? Um? I just started scribbling 156 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: a lot and locked my door and just trying to 157 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 1: figure out how to get lights to go on and 158 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: off individually, which means we had to build individual strands 159 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 1: of lights. So I ended up, I guess it's on 160 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: a low tech We're kind of getting at low tech 161 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: as possible. So I ended up using Cat five cable 162 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: and taking all the different strands and making them individual 163 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: and soldering them into old Christmas likes that Jess would 164 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: bring us. Wow. So you were actually hand designing something 165 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: so that you could achieve this effect in a practical approach. 166 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: That's one of the other things, by the way, that 167 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: I love about stranger things and being I was born 168 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: in the seventies, so seeing uh, not just something that 169 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: is set and appears to have been made in the eighties, 170 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: but to rely so heavily upon practical effects. That warms 171 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: my heart because I grew up watching films that relied 172 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: heavily on practical effects, and I think it is very 173 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: important to get across that same feel in order to 174 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: get the effect that you want and not rely too 175 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: heavily on anything that's computer generated. Not to dismiss computer generated, 176 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: it certainly has a place a storytelling, but to me, 177 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: at least in maybe this is my own bias, has uh, 178 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: it just it just has a different look and a 179 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: different feel, you know, there's something genuine about practical effects. 180 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: And not all of ours went. Uh. We had different 181 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:16,319 Speaker 1: test runs that the Duffers for would they kill if 182 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: any of those videos ever got out. Some of the 183 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: ones that didn't work as well. Um with like the 184 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: monster coming through our latex. We have you know, printed 185 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: the wallpaper and stuff in the buyer's house onto latex, 186 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 1: and we had all these different tests so we did 187 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: with various um, you know, slimy substances and things on. Anyway, 188 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: they didn't all it took a while to kind of 189 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: get that just tweaked, you know, just right fashing the 190 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: surface of the wall, and originally they had him breaking 191 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: through the wall entirely. They're trying to do it all practical, 192 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: and um, I think it's nice to have technology options 193 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 1: where VFX could just take what we did and really 194 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 1: enhance it. And you know, uh right, yeah, eventually you 195 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: get to a point where you just say, you know, 196 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: physics just doesn't work that way. Yeah. Like, I like, 197 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: I appreciate where you're trying to go with this. Yeah, 198 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 1: I love that there was a latex approach a practical 199 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 1: approach with that too, because I mean I also, full disclosure, 200 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 1: my sister's a puppeteer, so I see the puppeteer side 201 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: of sort of this kind of stuff all the time. 202 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: And to appreciate practical effects where you're using something like 203 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: a latex sheet and you're using some form of whether 204 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: it's an actor, a mask, a puppet, or whatever, to 205 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: to create that effect. I mean, there is something really 206 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: visceral and and the textures are really impressive. It's something 207 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: that goes again beyond just that. Oh, there's a very 208 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: clever animation. Uh. And and also it just shows a 209 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 1: level of care that you know, you have to have 210 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: all of that work back behind the scenes to get 211 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,680 Speaker 1: that effect to happen on on screen. Uh. That is 212 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: happening in real time somewhere. It's it's it's not a 213 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:02,439 Speaker 1: bunch of people staring at a green wall pretending that 214 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 1: they see something that is really effective and then having 215 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,079 Speaker 1: to react to nothing at all. They actually have stuff 216 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,440 Speaker 1: to react to in those practical effects. Uh. I am 217 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: not an actor that's good enough to react to a 218 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 1: green screen with and and make that at all convincing. 219 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 1: I need to have some sort of monster thing coming 220 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: at me so that I can really, you know, be 221 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:25,319 Speaker 1: somewhat convincing in my response. And the Christmas lights is 222 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: the same thing, because we um, you know, I think 223 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: it looked a lot more authentic and better to have 224 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 1: it practical. But even um, there's like the scene where Holly, 225 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 1: the the young Wheeler daughters like following the Christmas lights 226 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: down the hallway. Um, and I think if we didn't 227 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: have all of those actually lighting up in her having 228 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 1: that direction and sort of all the interaction you know, 229 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: with the lights and actors, it wouldn't have been the same. Now, 230 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: you wouldn't be able to get that tension. Yeah, that's 231 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: a great moment, So tell me also, I mean the 232 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: Christmas lights. I think that's one of those that I 233 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 1: that I definitely wanted to hit upon because a deceptively 234 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: simple technology that ends up actually requiring thinking outside the 235 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: box in order to get the effect they wanted, so 236 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:15,199 Speaker 1: then requiring you to actually solder things weeks weeks. We wow, 237 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 1: So if you had to estimate, like how many weeks 238 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: are you talking about for that just to make sure 239 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: you could get that effect to work properly, it was 240 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: two weeks. That's I mean, that's a lot of work 241 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 1: to get Christmas lights the light up built. I think 242 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: we only built out of the twenty that we were 243 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: going to build, we only built seventeen because that's all 244 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: we had time to do on top of everything else 245 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: that we had to do. Yeah, yeah, so because then 246 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: they would so they would solder these little strands, you know, 247 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: onto the sockets, and then we had it involved me 248 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: going back to props Um the lights that Joyce originally 249 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: buys at mel Ball's Um props. I guess it just 250 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: sort of had newer lights in the box and wasn't 251 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: really thinking