Stranger Things | Crew Gifts and Secret Codenames
It's easy to focus on the characters, performances and creatures that appear in Stranger Things, but behind every scene is a huge production crew responsible for creating the world of Hawkins and making the impossible feel real. At the centre of the series are Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of Stranger Things. The brothers have served as writers, directors and executive producers throughout the series, guiding its story and overall creative vision. Alongside them, producers including Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen have played an important role in bringing that vision to the screen.
What makes the crew of Stranger Things so fascinating is the sheer number of specialised craftspeople involved. Every prop placed on a desk, every costume worn by a character, every light in a hallway and every sound heard beneath the dialogue has passed through the hands of someone working behind the scenes. The production's attention to period detail is particularly important, with everything from clothing and furniture to technology and everyday objects helping establish the era.
Crew gifts are unique pieces of memorabilia created or distributed to members of a film or television production as a way of recognising their contribution to the project. Unlike screen-used props, these items are generally not used during filming, but are closely connected to the production and the people who worked behind the scenes. These particular gifts can take many forms, including specially produced clothing, plaques, bottles, artwork, props, commemorative items, or other limited-production pieces featuring the show's branding, characters or production details. Because they are often produced in limited quantities and distributed directly to cast and crew, they can be considerably harder to find than standard merchandise.
Outside specialists play an important role in bringing film and television productions to life. Production teams often work with specialist companies and professionals when a project requires expertise beyond the main crew, from special effects and VFX to animal casting, vehicle supply, costume work, animatronics and specialist engineering. These companies can be brought in to design, build, supply or operate highly specialised elements needed for a production. Their work may only appear on screen for a few seconds, but it can be essential to creating believable worlds, characters and scenes.
Code Names:
On these metal plated S1 and S5 posters (still in original packaging), we have a message from one of the specialists towards the production crew members of Stranger Things including special coded names for the seasons secrecy during filming amongst the public. These names allowed the production to operate without openly advertising the show's true identity.
Wonder View was used for Seasons 1 and 2. Lakeridge (does not appear on these crew gifts) was used for Season 3, while Tareco became the production title for Season 4. For the final season, Cedar Lodge was used as the production codename.
These names could appear on production paperwork, call sheets, location information and other behind-the-scenes materials. Their purpose was primarily practical by keeping the production's identity less obvious while filming on locations, dealing with suppliers and coordinating the many companies and crew members involved.
For collectors, these codenames can be particularly interesting. Seeing Wonder View, Tareco or Cedar Lodge on an original production document or piece of material can provide an important connection to the production history of Stranger Things.
Different names, one production and another fascinating piece of the story behind the show.
