Matt and Ross Duffer know a thing or two about writing a successful TV show, as their show Stranger Things is one of the most popular of all time. Now the two writers have partnered with MasterClass to bring fans and aspiring writers alike a class on developing an original television series.
Variety is reporting that the class will be 5 hours long over 18 videos with the Duffers breaking things down personally and sharing their experiences intimately with the audience. The class will also highlight inside information about the hit show along with singular advice from the brothers.
MasterClass is a subscription based service with more than 150 classes from people in the top of their respective fields. The Duffer Brothers class is coinciding with the release of Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2. MasterClass announced the new class in an email.
“Discover the storytelling secrets behind Stranger Things with the brothers who brought the show to life. Learn Matt and Ross Duffer’s step-by-step process for crafting plots, developing characters, and creating a killer pilot.”
The class will feature lessons on conjuring characters, developing an arc, building an outcome, building a final outline and perfecting your pitch, according to the email. Matt Duffer said the class is for anyone who wants to write as a career.
“Our class is for anyone who dreams of telling stories for a living. 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.’”
Ross Duffer said there’s so much more than just having a good writing process when it comes to making a great show.
“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.”
The brothers have had quite a journey. Their first movie, a psychological thriller called Hidden, was good enough to get the attention of director M. Night Shyamalan, who hired them to write on his show Wayward Pines. They then developed Stranger Things and pitched it to a dozen companies before Netflix greenlit it a day after hearing their pitch.
An annual membership for MasterClass starts at $180 a year.