about the bigger picture, so we had to 252 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: go back. Can have switched those out for the older 253 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: strands to have like the green and red twisted sort 254 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: of look. So that we could that that was the 255 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 1: easiest thing for us to copy, so they would finished 256 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: soldering and then we would paint them green and red 257 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 1: and twist them all together. Um. You know, so there's 258 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: like a whole there's a whole collaborative effort annuity right 259 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: there making sure that like because I mean I see 260 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 1: a lot of movies where clearly that that level of 261 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: care was not quite taken. You'll look at something and 262 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: things like that's not even the same prop as what 263 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 1: he was holding a second ago. So having that kind 264 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: of level of detail is really cool. Uh So I 265 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: assume there was someone just like actually just manually operating 266 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: those lights for all those sequences. We had our demmer 267 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: board operator Jim Dornoman. He programmed all that and operating 268 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: real temperate, in real time. He's another one of my 269 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 1: heroes too, because these guys because it wasn't because the 270 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: Christmas lights were one thing. And then um there's also 271 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: like the scene with the lamps and in in the bedroom, 272 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: um and Winona having to you know, bring it. I 273 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: guess we never had a scene at first they're going 274 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: to show her like bringing all the lamps in and 275 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: setting them up, and that was going to be like 276 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: a whole other nightmare. But um, once they were sort 277 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: of you know, they're just getting those programmed right to 278 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:18,160 Speaker 1: do that effect. Um, Jim stayed late with me one 279 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: night and just like we did, you know, kept practicing 280 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: and getting all that down. So see, to me, that's 281 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: really cool because it's not just technical, it's it's a 282 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: level of performance. I mean, you we're playing effectively another 283 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: character in the scene, and so you know it's there's 284 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: there's all the timing that's required in that too, and 285 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: again to get what the director wants in order for 286 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: that to have the emotional and psychological impact on the viewer, which, 287 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: by the way, credibly effective because I loved it. Uh 288 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: So you know, I'm my hat's off to you because 289 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: I occasionally am a performer, but I couldn't do any 290 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: of the rest of it, whereas you guys are doing 291 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: all of that. So I'm really I'm really pressed. I 292 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: assume that it's is pretty tricky outfitting entire sets with 293 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties era uh, carpet ing, furniture, the technology in particular, 294 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:22,439 Speaker 1: because we're not so far removed from the nineteen eighties 295 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:25,399 Speaker 1: that we think of those things as antiques, so therefore 296 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,880 Speaker 1: there's not a lot of work in preserve preserving them. 297 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 1: But we're far enough out where nobody wants to hold 298 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: onto them anymore. So was was that a challenge to 299 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 1: you to to find things that could incorpe that could 300 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 1: live in that early eighties setting? Not as hard as 301 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: you would think. I think pigion mostly just because thank 302 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: God for state sales and Atlanta being a good estate 303 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: sales city. Um. I've worked in other cities where you 304 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 1: just don't, you know, they just don't operate like that. 305 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:55,879 Speaker 1: You don't. I don't know how people get rid of 306 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: their stuff after they've passed. I don't know, but um, 307 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: Atlanta is good about it. There are other like I've 308 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,240 Speaker 1: done other movies. I did a movie, um that It 309 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:07,479 Speaker 1: was a news station set in the seventies. Um and 310 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:09,680 Speaker 1: that's one of those like there's already not a ton 311 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,640 Speaker 1: of like news broadcast station equipment out there, not like 312 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: you know, old nintendos and things, but um and and 313 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 1: then it was so fragile. It was sort of that 314 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: like just that first wave of like electronic technology and 315 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: the old analog stuff from like the fifties was you know, 316 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,399 Speaker 1: you can get that kind of stuff. Um, but that's 317 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 1: but getting stuff that worked that was that's sort of that. 318 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 1: Um that first generation plastic electronic disposable almost like technologies 319 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 1: was harder. But um, fortunately for you know, Sears catalog days, 320 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: a lot of Americans all had the same stuff and 321 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: enough people held onto it her pack rats that we 322 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:50,439 Speaker 1: could kind of curate and go through and find everything 323 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 1: we needed. Yeah. I I went to a panel with uh, 324 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 1: the art director from Stranger Things, and he talked a 325 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:03,679 Speaker 1: little bit about the sess of identifying the different the 326 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: different types of of fabrics and the different color schemes 327 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:10,439 Speaker 1: that we're going to be important and how you know, 328 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 1: certain certain houses we're gonna look like they were more 329 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: of a holdover from maybe the mid to late seventies 330 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: and some were a little bit more modern in the 331 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:21,200 Speaker 1: sense of the early eighties. And uh and that also 332 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: was really interesting to me, this idea of you know, 333 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:27,160 Speaker 1: you're not just you're not just creating creating a huge 334 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 1: pile of stuff from a general era. You actually have 335 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,920 Speaker 1: to give each of these places its own personality. Well 336 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 1: that's yeah, there is a I tell people the story 337 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:38,680 Speaker 1: that one of our accountants came to me after we 338 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 1: were like up in filming the first week or so 339 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,919 Speaker 1: on stage and um, she said, you know, Jess, I 340 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: saw your sets. They look really great, but gosh, like 341 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: is this this is the eighties and they look very 342 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 1: seventies to me, And I was, you know, and it's 343 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 1: one of those like not every socioeconomic group is going 344 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: to just instantly have you know, the eighties. Yeah, from 345 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: like that's year's catalog that year. It's all. It's