Kane Parsons

Kane Parsons, known online as Kane Pixels, is a self-taught American filmmaker, visual effects artist, and composer recognized for his contributions to horror cinema and digital storytelling. Parsons gained widespread attention for his "Backrooms" web series on YouTube, becoming a prominent interpreter of the creepypasta phenomenon. Operating under the handle Kane Pixels, Parsons created the web series "The Backrooms: Found Footage" at age 16, drawing inspiration from a viral creepypasta image depicting endless, vacant office space.

Parsons has cited independent films and Valve video games, particularly "Portal" and "Half-Life," as significant creative influences. He began teaching himself the 3D editing software Blender during the COVID-19 pandemic, integrating advanced visual effects and digital set design into his work. The "Backrooms" series presents a found footage narrative centered on the fictional Async Research Institute and its investigation of the Backrooms, also referred to as The Complex, as missing persons cases escalate around the discovery.

Parsons previsualized the entire project in Blender, developed shot lists from those files, and designed physical sets in 3D before involving any crew members. The construction crew ultimately built sets based on his digital designs. The initial video in the series received positive reviews from critics, with WPST describing it as "the scariest video on the Internet." The series achieved viral status, amassing millions of views and spawning 23 additional short films that expanded the Backrooms mythology and explored liminal spaces in horror.

The success of the web series led to a feature film adaptation developed by A24, with Parsons making his feature-length directorial debut. The film, titled "Backrooms," is a science fiction horror production co-scored and directed by Parsons, based on his web series and inspired by the "Backrooms" creepypasta. The cast includes Oscar nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, and the film is produced by James Wan, Shawn Levy, and Osgood Perkins. Over 30,000 square feet of Backrooms sets were constructed for the film, reportedly leading to people getting lost on set. Parsons became A24's youngest feature-length film director.

"Backrooms" received generally favorable reviews, with 88 percent of critics' reviews on Rotten Tomatoes being positive and an average rating of 7.7 out of 10. Metacritic assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100. Variety's Owen Gleiberman noted Parsons' ability to create dread through mood, sound design, and eerie visuals, drawing comparisons to "Eraserhead," "Skinamarink," and "The Shining" for its haunting use of empty spaces and dreamlike horror. The film was projected to earn $40 million to $50 million in its opening weekend, surpassing previous box office records for A24.

Born the same year YouTube launched, Parsons has described the platform as instrumental to his development as a filmmaker and visual effects artist. He built a substantial audience on YouTube, demonstrating both commercial and creative viability outside traditional industry channels. After online rumors questioned his involvement in the film, actor Mark Duplass publicly affirmed Parsons' creative control during production. Parsons has indicated that additional entries in the Backrooms franchise may be developed in the future.