Into the Upside Down: Stranger Things 5, Senior VFX Editor

Brad Tobler has worked in the film industry for over 20 years in a variety of roles, including editor, director, VFX supervisor, and now an Emmy Award-winning senior VFX editor. The first-time winner, recognized for his work on Netflix’s Stranger Things 5 (Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie), spends most of his time working in Avid Media Composer, helping shape edits and identifying shots and sequences that need visual effects. He also relies on After Effects, Maya, Boris FX SynthEyes, and Boris FX Mocha Pro during the postvis process. Follow him on Instagram and YouTube.

Congrats on your first Emmy Award for your work as the Senior VFX Editor on Stranger Things 5! How does it feel to be recognized on a series that was such a pop culture phenomenon?

Thank you! It’s honestly still a little surreal. Stranger Things became so much more than a television show. It became part of the culture, and being able to contribute to its final season was something I never took for granted.

What makes the Emmy especially meaningful to me is knowing how many incredibly talented people it represents. Visual effects on a show of this scale are such a massive collaborative effort. I was fortunate enough to work alongside some of the best artists, supervisors, producers, editors, and filmmakers in the industry. You spend years focused on the work, solving problems and trying to make every shot the best it can possibly be, without really thinking about awards.

One of my guilty pleasures after something I’ve worked on airs is going on YouTube and watching reaction videos. With Stranger Things, seeing people who have been on this journey with these characters for nearly a decade experience those final moments is incredibly rewarding. Watching people laugh, cry, cheer, and react to something that I helped create puts it all into perspective. Then having that work recognized with an Emmy made the whole experience even more meaningful.

Brad Tobler at the 2026 Emmy Awards

Where are you from? How did you get your start in the industry? Is there a specific movie or TV show that sparked your interest in visual effects (or storytelling in general)?

I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and although filmmaking was always a passion of mine, I never imagined that having a career in the film industry would actually be possible.

When I was growing up, movies would sometimes come as a two-tape VHS set: one tape with the movie and another filled with special features and behind-the-scenes footage. This was long before YouTube, Blu-ray, or streaming made that kind of content readily available. I would often put the special features tape in first. I was fascinated by how movies were made and watched and studied those tapes religiously. Films like Jurassic Park, Titanic, Backdraft, and The Matrix were hugely influential for me because I wanted to understand how the filmmakers created what I saw on screen.

My actual start in the industry came in a pretty unexpected way. When High School Musical was casting in Salt Lake City, I auditioned as a dancer and ended up being cast as a basketball player opposite Troy Bolton, played by Zac Efron. I spent months working on set and loved the experience, but it also helped me realize pretty quickly that my real passion wasn’t being in front of the camera. It was everything happening behind it.

I spent as much time as I could studying the filmmaking process on set, but I became especially curious about what happened after production wrapped. Post-production was this whole other world I hadn’t been exposed to yet, so I went to school to study design and film and began learning as much as I could.

Years later, when the High School Musical team geared up for the third film, I reached out to some of the people I had met and asked how I could get my foot in the door behind the scenes. That led to an opportunity as a PA in editorial on High School Musical 3, and from there I just kept learning, taking on more responsibility, and climbing the ladder. Looking back, it’s pretty amazing that the franchise that gave me my first experience on a professional film set also opened the door to my career behind the camera.

Stranger Things 5 Editing Timeline

The role of a VFX editor can seem a bit mysterious. Can you go into a few details about what it entails? What are some common misconceptions?

The role of a VFX editor can definitely be a little mysterious because we live somewhere between editorial and the visual effects department, and it has evolved quite a bit over the years. Traditionally, a VFX editor was much more of an administrative position, focused heavily on identifying shots, tracking versions and turnovers, and managing the flow of information between editorial and the VFX department. While all of that is still an important part of the job, today the role has become much more creative. In many ways, we’ve become in-house compositors within the editorial department, helping facilitate the story through early postvis and creative composites.

I spend a big part of my day in Avid Media Composer, working directly with the cut and structuring footage, plates, and elements to build a cohesive story. When something becomes too complex to accomplish within Media Composer (which in most cases it is), I’ll move into more specialized VFX software to build out the idea. Sometimes those temps are relatively simple, while other times we create surprisingly elaborate postvis so the director, producers, editors, and VFX teams can make creative decisions without waiting months for a finished shot.

I think the biggest misconception is that a VFX editor simply tracks shots and manages versions. The creative side of the job is really about solving storytelling problems: What does this shot need to accomplish? How long does it need to be? Where should the creature be? When should something happen? What can we accomplish with the photography we already have, and what do we need to create? In many cases, the work we do in editorial becomes the first real blueprint for what the final visual effect will eventually become.

What are the most important attributes/skills VFX editors need to succeed?

I think one of the most important attributes of a great VFX editor is balancing creativity with technical problem-solving. You need to understand editorial and storytelling first, because ultimately every visual effect has to serve the story. Knowing how to composite, track, roto, and understand the technical side of a VFX pipeline is incredibly valuable, but the technical solution doesn’t mean much if it isn’t helping the scene.

