Craig Henighan is a sound designer for the science fiction TV series “Stranger Things,” which is considered a masterpiece when it comes to sound design. There is much to discuss regarding the entire sound design and production. I will touch on only a few points that I found impressive.
Main themes:
Starting with the opening, composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein capture the vibes of ’80s horror movies. The main theme was created using the Roland Juno 6, known for its excellent built-in arpeggiator, while other themes were produced with the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, one of the first synthesizers to introduce presets, designed by Dave Smith.
Haunting clock:
In Season 4, a haunting grandfather clock becomes a signature sound effect connected to the Vecna’s character. Henighan creatively manipulated it by layering multiple clock ticks, experimenting with cello strings for a groan-like effect, and adding a slowed-down, descending tone for the final chime, amplifying its eerie presence in the world of the story.
Vecna
For the monster (Vecna) sound the sound designer heavily compressed the audio and boosted the low-end EQ, then applied the Infected Mushroom plug-in Manipulator for pitch shifting. Reverb and delay effects were added before Mark Patterson, the dialogue and music mixer editor, applied his own processing and dynamically panned Vecna’s voice for spatial depth.
References:
1. https://www.asoundeffect.com/stranger-things-sound/
2. https://www.goldderby.com/feature/craig-henighan-stranger-things-sound-design-video-interview-1205030685/
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjOYXpoxHCg&ab_channel=Avid