more 346 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: of a you know, when did they build a house, 347 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,960 Speaker 1: When would they have you know, renovated or was there 348 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 1: you know, what did they have the means to update 349 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,159 Speaker 1: the carpet, wallpaper or whatever, and kind of have to 350 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: just think it through. Um, each character having its own 351 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,639 Speaker 1: sort of storyline with their home keeping everything consistent. I 352 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 1: mean that is clearly very important if you want to 353 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: establish things, like, you know, u believable character. It would 354 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 1: be weird to go into a home of a person 355 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:34,159 Speaker 1: who was presumably just scraping by and you see what 356 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 1: it appears to be a brand new apple two gs 357 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: in the background. You're like, that's a couple of grand 358 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: Where did they get that money for that? They? Yeah, 359 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: So was there anything in particular that you either of 360 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:51,880 Speaker 1: you that you think was really interesting or really cool. Uh, 361 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:55,959 Speaker 1: something that you had not anticipated, uh that you know, 362 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: that's like your go to. Like you know, if if 363 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 1: people are asking you, what was it like, Well, let 364 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: me tell you this particular thing that I was really 365 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 1: excited about. Whether it was something that turned out the 366 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 1: way you expected at the beginning or something that completely 367 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 1: went a different direction. Getting getting invited back to season two, 368 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 1: that was that's good. That's good. I think if you 369 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,199 Speaker 1: were able to take all of those Christmas lights and 370 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:24,400 Speaker 1: make them light up individually, that's a really good start. Um. 371 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't that's I mean, that's why 372 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 1: I was thrilled to be here today and asked John 373 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,719 Speaker 1: to come to because for me, that sort of like 374 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 1: a collaborative overlap um my thing. And he knows this well, 375 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,440 Speaker 1: is it like today? In film? Um? Like everyone loves 376 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: led lights lighting, even if they're trying to make even 377 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: if it is like period or they wanted to look um, 378 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 1: you know, period, they still kind of fall back on 379 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 1: LEDs because they're easier to control and and I kind 380 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: of hate them, so, um, I mean I'm coming around 381 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: to some of them. But anyway to have them to 382 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: have our electrical department have the patients to kind of 383 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: like really do it right and work with the older technology. 384 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 1: And and you know that that was a it was 385 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: a long process. But the fluorescent fixtures lots fluorescence because 386 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: their period of course, and hardly anyone stocks fluorescent ballast 387 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: that we had to replace hundreds of ballast in high 388 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 1: schools and Melvols and all over Georgia we replaced ballast. Wow, 389 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: that's a that's a big undertaking. That was awful, But 390 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: but it pays off on screen because it does give 391 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,439 Speaker 1: you that like like that's why it feels like it 392 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: was made in the eighties is because it has all 393 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,359 Speaker 1: of this this love and care behind it. And you 394 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: can see that rolling out through other projects that are 395 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: clearly following that same philosophy. I mean, Stephen King's it 396 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: coming out, Like, I think the look of it owes 397 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: an awful lot to Stranger Things. It has a very 398 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,199 Speaker 1: similar kind of field to it. For that that second, 399 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: I mean, it's amazing to me that they went ahead 400 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 1: and decided to set the adult story in modern day, 401 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:13,120 Speaker 1: which conveniently made the children's story set in the eighties. 402 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:16,439 Speaker 1: And so there are a lot of parallels there. But 403 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 1: it's funny because of course Stranger Things also, you could 404 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: tell has a little bit of the the influence of 405 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 1: Stephen King is certainly in the Stranger Things universe as well. 406 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:27,640 Speaker 1: So it's all kind of feeding in on itself. It's 407 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:35,199 Speaker 1: um collaborative and cooperative as well as competitive process. I'm sure. So, Uh, 408 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:38,879 Speaker 1: were there any particular sets that you really liked working 409 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 1: on or any that you really did not like working on? 410 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: I don't, John, I probably will have different responses, but um, 411 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:50,639 Speaker 1: I mean the Buyer's House is one of them. I 412 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,119 Speaker 1: tell everyone, it's like its own sort of character that 413 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,199 Speaker 1: we have. You know, it's at least we shot it 414 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: in a for the most part chronological order, because we 415 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: really literally destroyed it completely, um as we went and 416 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:06,160 Speaker 1: you know, Joyce ripping things apart and monsters smashing things, 417 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: and um, I will say it was it was towards 418 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: the end of it when all the Christmas lights were 419 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 1: up and like half pulled down, and it was an 420 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,760 Speaker 1: absolute nightmare for the shooting crew. I mean, for a 421 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 1: boom operator to operate in that setting was just like 422 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: it's uh, you know, it's everyone was getting like tangled 423 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: and um, it was Yeah, it was truly like a 424 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 1: It was a it was kind of fun to watch 425 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: it progress, but it was a it took a lot 426 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 1: of patients. They're not not every shooting crew would be 427 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: cut out to kind of handle that. That setting. My 428 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:43,920 Speaker 1: least favorite was the high school because we had again 429 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,920 Speaker 1: we had to go in and replace every fluorescent, most 430 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 1: of the ballast in there. And then towards the end 431 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: of it, when they had the scene with eleven and 432 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: the monster, everything starts to go crazy and flickers, we 433 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,639 Speaker 1: had to take everything out and we reinstalled our own 434 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: led rips throughout the school so we could make everything 435 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,920 Speaker 1: flicker on and off. That's a lot of work. There's 436 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 1: a lot of work. And it wasn't even just led tubes. 