The Montreal visual artists behind the monsters in ‘Stranger Things’

The hit show Stranger Things isn't filmed in Montréal, but a special-effects company based in this city is responsible for some of its terrifying monsters.

The hit show “Stranger Things” isn’t filmed in Montreal, but a special effects company based in this city is responsible for some of the terrifying monsters in the series.

Rodeo FX claims to be “raising the bar with monsters.”

Visual effects supervisor Julien Hery says his team makes nightmares come alive in the hit Netflix series.

“They have like a rough idea of what would be the creature that they’re looking for, for example, for Vecna,” he said. “So they approached us with drawings, and our work was to bring those drawings to life.”

No detail is too small for the artists at the studio.

“We animate the creature,” said Hery. “You need to simulate the saliva that is going to fall off the mouth.”

Hery adds that Rodeo FX’s work on the series has solidified their reputation as creative partners.

“I think we have such a talented team here,” he said. ”We have creature supervisors that were really into building those creatures and to make them look real, how would they be the most scary!”

Hery says Montreal is still a hub for visual effects excellence and the “Stranger Things” projects required plenty of local talent.

“In season four, we are more than a hundred people working on the show,” he said. ”So it depends, but to do a creature, it’s around 10 to 20 artists that are going to work on the creature,” said Hery.

Plus, with the success of “Stranger Things,” Hery promises more terrifying creatures are on the way.

“We’re trying to be among the best in the world, in our industry. We take a lot of pride in what we do.”

In 2026, Rodeo FX celebrates 20 years of accomplishments that began in Montreal and are seen around the world.