Netflix released a short detailing some of the decision making and techniques implemented by the creative team on Stranger Things. It's one thing to know the references, it's another to know how to shoot and light in a way that truly evokes them.
Audiences can easily take for granted that Stranger Things looks just like the Amblin' style movies we know and love. It's nice to take to the time to properly recognize and consider the process of effectively recreating the look.
From researching the camera movements to the lenses, the team made sure that they nailed the look so the story could feel like it didn't only take place in that time, but that it was a piece of content created in that time.
And how often do those two things cross into one in our minds anyway?
Source: Netflix