437 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:09,639 Speaker 1: It was like because they were soldering again. I just 438 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: would see that, you know, you guys were on sodering 439 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 1: in some old classroom, putting led strips in like twos 440 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: or whatever you were doing. Yeah, that was well, what 441 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,680 Speaker 1: was what was it like working in Uh? Did they 442 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:28,879 Speaker 1: the facility? Wasn't that set in an old building and emory? Yeah, 443 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:36,359 Speaker 1: Hawkins Lab Law was that experience. Uh, I'm you know, 444 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 1: there are a lot of shows that film there. Um, 445 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 1: I feel like we were still in the early wave 446 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: of like some of the shows that were like really 447 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: working on all the different floors and stuff. So like 448 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 1: especially John and having to go up and put you know, 449 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 1: move ceiling tiles out of the way to run cable 450 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 1: and stuff. Was like, you're for the first time in 451 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:56,720 Speaker 1: forty years, you know, you were you were you were 452 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 1: the explorer that everyone else got the beef we found 453 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 1: all the rat facing. Yeah, Well, for people who don't know, 454 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: can you talk a little bit about the building itself 455 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: where the Hawkins Lab was, because I think you know, again, 456 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 1: everyone sees it in the show, but they don't know 457 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: what the actual space was. They might just think, oh, 458 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:18,879 Speaker 1: was that just a set on a studio, and in 459 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: fact that parts of it at least were very much 460 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 1: in a real building here in Atlanta. Yeah, we I 461 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 1: will say, like when we were first when the Duffers 462 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 1: were first here and we were gonna, you know, film 463 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:33,480 Speaker 1: Stranger Things in Atlanta and full disclosure, I sometimes location 464 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: scout when I'm not decorating. It's like my secret job. 465 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:37,439 Speaker 1: So um, so I was doing a lot of the 466 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:40,920 Speaker 1: like early scouting, trying to figure out what Hawkins Lab 467 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:43,919 Speaker 1: was going to be and how undercover and small it 468 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 1: was going to be or how big and um, you know, 469 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: just what the look was going to be. Yeah, and 470 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: I we didn't all agree. I felt like that building 471 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:55,719 Speaker 1: at Emory, with its metal facade and kind of craziness 472 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: on the outside, was a little like ostentatious for secret 473 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:03,400 Speaker 1: sort of from a facility. But um, anyway, but they 474 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:05,919 Speaker 1: loved I mean, it is a pretty impressive building and 475 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 1: it's very distinct, and what they did within in posts, 476 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: like putting the satellites and stuff on top of it, 477 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: made it all kind of work. But um, yeah, it's 478 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: a it's on Briar Cliff here in Atlanta, and it's 479 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: an old mental hospital. Um and uh yeah, so it's 480 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 1: truly creepy. It's not everything works in there anymore. Powers 481 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 1: like kind of like hit or miss in some areas, 482 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 1: and uh, a lot of leaks and things. It's yeah, 483 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: so it must have been a tough one to work 484 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:36,399 Speaker 1: in as well, John, did you do you have a 485 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: lot of challenges going through all that. I mean, it's 486 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: just like that place they just stopped one day and 487 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:46,479 Speaker 1: everyone left and then people came in behind them. And 488 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: trashed the place. So there's broken glass everywhere, there were 489 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 1: needles everywhere, um, and just trying to figure out what 490 00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: like how to power how does this light come on where? 491 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:01,640 Speaker 1: And you have to trace it all the way down 492 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: sometimes in the floor underneath you or the sub floor 493 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 1: underneath you. That was definitely a challenge. Wow. So I'm 494 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:11,879 Speaker 1: sure that was one of the more difficult ones to 495 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 1: actually to power and make sure that everything was working properly. 496 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:18,280 Speaker 1: Uh yeah. I saw the pictures of sort of the 497 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,400 Speaker 1: before and after during one of those presentations, and it 498 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: was really, um, really alarming. Actually, there was a shot 499 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:29,400 Speaker 1: that was just down the hallway and it was possibly 500 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:32,119 Speaker 1: the most creepy looking photograph I had seen in a 501 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,120 Speaker 1: really long time. Well, the one thing I will say 502 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,719 Speaker 1: is that we had every intention when we first started 503 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 1: of shooting um, like the the sort of rift lab 504 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 1: in Hawkins, like where the tank and everything is. That 505 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 1: was the tunnels leading up to that and the opening 506 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:50,280 Speaker 1: scene where he's like getting off the elevator and everything. 507 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 1: We're going to do that at Emery, which is they 508 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: actually have these like underground tunnels, um that are that 509 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: are It's pretty bad. I don't even know yeah, it's 510 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: like asbestos and all these like you know, it's just 511 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 1: it's dark. There hasn't empowered on there forever um. And 512 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 1: so at the last minute, I think they've done these 513 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 1: like air quality tests and stuff, and they finally said, 514 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 1: there's okay, this is great. The texture is great, it's authentic, 515 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:17,200 Speaker 1: but we like, really we cannot film down here. So 516 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: we ended up copying the general look of it on 517 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 1: our stage and we built a series of tunnels that 518 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: were a lot more easy to control from a lighting 519 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 1: standpoint in every other aspect, so right, and you don't 520 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: have to worry about breeding in Yeah, when we do that, 521 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:33,479 Speaker 1: I feel like the like John and I and our 522 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: cruise that are there, you know beforehand, so early working 523 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 1: on places, especially those guys with like the ceiling tiles 524 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:45,240 Speaker 1: are the hidden that's what is above those is uh 525 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: the real you know there's yeah, there's there's a whole 526 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 1: treasure of exactly. Yeah. Um. So we deal with the 527 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: worst of it, and then I think shooting crew has 528 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: a little better time. By the time they get in there, 529 00:29:58,360 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: it's all been cleaned up a little bit. And then 530 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: they course then you have you know, the very pampered 531 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: people to actors. That's fantastic that they complain a little 532 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: bit about it being a little chilly outside. Like listen, 