Bringing the viral YouTube horror series "Behind the Scenes" to the big screen, the film broke box office records during its opening weekend in the US.
Ahead of the film's release, 20-year-old director Kane Parsons told AFP how the project emerged from a creepy story circulating online about a claustrophobic, labyrinthine alternate dimension.
— When did you first become acquainted with the universe of "Behind the Scenes"?
«"It was May 2019. I was 13 years old at the time. I don't remember exactly when I first saw (the original photo that inspired these stories) because it was so popular as a meme… I saw it everywhere for weeks.".
«"What initially attracted me, I guess, was that I've certainly been to a million different places that feel like backstage and create a backstage feeling.".
«"Their ordinariness evokes vague childhood memories that are impossible to pinpoint. It wasn't until a couple of years later that I truly felt the urge to explore this myself, and that's exactly what I did in my first short film.".
Q: Your first video, published in 2022, showed a boy wandering through terrifying corridors and garnered over 20 million views in two weeks. How did that impact you?
«At first, he was doing really well on YouTube, which I didn’t expect… and then a month after that, I started getting emails from a lot of different companies.».
«"At that point, I had no connection to the film industry. I was 16 years old. So everything was new to me, and I was very skeptical about what it would mean to try to adapt it or even engage with business people about something that was so close to my heart."»
«"I wanted to be considerate of the legacy of this project. If we're going to go down this path, we need to do it very carefully and meticulously.".
— Why did you decide to take up filmmaking after making over 20 short films for YouTube?
«I’ve been using YouTube my whole life… I’ve always believed that, other than the financial barrier, there’s no direct barrier separating an online project from something that belongs in the world of industrial filmmaking.».
«"There are reasons why internet projects may not always be taken seriously, but I also think there are a lot of independent creators doing really great work.".
«"I'm surprised this strategy isn't used more often—trying to lay the groundwork for an IP address online and test it there for a small fee. It's a good way to test a product and see if it can grow organically and catch on with people in a simpler form.".
«"It seems like the vast majority of projects mentioned in the same context are horror-themed. I think this is the most promising starting point for independent content on YouTube that I've seen.".
—Have you always wanted to make this film yourself?
«"There wasn't a single option where I wasn't the director, and I personally wouldn't have objected. I've always been very stingy in that regard.".
«"I would say the creative freedom increased as the process progressed.".
«"I was probably the least directly involved in the creation of the original script; I didn't write it myself.".
«From then on, it was a continuous process of refinement, first in small details and sometimes in larger ones, until it turned out to be exactly the project I wanted to release.».
«"I think it's going to be weird to see how popular it's become with people who previously thought of it as a bit of a niche pastime.".
«"I also don't like seeing this at bus stops and things like that, it's not suitable for Backrooms.".
— Will you continue to develop the Behind the Scenes universe in cinema?
«"Work on 'Behind the Scenes' isn't finished yet. I know that for sure. I'm more concerned with the story and how I want to convey these plot lines on an intellectual and emotional level, rather than what specific framework they'll fit into.".
«"I can't say for sure which option will be the most viable. I wouldn't rule out a movie. I wouldn't even rule out a TV series. That's my personal hope for 'Behind the Scenes.'".
kf/tgb/rlp