The interesting thing about being a VFX editor is that you really have to exercise two very different sides of your brain. On one side, you need to be creative, thinking like an editor and compositor, experimenting with ideas and figuring out how to visually tell the story. On the other, you need to be incredibly organized and structured. On a large VFX-heavy project, you can be dealing with thousands of shots, versions, turnovers, notes, and deliveries. You have to track all that information accurately.

Communication is also a huge part of the job. A VFX editor often sits at the intersection of editorial, the director, producers, VFX supervisors, and artists, so you need to understand what each department needs and communicate that information clearly between them.

Brad Tobler, Stranger Things 5

How many seasons did you work on Stranger Things? The series is extremely VFX-heavy. How did your role evolve over the course of the series?

I joined Stranger Things in Season 3 and worked on every season through the end of the series. Over that time, my role evolved largely because the show's demands did. Each season became bigger and more ambitious, with increasingly complex sequences and significantly more visual effects shots to manage.

By Season 5, the total VFX shot count was almost double what we had on Season 3. That growth also meant we needed more manpower and a larger VFX editorial team. On Season 3, I had two assistant VFX editors working with me, and by Season 5 that had grown to four.

That larger team allowed my assistants to take on more of the administrative side of VFX editorial, while my role became increasingly focused on the show’s creative side. I worked closely with the Duffer Brothers to shape sequences and develop ideas through increasingly sophisticated postvis. At the same time, my own VFX skill set grew tremendously from season to season. What started with more traditional compositing evolved into complex VFX work involving 3D camera tracking, motion capture, creature animation, and other techniques that let us visualize increasingly ambitious ideas directly within editorial. In a lot of ways, my own growth as a VFX artist evolved alongside the show’s scale and ambition.

Stranger Things 5, Maya Demo

What was a typical day like on Stranger Things 5? Who are you communicating with? What type of tasks did you handle?

I’m not sure there really was a “typical” day on Stranger Things 5, which is one of the things I enjoyed about it. My day could shift very quickly between creative work, technical problem-solving, and overseeing the VFX editorial team.

I worked very closely with the Duffer Brothers and our picture editors, so I spent a lot of time responding to whatever the cut needed that day. They might have an idea for a shot or sequence that didn’t fully exist yet, and my job was to figure out how we could visualize it. That could mean building a postvis shot, changing an effect's timing, adding or animating a creature, extending an environment, or sometimes simply finding a creative solution using the photography we already had.

At the same time, I was overseeing a team of four additional VFX editors who helped manage the enormous volume of shots and information moving through the show. I constantly communicated with editorial, our VFX supervisors and producers, my own team, and other members of post-production to make sure everyone had what they needed and that the cut's creative intent carried through the process.

Some days I might spend hours deeply focused on a single complicated shot, while other days I could touch dozens of different sequences and solve completely different problems. That variety is really what made the job exciting. With a show as ambitious as Stranger Things, you never quite knew what problem was going to land on your desk next.

You used both Mocha Pro and SynthEyes on the season. How long have you used the products? How were you first introduced to them?

For the longest time, I used a basic version of Boujou for most of my 3D camera tracking. I got surprisingly good results, but as the complexity of the work on Stranger Things grew, I eventually needed something more sophisticated.

That’s when I discovered SynthEyes. Initially, I was attracted to it because it was affordable, accessible, and had a wealth of online tutorials that made it relatively easy to start learning. But once I really began digging into the software, I realized just how powerful it was. It went far beyond simply solving a 3D camera. I could dewarp footage, generate STMaps, work through difficult lens distortion, and tackle increasingly complex shots all within the same application.

My introduction to Mocha Pro was a little different because I was already very familiar with Mocha through Mocha AE and had been using its planar tracking capabilities for years. As the show's creative and technical demands increased, I needed tools beyond what Mocha AE offered, which naturally led me to Mocha Pro. Its more advanced tracking, roto, removal, and compositing tools gave me significantly more flexibility when building postvis and solving shots within editorial.

Both tools really became a natural extension of the work I was already doing. SynthEyes gave me a much deeper toolset for 3D camera tracking and lens workflows, while Mocha Pro expanded what I could accomplish with planar tracking, roto, and compositing.

Stranger Things 5, The Squawk

Can you give a few examples of how you used Mocha Pro and SynthEyes on specific scenes/episodes?

A basic but very practical example of how I used SynthEyes was for exterior shots of the radio tower at The Squawk. Even though you might not immediately think of those shots as visual effects, only about 50 feet of the tower was physically built. Any time we saw the full tower, I needed to track the camera movement so I could extend the practical structure and give everyone a better representation of what the finished environment would eventually look like.

A more complex example was the cave where Max hides out. Only a relatively small portion of the exterior environment was physically built, so I used SynthEyes to solve the camera and then combined concept art, matte paintings, and other 2D and 3D techniques to dramatically extend the environment. The goal was to take what was photographed on set and transform it into a much larger mountainous cave environment, while still giving the filmmakers something they could evaluate directly in the cut. Those are only two examples, but they show how something as technical as an accurate camera track can become the foundation for much more creative storytelling work.

