On today’s episode of the Daily Variety podcast, Variety’s Adam B. Vallee and Kate Arthur talk about diving deep into the Upside Down in their cover story for the final season of Stranger Things and the brains behind it, twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer. Plus, host Cynthia Littleton has an eye-opening discussion with French YouTuber Inoxtag on Mipcom.
Vallee, senior entertainment writer for Variety, and Arthur, editor-in-chief, portray 41-year-old twin brothers from North Carolina functioning as a “hive mind” while balancing the difficult task of ending season 5 of Stranger Things, which begins on November 26th. It also examines the broader cultural impact of the seminal, runaway hit that debuted in 2016 and helped define types of power. Netflix may be able to flex its muscles on the world stage.
Vallee also detailed the atmosphere he felt when he spent two days in Atlanta covering the set of Stranger Things last year. It was “pretty elaborate,” Vallee says.
“They basically took over the entire soundstage complex, which is about 35 acres and over 16 stages,” he says. “This set was especially fun to be a part of. I’ve been on a few sets and I’ve always seen the stress and anxiety levels that turn off people’s vibrations, how the set is run, how people are feeling, how they’re being led. I just can tell you the pressure that everyone felt to make sure this final season lived up to everyone’s expectations, and they were all very open about it, but I have to say it was a very light-hearted, very calm and fun set.”
French creator Inoxtag
© S.CHAMPEAUX / IMAGE&CO
Cannes’ Mipcom content market is putting a big emphasis on the business of creators and social media influencers this year. One of the companies featured is Webedia-Elephant. Webedia-Elephant is a French digital media company that is also a talent agency, marketing agency, production company and business incubator. One of the company’s top customers, a French creator known as Inoxtag, talked about how his work has evolved since he started working as a gamer at the age of 17.
Enochtag told Daily Variety that he loves movies and would like to branch out into major league big-screen projects. But he knows he still has a lot of work to do.
“I want to go into the film industry, but I don’t have the level to do it right now. It’s an art. I want to prepare for it. And there’s no substitute for real acting.”
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