Kane Parsons, known online as Kane Pixels, launched his filmmaking career with a series of viral YouTube videos exploring the uncanny concept of the Backrooms. These short, often fragmented, found-footage style pieces captured the public imagination and eventually led to a feature film adaptation by boutique studio A24. For those intrigued by the movie or the broader internet phenomenon, Parsons' original YouTube shorts offer a deeper dive into the lore and the creative process.
While the videos don't always connect in explicit ways, they provide glimpses into the narrative that would eventually inspire the film. Many of Parsons' uploads feel like recovered digital remnants, ending abruptly and suggesting larger stories without fully resolving them. However, by watching them sequentially, viewers can begin to piece together a developing narrative, with recurring characters and emerging plotlines.
The Backrooms (Found Footage)
The original viral hit, viewed over 94 million times, this nine-minute video tells a complete story of a teenager who falls into the Backrooms while filming. It's a classic example of found-footage horror, following an unseen operator exploring the unsettling space and encountering a mysterious entity. It remains the most self-contained and accessible entry point into the series.
The Third Test
This short, under two minutes, is more of a conceptual piece than a narrative one. It depicts the Async Research Institute's initial breach into the Backrooms, marking a distinct technological approach to entry that contrasts with the accidental 'noclip' method seen in other videos. This video offers insight into the origins of the Backrooms concept, which began with an anonymous 4chan post.
Pitfalls
A crucial video for understanding the developing narrative, this 14-minute clip follows cameraman Marvin Leigh as he documents a new area of the Backrooms and accidentally falls into its lower levels. The video ends unresolved, but Marvin's story continues in subsequent installments, establishing the beginnings of an ongoing narrative arc within Parsons' series.
Informational Video
This eight-minute short initially functions as an orientation video for new Async employees, explaining the Backrooms project with safety warnings and informal names for the space. The perspective shifts as researcher Peter Tench glitches out of sync with his team and must navigate the Backrooms alone. While the found-footage format can become repetitive, this video sets up Peter's story, which continues and eventually intersects with Marvin's narrative.
Presentation
Among Parsons' works, this eight-minute short offers the most direct relevance to the A24 film. Framed as an in-house informational video, it humorously outlines Async's mundane plans to repurpose the uncanny space for storage, shipping, offices, and apartments. This video highlights the institute's limited understanding and control over the Backrooms, offering a clear look at Async's internal culture and priorities. It is the recommended starting point for those coming directly from the movie.