Backrooms Nemoris S1E01: It Eats Light I've spent the last six months working in secret on this pilot episode for a new Backrooms canon. We premiered this week in Toronto and a it's now available on all platforms: a new Magnific Originals series! This is quite possibly the most complex project I've ever taken on in my life. Yep, even if that sounds like an exaggeration, it took even more effort than building the first version of Magnific Upscaler. I had never before tried to bring such a concrete, specific vision to the screen while pushing the current state of the art as far as possible. Every scene you see in this episode, every object, every movement of a character's hands, every space, every hum of the fluorescent lights... it's all there for a very specific reason, with absolute control and intention on my part. I never imagined that something that looks so simple on the surface could be so incredibly complicated. The script is my own, based on the original Backrooms concept (the iconic 4chan image) but developed to create an entirely new canon from scratch. In this first episode, I reveal barely more around 5% of the overall puzzle, so you may end up thinking: what the f*ck did I just watch? Or you may need multiple viewings to pick up on some extra clues, because several of them are genuinely hidden. The idea is to create a full 10 episode series, an anthology, and have you, the viewers, gradually piece together the puzzle yourselves as the clues are revealed. Beyond the video and image generations, I did all of the editing in DaVinci Resolve, with particular attention to the sound. I'd say around 60% of the time I spent on this project went into sound. In some scenes, there are more than 13 stereo tracks layered at the same time, using sounds I recorded myself or created and edited from generations and foley libraries. Every sound, every voice, and every gasp is designed to pull you into the world of the story and make you feel like you're actually there. That meant spending an enormous amount of time on sound design, thinking about things like the individual position of each sound in space, EQ, reverb to simulate different environments, the sense of immersion, etc. I've never learned so much about something so quickly. As for the generations, a few numbers: • 12 hours of total generated video for 17 minutes of final footage 🤯 • More than 7,000 generations in total. • An average of around 60 generations for every 15 seconds of final footage. • 6 months of work, including many weekends, with just one person behind the whole thing... I almost lost my mind. • Platform: Magnific, of course. Models: mainly Seedance 2.0 and 2.5 for video generations, and Nano Banana Pro and Seedream 5 for image references. • Approximately $20,000 in total token costs, not including the value of my own time. For the next episodes, I can't do this alone again or I'll go crazy. My plan is to put together a small team: voice actors, a colorist, 3D VFX artists, a sound designer, and, in general, people from the traditional film industry who can help us professionalize our pipeline and take this story to another level. If you're reading this and you think you might be interested, please leave a comment. Ah! If you have any technical questions about how this was made, I'd be happy to answer them. Feel free to ask me anything you like! Anyway, I'll leave you with the episode. For the love of everything holy: please watch it at home, relaxed, on a big screen, with a good sound system or a quality pair of headphones, the lights off, and some popcorn. And most importantly, enjoy. Nemus te reddat!

I'm quite nervous! I've working on this for 4 months! Ryan is going to be the first one outside Magnific to watch my pilot episode 😉 Then we will premiere it in Toronto on the 15th (are you coming?). And finally we will launch it on all platforms on the 17th Stay tuned!

I think this is the end... I have no strength left and I feel feverish. Whatever infected the people on the cruise ship, I'm sure, now I have it too.. I almost made it, from the terrace I saw how a group of people managed to lower one of the lifeboats, between them they lowered at least two unconscious people, perhaps with fever, maybe they can help them on land... I shouted at them to wait for me and for a while they did, but I was too weak to go down through the deck or jump into the water... and I didn't dare go through the corridors because the infected people, so they left. I can't see them anymore, they've disappeared into the horizon These are without a doubt the last lines I'll be able to share with you. I'm glad to know that at least some of them made it and will soon reach land... At least I have that consolation left 🙏 Goodbye

Are you going to the Toronto International Film Festival? Please leave me a comment. I have something for you… There's a... premiere... I'd love to invite you to. I can't share the link publicly, but if you're really coming, I can send you an invitation!

Are you going to the Toronto International Film Festival? Please leave me a comment. I have something for you… There's a... premiere... I'd love to invite you to. I can't share the link publicly, but if you're really coming, I can send you an invitation!

I think this is the end... I have no strength left and I feel feverish. Whatever infected the people on the cruise ship, I'm sure, now I have it too.. I almost made it, from the terrace I saw how a group of people managed to lower one of the lifeboats, between them they lowered at least two unconscious people, perhaps with fever, maybe they can help them on land... I shouted at them to wait for me and for a while they did, but I was too weak to go down through the deck or jump into the water... and I didn't dare go through the corridors because the infected people, so they left. I can't see them anymore, they've disappeared into the horizon These are without a doubt the last lines I'll be able to share with you. I'm glad to know that at least some of them made it and will soon reach land... At least I have that consolation left 🙏 Goodbye

Holy God, I've never been so scared in my life!! my hands are shaking while I write this.. I'm back in the room, locked in, but I almost didn't make it!! I was coming back from the cruise ship casino... and I ran into this thing from the video! I'd spent the night there in the casino, locked inside the bar's storage room. They didn't have bottled water but I drank from one of the faucets, even though it's not drinkable... I couldn't take it anymore. Then I worked up the courage and went back to the room as fast as I possibly could, this time through the inside of the ship instead of across the decks... and I almost didn't make it. The infection must be rabies or something like that, because this person was completely out of it!! They weren't responding to anything I was saying and they just straight-up attacked me! God, now seriously... please, really, we need help!!

