Teach Developing an Original TV Series

The Duffer Brothers

Matt and Ross Duffer share highlights from their journey to creating the hit TV series "Stranger Things" and provide an overview of their class.

Meet Your Instructors: The Duffer Brothers

The idea is everything. Matt and Ross share their process for coming up with one you’ll love: Seek inspiration, brainstorm, and embrace the importance of a “core drive.”

How to Develop a TV Series Idea

In this case study, Matt and Ross walk you through the first brainstorming documents from the concept that would become the hit TV series "Stranger Things."

Conceiving the Idea for “Stranger Things”

Get an exclusive look into how Matt and Ross collaborate as they conceive a logline for a fake "Stranger Things" spin-off.

Writing Demo: How to Write a Logline

It’s important to develop good writing habits as you begin to flesh out your series idea. The brothers share their tips for holding themselves accountable, staying disciplined, and finishing their scripts.

The Duffer Brothers’ Writing Approach

Using never-before-seen documents from the "Stranger Things" concept development, Matt and Ross walk you through their “blue-skying” process for building out and improving ideas.

Expanding on the Idea

Matt and Ross teach you how to develop ideas for characters and how to introduce the most essential character arcs in your pilot script. 

Character Development

The world of "Stranger Things" is one of its most engaging aspects. Matt and Ross discuss how they developed the setting for the series by drawing inspiration from films, games, and their own childhood.

Setting and Worldbuilding

After you have settled on a series idea, an important next step is building a season arc. Matt and Ross share how they ideated an arc for "Stranger Things" and how the character arcs converge into the overarching story.

Developing a Season Arc

Outlining is a sacred step for Matt and Ross. In this lesson, explore the brothers’ two-step outlining process—and see how they used that process to build the "Stranger Things" pilot. Plus, learn how they approach opening hooks and story beats. 

Writing Your Story Outline

Once your first outline is ready, your “scaffolding” is in place. Learn how to build on your previous work to create a final outline for a pilot that skillfully integrates storylines and conflict.

Building Your Final Outline

In this lesson, learn to convert your final outline into a pilot script and get an inside look at how Matt and Ross built the "Stranger Things" pilot, originally called “Montauk.”

Starting Your Pilot Script

Using the screenplay for the film "Panic Room" as a case study, plus examples from their own work, Matt and Ross unpack the key elements of a script: description, action, and dialogue. They also address scene transitions and character voices.

The Elements of a Script: Description, Action & Dialogue

Continuing their imaginary Steve and Dustin spin-off concept, Matt and Ross demonstrate how they write an opening hook, and showcase their process for brainstorming, outlining, and scriptwriting under extreme time constraints. 

Writing Demo: How to Write a Hook

The brothers discuss how they initially navigated the pitching process without Hollywood connections. Learn tips for finding representation and getting your script noticed.

Getting to the Pitch

Using materials they created when they pitched "Stranger Things," Matt and Ross cover the most important components to include in a pitch and share advice on how to practice.

The “Stranger Things” Pitch

Matt and Ross share what they learned from developing "Stranger Things" after it was greenlit, including how they worked in writers’ rooms and created multiple seasons.

You’ve Sold Your Script. Now What?

In their class send-off, Matt and Ross offer an inside look at what it was like to develop Season 4 of the hit TV series in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Stranger Things" Season 4 Behind the Scenes

The Duffer Brothers Teach Developing an Original TV Series

Collaborate With Others on a Screenplay

Refine Scripts for Maximum Impact

Craft Immersive Character Narratives

Captivate Audiences With Storytelling

Engage Audiences With Storytelling

Refine Dialogue in Your Scripts

Film & TV

Pitch & Write Stories for Film & TV

Teaches Directing

Ron Howard

Ron Howard Teaches Directing

Teaches Writing for Television

Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes Teaches Writing for Television

Teaches Filmmaking

Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog Teaches Filmmaking

Teaches Comedy

Steve Martin

Steve Martin Teaches Comedy

James Cameron

James Cameron Teaches Filmmaking

Teaches Acting

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson Teaches Acting

Teaches Documentary Filmmaking

Ken Burns

Ken Burns Teaches Documentary Filmmaking

Teaches Independent Filmmaking

Spike Lee

Spike Lee Teaches Independent Filmmaking

A Documentary by Academy Award Nominee Andrea Nevins

The Cowboy and the Queen

A Documentary by Andrea Nevins

Teaches Voice Acting

Nancy Cartwright

Nancy Cartwright Teaches Voice Acting

Mira Nair

Mira Nair Teaches Independent Filmmaking

A Documentary Film From Artist JR

Tehachapi

A Documentary by Artist JR

Teaches Screenwriting

Aaron Sorkin

Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting

Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster Teaches Filmmaking

Judd Apatow

Judd Apatow Teaches Comedy

Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese Teaches Filmmaking

Teaches Creating Outside the Lines

Issa Rae

Issa Rae Teaches Creating Outside the Lines

Teaches Film Scoring

Hans Zimmer

Hans Zimmer Teaches Film Scoring

Teaches Creativity and Film

David Lynch

David Lynch Teaches Creativity and Film

Reframe Your Thinking

Ava DuVernay

Teaches Creativity in Choreography

Parris Goebel

Parris Goebel Teaches Creativity in Choreography

Teaches Music for Film

Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman Teaches Music for Film

Icons and Their Influences

Talking Shop