533 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: when we came here, there was no power, water was 534 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 1: coming in and there were rats everywhere. So there's some 535 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 1: sets like in season two, um which you know, who 536 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: can kind of leave everyone just sort of experienced later 537 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 1: this month, but um, it's there is an arcade and 538 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 1: just know, like when we finished all this off, show 539 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:33,479 Speaker 1: you the photos. But the before was like an old 540 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 1: launder matt dry cleaner place that had been sold, closed down, 541 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 1: leaky roof, all the same stuff. The hoarder had taken 542 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:43,440 Speaker 1: it over and it was like to the ceiling with 543 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 1: like mattresses and diapers and like whatever garbage. And so 544 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: that process wasn't another good one. We've had a lot 545 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: of stranger things. Is like people who hear about our production, 546 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: I feel like who also shoot in Atlanta are like 547 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 1: who he seet and kind of know what we started 548 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: out with then what the final product is are like 549 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: why you know your show is like does the craziest 550 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: Like we're willing to put up with a lot more, 551 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: I think than a lot of other like productions, Hollywood 552 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 1: productions that you know, would never touch some places that 553 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 1: we go into. Yeah, well again it pays off though, 554 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: so I look forward to seeing those photos because of course, 555 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 1: again growing up in the seventies and eighties, I have 556 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 1: a lot of fond memories of arcades that you just 557 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:25,320 Speaker 1: you know, you very rarely encounter those kind of places 558 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: these days. It's going to be another one of those 559 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 1: like why would you put the effort into it? Like 560 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 1: it's but it was just little architectural things about the 561 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: building that we thought were kind of great. And I 562 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: don't know everyone that you run into one of those 563 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 1: places where you're just like, well, everything inside here is 564 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: is trashed, but it's so evocative of that particular thing 565 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: you're trying to do that you know, I'm sure it 566 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: becomes one of those debates that rages in your mind, 567 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:52,520 Speaker 1: like is it going to be worth the amount of 568 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 1: effort it's going to take to get this place into shape? 569 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: And if the answer is yes, then you just have 570 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 1: to grit your teeth and go for it and and 571 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, get the work done. The library 572 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: we had the Hawkins Library, Yeah, um, we another one 573 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 1: of my really good ideas that there's a a library 574 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: in downtown East Point, Georgia. That was, Um, it was 575 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 1: like on the places in Peril like a story preservation list. 576 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:25,719 Speaker 1: It was. It was leaky roof, same thing, you know, asbestos, mold, 577 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 1: tons of tons of mold. They had standing water in 578 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: the basement for like two years, um. And we had 579 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:33,920 Speaker 1: the big idea to spend I don't know how much 580 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:36,560 Speaker 1: we spent there with like a full like mold remediation 581 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 1: and abatement process. Um. And then you know, John went 582 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 1: in and fixed all the light fixtures and we went 583 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 1: in and put in you know, the bookcases and of 584 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: a lot like twenty books and um, library card catalogs, 585 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:52,880 Speaker 1: all that stuff just to you know, for really not 586 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: at all much screen time. Um. But you know, but 587 00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:58,719 Speaker 1: you need a perior of library and you gotta start somewhere. 588 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:01,600 Speaker 1: So um, we ended up at actually donating I donated 589 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 1: like the books and everything to the City's point to 590 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 1: stay intact there so it can it kind of gets 591 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 1: now rent out as a location for other productions and 592 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:13,959 Speaker 1: that money kind of goes into keeping the building up 593 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 1: and they fix the roof and everything. So so it's cool. 594 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: Saved it. Yeah, there's there's a little nice little byproduct 595 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 1: of the production. It's not not just not just that 596 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: you're making amazing entertainment, but that you can actually benefit well. 597 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,840 Speaker 1: And again this gets outside of tech, but we hear 598 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: it all the time. I mean, there's always the discussion 599 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 1: about the benefits of the film and television business moving 600 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: into any place. When you can hear about stories like that, 601 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: you're like, that's something that I wouldn't necessarily have thought of, 602 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,959 Speaker 1: just from the fact that we're getting this influx of 603 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 1: productions coming into Atlanta. For those who do not know, 604 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,840 Speaker 1: Atlanta is one of the cities in the United States 605 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,720 Speaker 1: that's really taking off when it comes to film and 606 00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: television and music video production. And you know, there's certain 607 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 1: to a certain extent, music video had been fairly big 608 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:07,160 Speaker 1: here for a while. Uh Television, some TV productions we're 609 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 1: being were shot in here. But we're seeing more and 610 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:13,600 Speaker 1: more film projects as well, largely because of the construction 611 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:17,000 Speaker 1: of the Pinewood Studio that's south of the city, and 612 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 1: they're especially like just around the area that we're in 613 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:24,320 Speaker 1: right now. We're at Pont City Market in Atlanta. Around 614 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 1: this general area, you can't you can't go maybe a 615 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:29,359 Speaker 1: couple of miles in any direction before you start seeing 616 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: signs for various productions, they're everywhere, uh and um. And 617 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:37,280 Speaker 1: so we're actually seeing some of that benefit now where 618 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:42,400 Speaker 1: we're seeing, you know, communities get potentially get the reuse 619 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:46,040 Speaker 1: of buildings that otherwise would have been remaining vacant um. 620 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 1: From a similar perspective, although this wasn't from a film production, 621 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:54,759 Speaker 1: the building we're in right now was largely vacant for decades. 