History Main / MeaningfulBackgroundEvent

* Used to disturbing effect in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8syQeFtBKc Evan]]", a PSA uploaded by Sandy Hook Promise. We see various scenes of the title character interacting with a mystery girl through messages written on a library desk, and others where he's wondering who she could be. They finally meet, begin talking...and suddenly, another kid enters the school auditorium and loudly cocks a gun, leading to mass panic. The PSA then goes back and reveals that each previous scene showed the shooter and hinted at this outcome, with the message that such individuals are often overlooked until it's too late.

* In ''Series/{{Whitechapel}}'', the camera often lingers on a red-headed nurse who works in the hospital that the investigators keep visiting. She ends up being [[spoiler:the Ripper's last victim]].

* In ''Webcomic/BloodAndSmoke'', a murder suspect is shown [[http://bloodandsmokecomic.cf/comic/chapter-2-pg-3/ wearing and casually taking off a pair of gloves]] only for Carson to spot them in a trashcan [[http://bloodandsmokecomic.cf/comic/chapter-2-pg-6 a few pages later]]. [[spoiler:These gloves end up proving that the [[http://bloodandsmokecomic.cf/comic/chapter-2-pg-16 suspect in question was the killer]].]]

* In one ''Webcomic/PVPOnline'' strip, Cole watches Francis via webcam as he stands in line for ''Franchise/StarWars Episode III'' (around the time Episode II was released), worrying about him and hoping he will be alright. In the second to last panel, before Brent reassures Cole, you can see Francis walking in, the first indication that he put a robotic double in his place.

** In [[Recap/InfinityTrainS1E1TheGridCar "The Grid Car"]], when Tulip first wakes up in the snow car after boarding the train, some kind of pod can be seen behind some trees in the background before flying off. A later episode has her meet [[spoiler:the Conductor, whose head appears to be one of these]], and Book 2 reveals that these pods are how new passengers get taken to one of the cars after [[spoiler:their memory tapes are created and they recieve their numbers, with Amelia simply repurposing her own as part of her mech]].

** In [[Recap/InfinityTrainS1E10TheEngine "The Engine"]] when [[spoiler:the Conductor]] brings up a list of other passengers on the train, two people with very long numbers are among them. These characters would have their proper debuts in the Book 2, before becoming the protagonists of Book 3.

* ''Series/TheHauntingOfHillHouse'': Ghost are usually hiding in the backgrounds of practically every scene, and the statues tend to seemingly move on their own. But in one instance, the ghost is actually there in plain view, as Hugh mentions the old-timey construction worker that Steven would pass on the staircase in the middle of the renovations, was a ghost all along. Likewise, while viewing her body during the wake, Nell's ghost [[spoiler:as the bent neck lady]], can be seen popping in out, sitting in the background with the rest of her family, unnoticed by them all, except for the time Hugh looks and sees her crying out for him.

* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': In [[Recap/DeathBattleS10E09BillCipherVSDiscord "Bill Cipher vs. Discord]], after Bill has unleashed Weirdmageddon on Equestria, both he and Discord end up in one his Weirdness Bubbles during their fight. After going through multiple animation mediums, a keen eye can notice that aside from the Fearamid, the dark sky, and the rift (which also has the wrong colors, being blue instead of red), there aren't many signs of Weirdmageddon. It's revealed when Discord's soul is being destroyed that he had warped both of them into the Nightmare Realm, undoing Weirdmageddon and rendering Bill's victory [[MeaninglessVillainVictory pointless]].

* In ''[[VideoGame/DotsHome Dot's Home]]'', a factory can be seen in the background of Dot's neighborhood in Detroit, confirming 2021's headline that the poor housing practices of real estate companies is endangering the community because they're built near environmental hazards.

* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': In [[Recap/DeathBattleS10E09BillCipherVSDiscord "Bill Cipher vs. Discord]] after Bill has unleashed Weirdmageddon on Equestria, both he and Discord end up in one his Weirdness Bubbles during their fight. After going through multiple animation mediums, a keen eye can notice that aside from the Fearamid, the dark sky, and the rift (which also has the wrong colors, being blue instead of red), there aren't many signs of Weirdmageddon. It's revealed when Discord's soul is being destroyed that he had warped both of them into the Nightmare Realm, undoing Weirdmageddon and rendering Bill's victory [[MeaninglessVillainVictory pointless]].

* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': In [[Recap/DeathBattleS10E09BillCipherVSDiscord "Bill Cipher vs. Discord]] after Bill has unleashed Weirdmageddon on Equestria, both he and Discord end up in one his Weirdness Bubbles during their fight. After going through multiple animation mediums, a keen eye can notice that aside from the Fearamid, the dark sky, and the rift (which also has the wrong colors, being blue instead of red), there aren't many signs of Weirdmageddon. It's revealed when Discord's soul is being destroyed that he had warped both of them into the Nightmare Realm, ending Weirdmageddon and rendering Bill's victory [[MeaninglessVillainVictory pointless]].

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': In "[[Recap/InterviewWithTheVampire2022S1E7TheThingLayStill The Thing Lay Still]]", blink and you'll miss it, but while Lestat de Lioncourt is twirling Louis de Pointe du Lac in the ballroom, there is a brief shot of Claudia in the background handing Tom Anderson the poisoned glass of whiskey.

** In ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'', in a scene where Doc and Marty are outside talking, a man on a bicycle passes by in the background. In the [[Film/BackToTheFuturePartII sequel]], we learn that this is Doc from the future - though this is more of an unintentional EarlyBirdCameo by way of coincidence: the sequels weren't planned at the time of the first one, and the movies aren't in a StableTimeLoop besides.
*** ''Starlog'' magazine once ran an article based on something viewers noticed in one early scene. Just as Marty arrives at the mall, and before he is first sent to the past (and Doc Brown is supposedly shot dead), in the background, out of frame, something or someone can be seen passing in front of a light. The article postulated that this may be Marty from an alternate timeline arriving.
** When Marty is in the cafe in the '50s, George [=McFly=] is there all the time, mostly concealed by his newspaper, before he's finally revealed to be sitting next to Marty.

** In ''Film/BackToTheFuture'', in a scene where Doc and Marty are outside talking, a man on a bicycle passes by in the background. In the [[Film/BackToTheFuturePartII sequel]], we learn that this is Doc from the future - though this is more of an unintentional EarlyBirdCameo by way of coincidence: the sequels weren't planned at the time of the first one, and the movies aren't in a StableTimeLoop besides.

* One graphic novel adaptation of ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' depicts in the background, as Macbeth himself discusses battle plans, [[spoiler:Lady Macbeth throwing herself off the battlements]].