Holy God, I've never been so scared in my life!! my hands are shaking while I write this.. I'm back in the room, locked in, but I almost didn't make it!! I was coming back from the cruise ship casino... and I ran into this thing from the video! I'd spent the night there in the casino, locked inside the bar's storage room. They didn't have bottled water but I drank from one of the faucets, even though it's not drinkable... I couldn't take it anymore. Then I worked up the courage and went back to the room as fast as I possibly could, this time through the inside of the ship instead of across the decks... and I almost didn't make it. The infection must be rabies or something like that, because this person was completely out of it!! They weren't responding to anything I was saying and they just straight-up attacked me! God, now seriously... please, really, we need help!!

I went out to get some food, I couldn’t take it anymore!! It’s really eerie seeing the cruise ship completely deserted. I haven’t run into anyone, but I’ve only been walking around for about 10 minutes, so I’m guessing most people are still confined to their rooms after what I saw on my balcony, I didn’t dare go to the buffet area, it was too far away. I went straight from my balcony to the deck area, and from there I got into the casino through an open window. And good thing I did!! Because the casino has a bar, and there was at least a little bit of fruit left Anyway, I’m writing this from here. I feel less safe here than I did in my room, but I’m going back as soon as I look around a little more... hopefully I can find a bottle of water or something to drink. On top of that, the heating has stopped working throughout the entire ship, and in some areas it’s reading 32°!!! The stench coming from the hallways is indescribable, like rotting meat... I haven’t dared go down there. I haven’t seen a single person, or anything like what I saw on the balcony either... which I don’t even know if I can call a person. But earlier, when I was out on deck, I heard screaming coming from the floors below. As soon as I’m back safe and sound in my room, I’ll write again. It’s really close, so I don’t think I’ll have any problems, but the truth is I’m really scared. As for the news: as you’ve probably seen, they’re still talking about the cruise ship being under lockdown, but they’re not saying absolutely anything else. How much time has passed already? I don’t understand why nobody is coming to help us!

I went out to get some food, I couldn’t take it anymore!! It’s really eerie seeing the cruise ship completely deserted. I haven’t run into anyone, but I’ve only been walking around for about 10 minutes, so I’m guessing most people are still confined to their rooms after what I saw on my balcony, I didn’t dare go to the buffet area, it was too far away. I went straight from my balcony to the deck area, and from there I got into the casino through an open window. And good thing I did!! Because the casino has a bar, and there was at least a little bit of fruit left Anyway, I’m writing this from here. I feel less safe here than I did in my room, but I’m going back as soon as I look around a little more... hopefully I can find a bottle of water or something to drink. On top of that, the heating has stopped working throughout the entire ship, and in some areas it’s reading 32°!!! The stench coming from the hallways is indescribable, like rotting meat... I haven’t dared go down there. I haven’t seen a single person, or anything like what I saw on the balcony either... which I don’t even know if I can call a person. But earlier, when I was out on deck, I heard screaming coming from the floors below. As soon as I’m back safe and sound in my room, I’ll write again. It’s really close, so I don’t think I’ll have any problems, but the truth is I’m really scared. As for the news: as you’ve probably seen, they’re still talking about the cruise ship being under lockdown, but they’re not saying absolutely anything else. How much time has passed already? I don’t understand why nobody is coming to help us!

I've been locked in the bathroom for 24 hours!! I only had the courage to run out to grab the charger and lock myself back in, so I've been able to watch the news and text my family I have no food and I haven't eaten absolutely anything in like 30 hours, I won't be able to hold out much longer They stopped making announcements over the PA like 15 hours ago and since then, nothing. I can't hear the neighbors anymore either. The last time I was able to talk to the Italian family they were really worried because the husband had started running a fever and was in bed, but now they're not answering anymore. I think the last thing I heard was someone running down the hallway and that was like 4 hours ago And the news is only talking about the lockdown and some virus... That's it. And what about what I saw from the balcony??? This is way more serious than they want us to believe I'm really scared to go out looking for food, I think I can make it another day without eating, but after that I'm going to be really weak Please somebody come help us!!!

I've been locked in the bathroom for 24 hours!! I only had the courage to run out to grab the charger and lock myself back in, so I've been able to watch the news and text my family I have no food and I haven't eaten absolutely anything in like 30 hours, I won't be able to hold out much longer They stopped making announcements over the PA like 15 hours ago and since then, nothing. I can't hear the neighbors anymore either. The last time I was able to talk to the Italian family they were really worried because the husband had started running a fever and was in bed, but now they're not answering anymore. I think the last thing I heard was someone running down the hallway and that was like 4 hours ago And the news is only talking about the lockdown and some virus... That's it. And what about what I saw from the balcony??? This is way more serious than they want us to believe I'm really scared to go out looking for food, I think I can make it another day without eating, but after that I'm going to be really weak Please somebody come help us!!!