Stranger Things Have Happened

What a better way to launch Stranger Things Studios’ new YouTube channel than with the namesake video concept that started this all? 

It’s random, it’s nonsensical, it has ninjas, a pirate, and a 52” teddy bear.  The only thing that links it together is the title, “Stranger Things Have Happened.”

Oh, and a guy gets chased down by a monster with a sword.  There’s that, too.

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

This one has been a long time coming.  If we go all the way back to its beginning, I have to tell you about the conception of Stranger Things Studios.

Naming a film studio is a strangely difficult undertaking.  Whatever I came up with, it had to be memorable, and quintessential to the essence of the type of films I wanted to make.  I started coming up with simple movie ideas that I could shoot, hoping one of them would shed a light on the future company’s name.

That’s when I dreamt up this movie with its cliché title, “Stranger Things Have Happened.”  I’ll let you do the rest of the math from there.

Conceptually, it was a walk in the park.  Normally, I try to introduce a new element with each film to help broaden my knowledge and skill base.  “STHH” was not that kind of film; however, being the namesake movie, it had to be made. 

After how much hell “Motorstorm: Duel Drive” was to finish in post, I welcomed the break.  It felt good to ease up a little.  When you stop pushing your ability to the limits and do what you know, things go so smoothly.  I knew what I was doing.  I was efficient on set, and faster in post than I thought I was.

  

It was 8:00 am on a September Sunday morning when the call for “action” marked the final shot of the movie.  For three solid minutes, Charlie wailed on John’s “dead” body for anyone within the inner city park to see.  Let me tell you, you saw that park clear out pretty quick after that!

Believe it or not, most pedestrians are not prepared for a screaming man to rush by followed by an armed monster in a jumpsuit brandishing a sword.  People stopped their dogs in the middle of their walks to flat out stare.  Some gave a wide berth.  Other’s found an alternate route.

There was plenty of the opposite reaction, too.  One thing about late September, a lot of people assume that you’re filming something for Halloween.  It was kind of them to rationalize that for us; I wouldn’t have come up with that on my own.  One lady was ridiculously ecstatic to know that she was present during the filming of a movie.  I could hear her plain as day from the opposite side of the park as she bombarded my cast members with questions.  We forgot to give her a calling card, though, so she will probably never see the finished product.

My favorite onlookers by far was a little boy at the jungle gym.  I never saw him myself, but the story is so damn cute.  This little kid, probably in elementary school, yelled “hey, ninjas!” and then regaled the masked warriors with cartwheels and masterful feats that he had achieved during his own extensive jungle gym training.

Nature called, and one ninja visited the port-a-potty.  This blew this kid’s mind.

“Mom!  Did you know that ninjas go to the bathroom?!!!!”

He watched in awe as the ninja returned to the set.

“Mom.  Do you think they use toilet paper, too?!”

Oh, young grasshopper….