Mocha Pro is one of the tools I use constantly for all kinds of problems. I used it extensively for masking and roto, but also for blemish fixes, scene enhancements, planar tracking, screen replacements, and lots and LOTS of cleanup work. What I like about Mocha Pro is that it doesn’t necessarily have to be used for the biggest or most obvious visual effect in a scene. Sometimes it’s simply the fastest way to solve a small problem that would otherwise distract from the shot, and on a show with thousands of VFX shots, having that kind of versatility is incredibly valuable.

Stranger Things 5, cave where Max hides

Why is it important for you to have access to Boris FX products as a VFX editor?

As the VFX editor role has become more creative, access to powerful VFX tools is increasingly important. I’m often working directly with the filmmakers to develop an idea or solve a storytelling problem. I need to be able to move quickly from “what if we tried this?” to actually putting something on screen that everyone can react to.

These tools also work seamlessly with the other VFX software I use. I often take a 3D camera track from SynthEyes into Maya for more extensive 3D and animation work, then bring those elements into a compositing package like After Effects or Nuke, although I spend most of my time in After Effects. The Duffer Brothers rarely keep the camera static and often favor highly dynamic camera moves, sometimes combined with challenging elements like flashing or interactive lighting. Being able to generate a highly accurate 3D camera track that I can bring into Maya is hugely important when creating postvis that can match the quality and complexity Stranger Things demands.

For me, it’s really about removing technical limitations from the creative process. When the Duffer Brothers or an editor has an idea, I don’t want my first thought to be, “We can’t do that here.” I want it to be, “Let me see if I can figure out a way to show you what that looks like.”

You’ve also worked on projects including Skeleton Crew, Free Guy, and The Adam Project. As a VFX editor, does your role typically change from project to project? If so, how?

Absolutely. The fundamentals of being a VFX editor remain fairly consistent, but every project brings a completely different team, workflow, and set of expectations. One of the first things I do when starting a new show is to understand how that particular team likes to work. Every director, editor, VFX supervisor, and producer has different creative, technical, and administrative expectations, so a big part of the job is learning those expectations and adapting my workflow accordingly.

The creative challenges also change dramatically from project to project. On Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, for example, I spent a lot of time working with droids and character animation, whereas a project like Free Guy required much more focus on video game graphics and building out that digital world. Each project has its own visual language and presents an entirely different set of problems to solve.

I think that’s one of the things I enjoy most about being a VFX editor. The tools and fundamentals may carry from one project to the next, but the creative challenge is always changing. You’re constantly being pushed to learn something new and figure out how to use the skills you already have in a completely different way.

Stranger Things 5 Editing Timeline

In addition to being a VFX editor, you’re also a director. How do the two roles inform each other?

They absolutely inform each other. Having spent so many years in editorial, I tend to approach directing with the finished sequence already playing in my head. I’m not just thinking about whether an individual shot looks great; I’m thinking about how it’s going to cut, what coverage I actually need, where the performance beats are, and what pieces the editor will need to ultimately tell the story. That can save a tremendous amount of time and money on set because you can be much more intentional about what you shoot.

My VFX background adds another layer. When I’m directing something that involves visual effects, I’m already thinking several steps ahead about how the shot will eventually be built in post. Do we have the plates we need? Is there enough tracking information? How will the lighting interact with something that doesn’t exist yet? What elements should we capture practically, and what makes more sense to create later? Understanding the post-production process helps me make better decisions while they're still relatively inexpensive to make.

It works in the opposite direction too. Directing has made me a better VFX editor because I understand more of what went into capturing the material in the first place. I understand the pressures and limitations of production, and I can approach the footage with more empathy for what the director and crew were trying to accomplish on set.

Ultimately, both roles are really about the same thing: storytelling. Directing is about gathering the pieces, and editing and VFX are about figuring out how to put those pieces together in the most effective way possible.

The current state of the industry is difficult for artists across all disciplines. What’s your best advice for people just starting out or looking to break in?

My biggest advice is not to get so focused on landing your dream job that you overlook the opportunities that can eventually lead you there. My own career certainly wasn’t a straight line. I started as a PA in editorial and tried to learn as much as I could from every person and every opportunity around me.

I also think it’s incredibly important to keep learning and creating, especially when the industry is slow. The tools available to filmmakers today are more accessible than they’ve ever been, so you don’t necessarily have to wait for someone to give you permission to start building your skills or telling stories. Make things, experiment, learn new software, study the work that inspires you, and give yourself reasons to keep growing.

And maybe most importantly, build relationships and protect your reputation. This industry is much smaller than it seems. Talent and technical ability matter, but so do being dependable, collaborative, curious, and someone people genuinely want to work with again. Some of the biggest opportunities in my career have come from relationships I built years earlier. You never really know which small opportunity, introduction, or project might eventually open the next door.

Watch Stranger Things on Netflix.