10 Tiny Movie Details That Took An Unbelievable Amount Of Work

Tiny movie details that took an unbelievable amount of work underscore the dedication of film crews to their craft. Audiences typically don’t even notice these details during the first viewing, as they’re usually hidden in the background or shown alongside something much more eye-catching. Upon closer examination, however, it’s clear that these hidden or tiny details have been crucial to crafting some of the most iconic scenes in cinema.

Not all hidden details and Easter Eggs in popular movies are created equal. Despite their brief time appearing onscreen, some of these details required painstaking amounts of time and effort. Though they commonly take up just moments of screen time, the love and effort that went into these tiny elements in the movie is reflected in how deeply they impact the film’s atmosphere, characters, or narrative. Whatever their main purpose to the plot or storytelling, these details can greatly help in providing a more immersive experience for viewers as well.

10 Typing Jack’s Manuscript

The Shining (1980)

In The Shining, Wendy stumbles upon the eerie repetition of “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” filling the pages of Jack’s work, exposing the unraveling of his sanity. It’s a chilling manifestation of Jack’s descent into madness, illustrating the Overlook Hotel’s malevolent influence. While the meaning of The Shining‘s all work and no play scene is clear, director Stanley Kubrick never fully revealed who actually typed the words in various formats on Jack’s manuscript – or how long it took. However, whoever did it obviously worked for hours in order to provide this tiny detail, which definitely helped in making Jack Torrance an iconic horror villain.

9 Designing Futuristic Parking Meters

Blade Runner (1982)

Blade Runner‘s attention to detail shines even in its parking meters. Though a minor element, the meters have working traffic lights and a card register system. On the barely visible sign that explains its functions, the instructions include “DANGER! You Can Be Killed By Internal Electrical System If This Meter Is Tampered With!” Director Ridley Scott refers to this process as “layering,” the meticulous visual world-building that densely populated Blade Runner‘s setting with detailed authenticity. It’s the same reason why all the miniature flying cars and buildings in the movie’s set are painted to look like they’re right at home in the polluted air of 2019 Los Angeles.

8 Inventing Practical Effects For Rey’s Instant Bread

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rey’s instant bread-making scene is a tiny but memorable visual delight. Providing a glimpse into the future of food, Rey stirs an unknown powder into a bowl of water, which in seconds rises into a loaf of bread ready for consumption. To achieve the rising bread, they devised a practical solution using a combination of hidden mechanics. The scene stands as a testament to the innovation behind the scenes in bringing the Star Wars universe to life. According to the movie’s visual effects supervisor, Chris Corbould, it “took about 3 months” to perfect the Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ bread scene.

7 Painting The Radioactive Spider

Spider-Man (2002)

Spider-Man used a combination of practical and digital effects for the infamous moment in which Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider. In this case, the unbelievable amount of hard work it took to bring this scene to life can be attributed to Steven Kutcher, Hollywood’s go-to entomologist for scenes involving insects, crustaceans, or spiders. As no real spider matched the one in the original comic book, Kutcher and director Sam Raimi conducted a casting call involving various spider species, until settling on the non-poisonous Steatoda grossa (via The Sydney Morning Herald). Kutcher used non-toxic paint to achieve the desired look, and then trained the spider for the scene.

6 Throwing The Package Right

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

The package-throwing scene in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World required remarkable precision. As Scott Pilgrim, Michael Cera’s struggle to accurately throw the package behind him and into a nearby box led to a surprising 33 takes. Director Edgar Wright’s commitment to achieving the perfect shot and Cera’s determination to nail the throw resulted in a comedic yet challenging sequence. The extensive takes showcase the crew’s dedication to accurately adapting small but crucial moments from the original comic book to the big screen. The end result stands as a testament to the pursuit of perfection in crafting a scene that adds to the humor and dynamic energy of Scott Pilgrim‘s narrative.

5 Shooting A Fake Gangster Movie

Home Alone (1990)

In Home Alone, Kevin indulges in a fictional gangster movie titled Angels with Filthy Souls on VHS. This mock film within the movie is a clever creation, serving both comedic and plot purposes. The noir-style black-and-white scenes, complete with tough-talking characters and period-appropriate dialogue, add a humorous layer to Kevin’s plight. The film crew dedicated an entire day of shooting to producing this fake film. This paid of well, as the fictional movie even provided a pivotal moment during the booby-trapping sequence. Despite its fictional nature, Angels with Filthy Souls has become an iconic and nostalgic component of Home Alone, contributing to the film’s enduring charm and cultural impact.

4 Writing Leeloo’s Alien Language

The Fifth Element (1997)

Director Luc Besson had a hands-on role in creating Leeloo’s alien language in The Fifth Element. Known as the Divine Language, Besson crafted it by combining elements from various existing languages, including Slavic, Roman, and ancient Egyptian. He wanted to create a linguistic melange that sounded both exotic and harmonious. The result is a unique and captivating language spoken by Milla Jovovich’s character, Leeloo. To learn how to speak it before filming, Jovovich and Besson spoke with and wrote letters to each other using the alien tongue. This contributed greatly to the immersive nature of the movie – the chief reason for all the hidden details in The Fifth Element.

3 Designing And Writing The Journals

Se7en (1995)

Though the opening sequence of Se7en lasted for just around 2 minutes, it has become as iconic as the psychological thriller itself. Initially, Se7en had a different intro, but after the budget ran out, director David Fincher teamed up with opening credits specialist Kyle Cooper to create the alternative. Set to an instrumental remix of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer,” Se7en opens with a quick dive into the mind of the movie’s main antagonist. Cooper and his team crafted volumes of disturbing notebooks to show John Doe sewing his journals together and writing down his thoughts in the intro, which overall took 2 days to shoot and 5 weeks to edit.

2 Weaving The Tapestry Digitally

Brave (2012)

The family tapestry that Merida tears and then seeks to mend in Brave is arguably the movie’s most important plot device. However, there’s more to the tiny details of this tapestry than meets the eye. In order to lend realism to the scenes where the tapestry gets destroyed, Brave‘s animators painstakingly crafted the digital prop from thousands of fibers – rather than relying on some premade 3D texture. While not many audiences noticed this attention to detail, it highlights the lengths that animators will go to in order to breathe life into their digital worlds. This is also just one of the many surprising little-known facts about Pixar’s Brave.

1 Painting The Cherry Blossoms

Coraline (2009)

In a movie filled with impressive visual elements, the cherry blossoms in Coraline stand out as great examples of tiny movie details that took an unbelievable amount of work. The team hand-painted each piece of popcorn to resemble blossoms, showcasing the dedication to detail in stop-motion animation. Overall, it took the crew of Coraline 800 hours to paint the 250,000 pieces of popcorn blossoms for the around 70 trees on the set of the movie (via Wired). This hands-on approach reflects the intricate craftsmanship involved in stop-motion filmmaking, where even seemingly minor elements receive meticulous effort and attention.