Editing Videodrome (section)

===Development===
The basis for ''Videodrome'' came from [[David Cronenberg]]'s childhood. Cronenberg used to pick up [[Television in the United States|American television signals]] from [[Buffalo, New York]], late at night after [[Television in Canada|Canadian stations]] had gone off the air, and worry he might see something disturbing not meant for public consumption.<ref name=commentary>Cronenberg, David. Director's commentary, ''Videodrome'', Criterion Collection DVD.</ref> As Cronenberg explained, "I've always been interested in dark things and other people's fascinations with dark things. Plus, the idea of people locking themselves in a room and turning a key on a television set so that they can watch something extremely dark, and by doing that, allowing themselves to explore their fascinations."{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=34}} Cronenberg watched [[Marshall McLuhan]], on whom O'Blivion was based, and McLuhan later taught at the [[University of Toronto]] while Cronenberg was a student there, although he never took any of McLuhan's classes.{{sfn|Cronenberg|2006|p=65-66}}<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 19, 2017|title=The Video Word Made Flesh: 'Videodrome' and Marshall McLuhan|url=https://themillions.com/2017/04/the-video-word-made-flesh-videodrome-and-marshall-mcluhan.html|access-date=January 22, 2021|website=The Millions|language=en-US}}</ref>

Cronenberg's first exploration of themes of the branding of sex and violence and media impacting people's reality was writing a treatment titled ''Network of Blood'' in the early 1970s; its premise was a worker for an independent television company (who would become Max Renn in ''Videodrome'') unintentionally finding, in the filmmaker's words, "a private television network subscribed to by strange, wealthy people who were willing to pay to see bizarre things."{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=34}} He later planned the story to be told from the main character's [[first-person narrative|first-person perspective]], showcasing a duality between how insane he looks to other people and how he himself perceives a different reality in his head.{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=34}} Concepts similar to ''Network of Blood''{{'}}s were further explored in a 1977 episode of the [[CBC Television]] series ''[[Peep Show (Canadian TV series)|Peep Show]]'' Cronenberg directed, named "The Victim."{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=34}} The film's fictional station CIVIC-TV was modeled on the real-life Toronto television station [[CITY-TV]], which was known for broadcasting pornographic content and violent films in its late-night programming bloc ''[[The Baby Blue Movie]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Torontoist|date=November 21, 2012|title=Reel Toronto: Videodrome|url=https://torontoist.com/2012/11/reel-toronto-videodrome/|access-date=January 22, 2021|website=Torontoist|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203153802/https://torontoist.com/2012/11/reel-toronto-videodrome/|archive-date=February 3, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Perkins|first=Will|date= May 21, 2015|title=Videodrome|url=https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/videodrome/|access-date=January 22, 2021|website=Art of the Title|language=en}}</ref>

Victor Snolicki, Dick Schouten, and [[Pierre David (film producer)|Pierre David]] of Vision 4, a company taking advantage of Canada's tax shelter policies, aided Cronenberg in the film's financing.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=75}} Vision 4 dissolved after Schouten's death and reorganized into Filmplan International which funded ''[[Scanners]]''.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=85}} Solnicki, David, and Claude Héroux formed Filmplan II which gave financial backing to ''Videodrome''. This was the last film Cronenberg made under Canada's film tax shelter policy.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=93}}

Cronenberg's increased reputation made it easier for his projects to get produced, leading to the film's $5.5 million budget, more interest from studios and producers, and a larger number of interested actors to choose from.{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=35}} After the box office success of ''Scanners'', Cronenberg turned down the chance of directing ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', having had no desire to direct material produced by other filmmakers.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Collis |first=Clark |title=David Cronenberg Says Decision Not to Direct Return of the Jedi Was Met with 'Stunned Silence' |url=https://ew.com/movies/2018/09/28/david-cronenberg-return-of-the-jedi/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=February 9, 2020 |date=September 28, 2018}}</ref> Cronenberg met with David in [[Montreal]] to discuss ideas for a new film, with the former pitching two ideas, one of them being ''Videodrome''.<ref name=book/>

Cronenberg started writing the first draft of ''Videodrome'' in January 1981, and, as with first drafts of Cronenberg's prior projects, included many parts not featured in the final cut to make it more acceptable for audiences; this included Renn having an explosive grenade as a hand after he chops off his flesh gun during a hallucination, Renn and Nicki melting, via a kiss, into an object that then melts an on-looker, and five other characters besides Barry also dying of [[cancer]].{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=35}} Cronenberg admits that he was worried that the project would be rejected by Filmplan due to the excessive violent content of an early draft, but it was approved, with Claude Héroux joking that the movie would get a triple [[X rating]].<ref name=book>''Cronenberg on Cronenberg'' (1992)</ref>{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=93}} Although talent for the film was attracted using the first draft, alterations were made constantly from pre-production to post-production.{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=35}}

Accumulation of the cast and crew started in the summer of 1981 in Toronto, with most of the supporting actors being local performers of the city.{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=35}} ''Videodrome''{{'}}s three producers, David, Claude Héroux and Victor Solnicki, suggested [[James Woods]] for the role of Max Renn; they unsuccessfully tried to attach him to another film they produced, ''Models'' (1982).{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=35}} Woods was a fan of ''[[Rabid (1977 film)|Rabid]]'' (1977) and ''Scanners'', and met Cronenberg in [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]] for the part; Cronenberg liked the fact that Woods was very articulate in terms of delivery,<ref name=commentary/> and Woods appreciated the filmmaker's oddball style as well as being a "good controversialist" with "a lot of power."{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=35}} Cronenberg doubled for Woods in the scene where Max puts on the Videodrome helmet since the actor was afraid of getting electrocuted.<ref name=commentary/> Co-star [[Debbie Harry]] was recommended by David, and Cronenberg cast her after viewing her two times in ''[[Union City (film)|Union City]]'' (1980) and a Toronto audition.{{Sfn|Lucas|1983|p=35}} She had never had such a large part before, and said that the more experienced Woods gave her a number of helpful suggestions.<ref name=HarryFace>{{cite book |last1=Harry |first1=Debbie |last2=Simmons |first2=Sylvie |title=Face It |date=2019 |publisher=HarperCollins |location=New York |isbn=978-0-06-074958-3 |pages=248–252}}</ref>