Netflix’sStranger Thingsintroduced the big bad of season 4, referred to as Vecna by the Hawkins crew and later revealed as One. What many fans did not see coming, though, is the fact that Vecna was not created using CGI, and the makeup department spent hours every day transforming actor Jamie Campbell Bower into this season’s villain.
Netflix released a behind-the-scenes video from the set ofStranger Thingsthat shows the makeup and prosthetics team hard at workto bring Vecna to life. The time-lapse video shows Bower stepping into the makeup chair, and that’s when the magic begins. Led by special makeup effects and prosthetics artist Barrie Gower, the team then works on the meticulous details of the villain’s appearance, ensuring that they get every groove, vein, and inch of saggy skin just right.
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The 40-secondStranger Thingsclip shows the team beginning with Bower’s head and shoulders. They slowly move onto his back, torso, and onto the rest of his body. The whole time, Bower is luckily able to drink his coffee and be on his phone, scrolling, potentially playing a game, and even making some calls. It is quite an interesting sight when Bower begins texting somebody towards the end of the clip, as his makeup is almost complete at this point, and it makes it seem likeVecna is ready to make contactwith the world.
Once most of the prosthetics are on Bower, the team then switches over to airbrushing and painting. Bower moves over to a bar stool and is surrounded by makeup artists retouching the prosthetics attached all over his body. The color has to be just right, and all of it is done pre-production. Once the makeup is completed and the time-lapse is done, the scene switches over to Vecna in the Upside Down, as seen in the latest season ofStranger Things. He stands in the same spot where he bringsSadie Sink’s Max, just before the Hawkins crew discovers his weakness and is able to help her escape.
Close-up images of Bower’s makeup and prosthetics were also revealed later, which offer a look at the details of the team’s work. Seeing Vecna on screen might have made it seem like Bower was dressed in a green suit and the villain’s appearance was added using CGI. But, Netflix instead chose to go the more natural route and ensured that Vecna looked as real as possible.