622 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 1: It was a Sears distribution center. Then for a while 623 00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:01,759 Speaker 1: the city of atlant had about ten percent of this 624 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:05,919 Speaker 1: building and the other was empty. I picked up many 625 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 1: police reports and things here. Yeah, and you could get 626 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: like art supplies, and I used to come here and 627 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:16,800 Speaker 1: get art supply. Yeah. Yeah. And to the point where 628 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:19,839 Speaker 1: if you were to walk around all the different offices here, 629 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:21,560 Speaker 1: first of all, they'd ask you to leave, But if 630 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:24,440 Speaker 1: you were to do that, you would probably see a 631 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:28,440 Speaker 1: lot of of old equipment, Like we have an old 632 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 1: turbine in our lobby. And it's because every office was 633 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:35,359 Speaker 1: given some of the pieces of equipment that had been 634 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:38,040 Speaker 1: used when this was a big distribution center for Sears. 635 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 1: I mean it was built right on the railroad. They 636 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:43,360 Speaker 1: would actually bring railroad cars into this place. So every 637 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:46,960 Speaker 1: office has some some element of that worked into it. 638 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:50,359 Speaker 1: Uh and uh it's it's again just one of those 639 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:54,080 Speaker 1: reminders of the history of the place that for decades 640 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:58,240 Speaker 1: went just completely unused. And this was literally just stuff 641 00:35:58,280 --> 00:35:59,799 Speaker 1: that was piled up. So I guess it's kind of 642 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:01,920 Speaker 1: some lewarer to what you do, Jess, where you have 643 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 1: to you have to go into interesting places and just 644 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:07,800 Speaker 1: kind of search around. I mean, Uh, there used to 645 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 1: be a really great place very close to here that 646 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:14,920 Speaker 1: had crazy stuff for lots of antiques and a lot 647 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:17,960 Speaker 1: of old fixtures and things, and now it's a restaurant. 648 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:21,280 Speaker 1: And I'm always sad when I go by the Wrecking Bar. Yeah, 649 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:23,719 Speaker 1: I'm sad that that place is gone because I would 650 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:27,920 Speaker 1: find really interesting stuff there. But that was just for me. 651 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:40,400 Speaker 1: I don't I don't decorate sets at all. So what 652 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:43,480 Speaker 1: do you think out of maybe not just stranger things, 653 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 1: but every anything, any production you've worked on. What was 654 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: the the most interesting, uh, piece that you have ever 655 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 1: found for a production? Well? This, um, the movie I 656 00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:59,799 Speaker 1: was talking about, theo Wash took place in a tell 657 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:05,000 Speaker 1: Asian station. Um. It was set in nineteen in Sarasota, Florida, 658 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,880 Speaker 1: and the director, I don't know if he completely understood. 659 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 1: He's a little bit of a Savanta and and wanted 660 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:16,799 Speaker 1: to have like a full working broadcast studio from that era. 661 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:22,040 Speaker 1: They just look but actually literally working, which yeah, exactly, 662 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 1: monitors in a control room and cameras and and all 663 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,880 Speaker 1: of it and all the editing and um and this 664 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 1: is all still like film and stuff. Yeah. Um. And 665 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 1: there was this one piece a quadruplex machine. And this 666 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:39,799 Speaker 1: is like right when um, news gathering was like going 667 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:42,720 Speaker 1: electronic and so a lot of that technology was changing 668 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,359 Speaker 1: like in the moment. But um, this quadruplex machine that 669 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:49,439 Speaker 1: looks like a giant kind of real to real thing. 670 00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 1: Um that there are not that many of them and 671 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:56,080 Speaker 1: there are really not that many of them left now, 672 00:37:56,239 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 1: especially working, which is like you know, and they're so finicky. 673 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:01,880 Speaker 1: There was like a place in the Rhode Island that 674 00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 1: had some museum and like a couple other places even 675 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:07,760 Speaker 1: like in l A what I would call the regular 676 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:09,880 Speaker 1: prop houses to ship it out here that they didn't 677 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:14,240 Speaker 1: have any so I just um was calling old TV stations, 678 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:17,280 Speaker 1: not that anyone has phones or answers their phone anymore. Anywhere. 679 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:21,000 Speaker 1: It's like an annoying another annoying landline thing. But um, 680 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:23,120 Speaker 1: so I was just driving around. We were filming in Savannah, 681 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 1: and I was just driving like on the weekends too, 682 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,200 Speaker 1: smaller towns that used to have news stations. Um, just 683 00:38:28,239 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 1: like looking for like that one place that has an 684 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,680 Speaker 1: attic or a basement that just dashed all the stuff 685 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:36,640 Speaker 1: and never threw it away. Um. And there was a 686 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:40,040 Speaker 1: guy in in making at a TV station and he 687 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:42,560 Speaker 1: was like literally the only guy like manning like reruns 688 00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:44,759 Speaker 1: of the Simpsons or whatever they're you know, like I 689 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,279 Speaker 1: don't even think they did news anymore. Um. But he 690 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,239 Speaker 1: came to the door and I was asking him about 691 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:53,799 Speaker 1: like old equipment, and um He's like, well, we do 692 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:55,680 Speaker 1: have this old site out in the swamp that we 693 00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:58,480 Speaker 1: used to use like as a studio. And I was like, 694 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:00,239 Speaker 1: do you think you have a quadruplex machine and he 695 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:01,799 Speaker 1: was like, oh yeah, I got that. I got like 696 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:04,000 Speaker 1: two of those out there. And I was just like literally, 697 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,239 Speaker 1: um yeah, that was like the best moment. And so 698 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:09,040 Speaker 1: I getting this guy's truck when right out to the 699 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:13,400 Speaker 1: swamp and uh, leaky roof, no power. Um, you know, 700 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:16,239 Speaker 1: same thing we always are dealing with UM, but yeah, 701 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 1: they're in the corner and like a dry corner was 702 00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:20,880 Speaker 1: like this quadruplex and a bunch of other stuff that 703 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,319 Speaker 1: was really useful to have to we were able to 704 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:26,680 Speaker 1: kind of tinker and get it to work, and UM 705 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 1: that was my That's by far my my like dries 706 00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 1: possession of all the things I've ever found. Yeah, I 707 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:36,200 Speaker 1: love it. It's uh, sort of the sort of challenges 708 00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 1: you don't necessarily anticipate until you encounter one of those 709 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:46,280 Speaker 1: autour directors who has that that strong dependence upon authenticity. 