Stranger Things 4’s new monster is made with practical effects, some CG, and lots of lube - The Verge

Prosthetics designer Barrie Gower and makeup department head Amy Forsythe explain how the practical effects for the new villain in Netflix’s Stranger Things 4 were created.

With terrifying beasts like the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer, Stranger Things has slowly been building up an impressive bestiary of monsters. But, for the latest season, the show goes in a slightly different direction. Its new baddie, called Vecna, is less of a mindless beast and more of a classic-style ‘80s movie monster in the mold of Freddy or Jason. So showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer tapped prosthetics designer Barrie Gower to help bring their attempt at an iconic villain to life. “The quite interesting thing about Stranger Things is it’s this huge property already, and it’s got this great design sense to it,” Gower tells The Verge. “They already had a very clear vision of what they wanted to do with this character.”

Gower is no stranger to showcase villains, having previously worked on Game of Thrones’ Night King, among other notable projects ranging from Harry Potter to Chernobyl. But he was a stranger to, well, Stranger Things, having only joined the show for the fourth season. According to makeup department head Amy Forsythe, who has worked on the show since the beginning, Gower’s experience added a different dimension to the show. “Practical effects are such a huge thing with the nostalgia of the ‘80s, and we were losing that so much in our show,” she explains. “So finally having somebody with Barrie’s expertise come in, it really levels the show up.”

Vecna is a gloopy black creature that definitely looks like something out of the dark world of the Upside Down. But he’s also the most humanoid monster featured in the show so far. Gower says the process started with concept images from artist Michael Maher Jr., which was followed by plenty of discussion with Maher, the Duffers, and the visual effects team, among others. One of the main goals, Gower says, “was to create the character as close to 100 percent practical as possible.”

Related

Instead of a rubber suit, Vecna’s costume consists of a series of different pieces that were glued directly to the actor’s skin. This provided a few advantages, including giving the actor more freedom to move. Rubber suits also have a tendency to buckle, which doesn’t look great on camera. It did require a lot of work, though: the application process took an average of 6.5 to 7 hours to complete.

https://www.theverge.com/23141145/stranger-things-4-vecna-monster-creation-design-practical-effects

---