MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best across a wide range of subjects, today announced that Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators, writers, and executive producers of the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things,” will teach a class on how to develop an original TV series. In this class, the Duffer Brothers will share with MasterClass members how they plotted Stranger Things from beginning to end, revealing how to develop ideas, plan narrative arcs, create unforgettable characters—like Hopper and Eleven—and put it all together into a pitch-ready pilot. The Duffer Brothers’ class is now available exclusively on MasterClass, where subscribers get unlimited access to all 150+ instructors with an annual membership.
“The world that Matt and Ross created in Stranger Things has become one of the most viewed series in all of streaming history,” said David Rogier, founder, and CEO of MasterClass. “In their class, members and fans will get to learn about their process, including the concept development and writing of Stranger Things, while getting a behind-the-scenes look and exclusive access into never-before-seen documents and stories from the series.”
In their class, the Duffer Brothers will take members through a step-by-step approach to developing an original TV series, from initial concepting and planning to writing a pilot script and pitching it to a network. As they dive into never-before-seen documents, including initial brainstorms and plot outlines for Stranger Things, they will demonstrate how to build out ideas, introduce character arcs, tackle worldbuilding, and more. Members will get an exclusive look into how the Duffer Brothers think of and write a logline for an imaginary spin-off series featuring Steve and Dustin from Stranger Things—under extreme time constraints. As a bonus, the class will feature an inside look into what it was like to develop the newest season of Stranger Things, which premieres Volume 2 on Netflix Friday, July 1.
“Our class is for anyone who dreams of telling stories for a living,” Matt Duffer said. “Writing can be a blast, but at times it can feel overwhelming, even impossible. We have spent months staring at a blank page, with no idea how or where to begin. But after years of struggle, we finally developed a writing process that works for us, a process that we now use every single day on Stranger Things. And that’s really why we wanted to teach this class: to share with you everything we wish we’d known all along.”
Ross Duffer added, “Finding an effective writing process is a huge step in your journey, but not the only one. What if, like us, you grew up far away from Hollywood, with no connections? How do you get anyone to read—much less buy—your script? In our class, we’ll cover that too. We’ll show you how to get your foot in the door—and how to get that idea off the page and onto the screen.”
Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, the Duffer Brothers attended Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in Orange County, California, and have always been passionate about storytelling. Their first feature was the psychological thriller Hidden, which got the attention of M. Night Shyamalan, who hired them to pen several episodes of his series Wayward Pines. Setting their sights on the small screen, they developed a show set in the 1980s that paid homage to the many genre films they grew up loving. A dozen studios rejected their pitch—but then came Netflix. A day after hearing the pitch, they greenlit the show straight to series.