710 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:50,560 Speaker 1: I'm sick of control panels. That's another Yeah, Like season 711 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:54,279 Speaker 1: two is uh yeah, you guys will see when that 712 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:57,360 Speaker 1: comes out, But there's a we did a whole control 713 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:00,400 Speaker 1: panel in the riff lab this time that we needed 714 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:03,279 Speaker 1: to be able to really control rather than getting prop ones, 715 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:04,880 Speaker 1: which is kind of what we had the first season 716 00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:07,520 Speaker 1: and something I was never really that happy with UM. 717 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:13,400 Speaker 1: I had probably the bad idea of UM designing my 718 00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:17,160 Speaker 1: very own UM control fannel with all these separate like 719 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:20,759 Speaker 1: old boat led lights and indicator lights and all these 720 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:22,960 Speaker 1: different things that I was trying to get John in 721 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:25,920 Speaker 1: like really early last season to help start like figuring 722 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:28,080 Speaker 1: out how we were going to empower each one and 723 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:30,680 Speaker 1: have each one on a separate control. I was told 724 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:34,360 Speaker 1: there would be no flickering season two because I was 725 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:40,920 Speaker 1: a big, big expense for production. And then then the 726 00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:45,719 Speaker 1: board is a flickering mess of like yeah, like I 727 00:40:45,719 --> 00:40:47,279 Speaker 1: feel like I feel like a little bit of it 728 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:50,040 Speaker 1: has been spoiled for me, but I will. I'll go 729 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:52,400 Speaker 1: into it just knowing there may be a flicker or 730 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:56,560 Speaker 1: two in season two. I don't know. I haven't seen 731 00:40:56,600 --> 00:40:58,640 Speaker 1: any of the footage, so I'm not sure. Yeah, maybe 732 00:40:58,680 --> 00:41:01,600 Speaker 1: that all got cut. I wasn't even or when it happened. Yeah, 733 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:03,600 Speaker 1: that was kind of a nightmare. And um, we've done 734 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:07,360 Speaker 1: all kinds of like even season one, um in the quarry, 735 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:10,799 Speaker 1: which you would think like that's you know, probably not 736 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:12,960 Speaker 1: even that much from a set deck standpoint and there, 737 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,560 Speaker 1: and there wasn't except they wanted to light some of 738 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:19,400 Speaker 1: that scene with search and rescue where they find um 739 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:24,000 Speaker 1: Will's body or not real body, but you know, um, 740 00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:26,400 Speaker 1: they wanted to light that practically, and so we needed 741 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:31,120 Speaker 1: period whacker lights. Um. And just like the logistics of 742 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:34,279 Speaker 1: like me me finding the lights that were there, right, 743 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:39,480 Speaker 1: government auctions is my other go to UM and so 744 00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:43,000 Speaker 1: we found something like Tennessee since since transpoke guys up 745 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:44,879 Speaker 1: there to go pick them up and bring them back. 746 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:47,560 Speaker 1: And then just John assessing that for the first time, 747 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:51,080 Speaker 1: is you know this like archaic mess of wires and 748 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:54,399 Speaker 1: different things and UM. But he rewired those and they 749 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:58,520 Speaker 1: looked great on camera. It's kind of funny. I I 750 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:01,800 Speaker 1: did an interview it's actually going to be the episode 751 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:06,239 Speaker 1: that follows this one, uh, with a guy who was 752 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:10,200 Speaker 1: hired to to write a full kind of like a 753 00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:14,800 Speaker 1: workshop manual of the Ghostbusters technology. And he was given 754 00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:17,160 Speaker 1: full access to all the different props and stuff. But 755 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:20,120 Speaker 1: it was his job to figure out not just what 756 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,320 Speaker 1: the stuff was, but what it used to be and 757 00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:25,919 Speaker 1: how it actually works in real life and then how 758 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:30,560 Speaker 1: was it in in the mythology of Ghostbusters altered so 759 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 1: that it works for that. And he started looking at 760 00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:35,120 Speaker 1: all the different pieces like just imagine the top of 761 00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:38,319 Speaker 1: Ecto one, like the top of that car and all 762 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:41,160 Speaker 1: the different coutrement that we're on top of it, and 763 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:44,560 Speaker 1: he had to source all of that and he says, yeah, 764 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:49,400 Speaker 1: they went to a junkyard that outside of a NASA 765 00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:52,560 Speaker 1: site and they got all of that and I had 766 00:42:52,560 --> 00:42:55,640 Speaker 1: to figure out what they were And then how does 767 00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:59,000 Speaker 1: that help you catch ghosts? Is there really a junkyard 768 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,000 Speaker 1: outside of nasasite? That sounds amazing? And I'll put you 769 00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:05,640 Speaker 1: in touch with him because he can tell you where 770 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:08,920 Speaker 1: they went to get all the different pieces because they 771 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:11,480 Speaker 1: had like various pieces of sonart they had They had 772 00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:16,400 Speaker 1: an old uh uh. I think it was like an 773 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:21,080 Speaker 1: old ground to air missile launch case. There was nothing 774 00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:24,120 Speaker 1: in it because apparently that would be bad to get 775 00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:27,520 Speaker 1: out there. But yeah, so there's Yeah, I'll get you 776 00:43:27,520 --> 00:43:29,160 Speaker 1: in touch with him because he can certainly tell you 777 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:32,440 Speaker 1: more about where they sourced all that stuff because it 778 00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:35,160 Speaker 1: was it was somewhere out west, I know. But um 779 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:37,920 Speaker 1: and keep in mind Ghostbusters were made back in the 780 00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 1: early eighties, so maybe they've tightened up since then. But 781 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:44,879 Speaker 1: it was pretty it was pretty incredible. Uh And yeah, 782 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:48,040 Speaker 1: learning about that like that, that experience of having to 783 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 1: uh to to really find out the way sources sometimes 784 00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:57,640 Speaker 1: is fascinating to me because I hold onto stuff fairly 785 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 1: for a fairly long time. But I mean it's just 786 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:03,239 Speaker 1: technology is just one of those things that goes obsolete 787 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:07,080 Speaker 1: so quickly. And uh and Also, there's just so many 788 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:10,400 Speaker 1: different parts that if any one part fails, the average 789 00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:13,719 Speaker 1: person is more likely to either go out and buy 790 00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:15,279 Speaker 1: a new one and just throw the old one away, 791 00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:17,719 Speaker 1: or just do without, because a repair tends to be 792 00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:19,719 Speaker 1: about the same amount of money as it would cost 793 00:44:19,719 --> 00:44:21,319 Speaker 1: to just buy a new one anyway for a lot 794 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:24,680 Speaker 1: of the older tech, So I imagine it gets really tricky, 795 00:44:24,800 --> 00:44:27,080 Speaker 1: especially if they want something that's gonna work on screen, 796 00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:29,440 Speaker 1: if it's something that's just going to be like, all right, 797 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:32,000 Speaker 1: well we just need this this washer dryer that was 798 00:44:32,280 --> 00:44:33,759 Speaker 1: back then, but they're never you're going to use it. 799 00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:35,440 Speaker 1: We just need in the background. I guess that's one thing, 800 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:37,160 Speaker 1: but I like, we need a working one. That's a 801 00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:41,920 Speaker 1: totally different thing. Yeah, it's uh. This season two has 802 00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:44,560 Speaker 1: a lot of well, we have the Arcade, which has 803 00:44:45,200 --> 00:44:47,640 Speaker 1: John and I. Early on we were getting the scripts 804 00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:50,160 Speaker 1: and stuff with season two talking about like how to 805 00:44:50,239 --> 00:44:54,359 Speaker 1: get arcade cabinets that were in good enough shape or 806 00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:56,200 Speaker 1: you know, when we get real ones, and then there's 807 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:58,560 Speaker 1: all this Um I don't know if like the average 808 00:44:58,640 --> 00:45:01,160 Speaker 1: viewer knows, but like playback, Um, it's a thing that 809 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:04,640 Speaker 1: we deal with constantly on Stranger things. It's um the 810 00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:09,400 Speaker 1: frame rate adjustment and stuff on various like screens and monitors. 811 00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:12,600 Speaker 1: So your screen that you're you're shooting is refreshing at 812 00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:15,279 Speaker 1: a certain rate, the camera is going at a certain rate, 813 00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:17,080 Speaker 1: and if that doesn't match up, probably that's when you 814 00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:20,240 Speaker 1: start getting those weird lines that start scrolling across the screen, 815 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:25,120 Speaker 1: which is realistic, but it's distracting because now you realize 816 00:45:25,120 --> 00:45:27,880 Speaker 1: you're looking through the lens of a camera as opposed 817 00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:30,239 Speaker 1: to being an observer and a scene. So we have 818 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:32,720 Speaker 1: to fix that, all right, and so and and even 819 00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:38,400 Speaker 1: UM season one was similar to the there's various UM 820 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:42,040 Speaker 1: security rooms like at Hawkins Lab and we I think 821 00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:45,400 Speaker 1: I feel like I've bought every Commodore sixty four available 822 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:47,879 Speaker 1: because there they tend to be fairly reliable and easy 823 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:50,799 Speaker 1: to work with and you can input various things into them. 824 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:54,839 Speaker 1: And UM, so doing something similar, you know, a lot 825 00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:57,200 Speaker 1: of I think a lot of productions probably would have 826 00:45:57,200 --> 00:46:00,759 Speaker 1: put like L E. D screens or CB you know, 827 00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:03,560 Speaker 1: they would have updated with new technology and not dealt 828 00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:07,600 Speaker 1: with the playback aspect of running through like CRT monitors 829 00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:10,560 Speaker 1: with whatever we need to show on screen. UM, but 830 00:46:10,640 --> 00:46:12,920 Speaker 1: we're we try to be as authentic as possible and 831 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:15,520 Speaker 1: stranger things, and so there's just a lot of our 832 00:46:15,520 --> 00:46:18,200 Speaker 1: playback guy was always present. I felt like on every 833 00:46:18,280 --> 00:46:21,360 Speaker 1: set it was always like real monitors. Um. Same with 834 00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:25,040 Speaker 1: the arcade, and we did it all pretty practically, um, 835 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:29,000 Speaker 1: leaving a lot of those those old monitors inside the 836 00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:31,640 Speaker 1: cabinets and then just like running stuff through them and 837 00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:36,160 Speaker 1: adjusting the frame rate. That's great, I mean again, I 838 00:46:36,239 --> 00:46:39,760 Speaker 1: just to me, that stuff definitely pays off. Like again, 839 00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:43,320 Speaker 1: it gives that that feel that you want and uh, 840 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:47,120 Speaker 1: that that sense that you're watching something that was made 841 00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:51,600 Speaker 1: years ago, um and yet with a modern sensibility. So 842 00:46:51,880 --> 00:46:54,759 Speaker 1: it's anyone who grew up around the same time I did, 843 00:46:54,800 --> 00:46:58,279 Speaker 1: I think, just has that deep connection when they see 844 00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:00,640 Speaker 1: this there, you know, because it feels very buil Burgie 845 00:47:00,680 --> 00:47:03,120 Speaker 1: in in many ways. You know, it's just it's very 846 00:47:03,160 --> 00:47:07,200 Speaker 1: evocative of those uh, those great films and TV series 847 00:47:07,239 --> 00:47:10,280 Speaker 1: in the eighties. So you guys did a phenomenal work 848 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:13,920 Speaker 1: to recapture that and to make it feel like it 849 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:16,960 Speaker 1: was on screen. It looks effortless. I know that that's 850 00:47:17,040 --> 00:47:20,200 Speaker 1: exactly the opposite of what it really was. It was very, 851 00:47:20,320 --> 00:47:25,680 Speaker 1: very full of effort, but from an audience perspective, um, 852 00:47:25,800 --> 00:47:28,680 Speaker 1: it just it just works so well. So I'm really 853 00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:31,960 Speaker 1: looking forward to season two. We keep hearing rumors about 854 00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:33,600 Speaker 1: how many seasons they are going to be. I think 855 00:47:33,600 --> 00:47:35,480 Speaker 1: there need to be as many seasons as there need 856 00:47:35,520 --> 00:47:37,839 Speaker 1: to be to tell a story and then we can 857 00:47:38,760 --> 00:47:41,439 Speaker 1: we can close the chapter on that book and want more. 858 00:47:41,719 --> 00:47:46,040 Speaker 1: I'm happy with that. We'll see because who knows what 859 00:47:46,040 --> 00:47:48,319 Speaker 1: what will happen down the line. But I am so 860 00:47:49,040 --> 00:47:53,440 Speaker 1: really excited to see season two and beyond. And if 861 00:47:53,480 --> 00:47:56,080 Speaker 1: you if you put a word in for they need 862 00:47:56,560 --> 00:47:59,440 Speaker 1: a bald guy as an extra, you know, even if 863 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:02,560 Speaker 1: he's just screw in a light bulb in the background. 864 00:48:03,200 --> 00:48:06,960 Speaker 1: I'm local, I'm right here, I know, I know Randy. 865 00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:09,759 Speaker 1: So Randy and I go way back. I can. It's 866 00:48:09,840 --> 00:48:12,600 Speaker 1: just throwing it out there. Maybe Randy needs an assistant, yeah, 867 00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:16,279 Speaker 1: who knows, or maybe just like a guy to like 868 00:48:16,640 --> 00:48:20,280 Speaker 1: deal with all the insanely attractive women that he's dating. 869 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:24,279 Speaker 1: It's phenomenal. Really, It's like we had a discussion with 870 00:48:24,360 --> 00:48:26,680 Speaker 1: him about that. Like that was to me, like everything 871 00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:31,440 Speaker 1: was believable up until they showed you. Like I was 872 00:48:31,480 --> 00:48:34,160 Speaker 1: buying into it, right into that, and he's like, thanks Jonathan, 873 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:38,520 Speaker 1: thanks a lot, You're welcome, Randy, very good guy. Thank 874 00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:41,440 Speaker 1: you Jess and John for joining me on this show. 875 00:48:41,520 --> 00:48:44,920 Speaker 1: I really appreciate the opportunity to explore what it is 876 00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:48,000 Speaker 1: you do and get a deeper appreciation for the work 877 00:48:48,040 --> 00:48:52,400 Speaker 1: that goes on behind the scenes. And uh, this was phenomenal. 878 00:48:52,440 --> 00:48:55,640 Speaker 1: I wish you guys the best of luck and success 879 00:48:55,680 --> 00:48:58,520 Speaker 1: in the future, and maybe we'll have you on again 880 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:01,440 Speaker 1: at some point. We'll talk about some other crazy stuff 881 00:49:01,480 --> 00:49:04,560 Speaker 1: like you know, let me tell you what now is 882 00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:07,680 Speaker 1: the hardest props I've ever had to find. You never 883 00:49:07,719 --> 00:49:10,600 Speaker 1: know when that story is gonna change. Well, thank you 884 00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:13,440 Speaker 1: guys again, Thank you. I hope you guys enjoyed that 885 00:49:13,520 --> 00:49:17,600 Speaker 1: episode of text Stuff. We've got a lot more coming 886 00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:20,560 Speaker 1: and let me know what you guys think if there 887 00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:23,120 Speaker 1: are things you would like me to cover as we 888 00:49:23,520 --> 00:49:25,760 Speaker 1: go through all this. I've got a big series about 889 00:49:25,800 --> 00:49:29,000 Speaker 1: the PlayStation coming up soon. But if there are any 890 00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:31,399 Speaker 1: other topics you would like me to cover, reach out 891 00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:34,040 Speaker 1: on Facebook or Twitter. The handle for both is tech 892 00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:36,719 Speaker 1: Stuff HSW and I'll talk to you again really soon. 893 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:44,520 Speaker 1: Text Stuff is an I heart radio production. For more 894 00:49:44,600 --> 00:49:48,000 Speaker 1: podcasts from My heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, 895 00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:51,280 Speaker 1: Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.