diff --git a/load/graphics.lua b/load/graphics.lua
index 893bb1b..aa075c0 100644
--- a/load/graphics.lua
+++ b/load/graphics.lua
@@ -1,17 +1,96 @@
-backgrounds = {
-	title = love.graphics.newImage("res/backgrounds/title.png"),
-	title_no_icon = love.graphics.newImage("res/backgrounds/title-no-icon.jpg"),
-	title_night = love.graphics.newImage("res/backgrounds/title-night.jpg"),
-	snow = love.graphics.newImage("res/backgrounds/snow.png"),
-	input_config = love.graphics.newImage("res/backgrounds/options-input.png"),
-	game_config = love.graphics.newImage("res/backgrounds/options-game.png"),
-}
+named_backgrounds = {"title", "title_no_icon", "title_night", "snow", "options_input", "options_game"}
+current_playing_bgs = {}
+extended_bgs = {}
+image_formats = {".png", ".jpg"}
+bgpath = "res/backgrounds/"
+dir = love.filesystem.getDirectoryItems(bgpath)
 
-local i = 0
-local bgpath = "res/backgrounds/%d.png"
-while love.filesystem.getInfo(bgpath:format(i*100)) do
-	backgrounds[i] = love.graphics.newImage(bgpath:format(i*100))
-	i = i + 1
+local backgrounds = {}
+
+function loadExtendedBgs()
+	extended_bgs = require("res.backgrounds.extend_section_bg")
+end
+
+--error handling for if there is no extend_section_bg
+if pcall(loadExtendedBgs) then end
+
+--helper method to populate backgrounds
+function createBackgroundIfExists(name, file_name)
+	local format_index = 1
+
+	-- see if background is an extension of another background
+	if extended_bgs[file_name] ~= null then
+		copy_bg = extended_bgs[file_name]
+		copy_bg = copy_bg/100
+		backgrounds[name] = backgrounds[copy_bg]
+		return true
+	end
+
+	-- try creating image backgrounds
+	while format_index <= #image_formats do
+		for num, existing_file in pairs(dir) do
+			if existing_file == (file_name..image_formats[format_index]) then
+				local tempBgPath = bgpath .. file_name .. image_formats[format_index]
+				backgrounds[name] = love.graphics.newImage(tempBgPath)
+				return true
+			end
+		end
+		format_index = format_index + 1
+	end
+
+	-- try creating video background
+	if love.filesystem.getInfo(bgpath .. file_name ..".ogv") then
+		for num, existing_file in pairs(dir) do
+			if existing_file == (file_name..".ogv") then
+				local tempBgPath = bgpath .. file_name .. ".ogv"
+				backgrounds[name] = love.graphics.newVideo(tempBgPath, {["audio"] = false})
+				-- you can set audio to true, but the video will not loop properly if audio extends beyond video frames
+				return true
+			end
+		end
+	end
+	return false
+end
+
+function StopOtherBgs(bg)
+	if #current_playing_bgs == 0 and bg:typeOf("Video") then
+		current_playing_bgs[#current_playing_bgs+1] = bg
+	end
+
+	if #current_playing_bgs >= 1 then
+		while current_playing_bgs[1] ~= bg and #current_playing_bgs >= 1 do
+			current_playing_bgs[1]:pause()
+			current_playing_bgs[1]:rewind()
+			table.remove(current_playing_bgs, 1)
+		end
+	end
+
+end
+
+function fetchBackgroundAndLoop(id)
+	bg = backgrounds[id]
+
+	if bg:typeOf("Video") and not bg:isPlaying() then
+		bg:rewind()
+		bg:play()
+	end
+
+	StopOtherBgs(bg)
+
+	return bg
+end
+
+--create section backgrounds
+local section = 0
+while (createBackgroundIfExists(section, section*100)) do
+	section = section + 1
+end
+
+--create named backgrounds
+local nbgIndex = 1
+while nbgIndex <= #named_backgrounds do
+	createBackgroundIfExists(named_backgrounds[nbgIndex], string.gsub(named_backgrounds[nbgIndex], "_", "-"))
+	nbgIndex = nbgIndex + 1
 end
 
 -- in order, the colors are:
diff --git a/res/backgrounds/extend_section_bg.lua b/res/backgrounds/extend_section_bg.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33dbb4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/res/backgrounds/extend_section_bg.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+-- ex: extend_section_bg[100] = 0
+--     extend_section_bg[200] = 0
+-- the video background associated with section 0 will continue playing into 100 and 200 without restarting.
+-- will also cause any existing level 100, 200 backgrounds specified to NOT render.
+
+-- please also note that you cannot currently extend any "named" backgrounds, such as "title" and "options-input"
+
+extend_section_bg = {}
+
+-- extend_section_bg[100] = 0
+-- extend_section_bg[200] = 0
+-- remove the dashes 
+
+return extend_section_bg
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scene/credits.lua b/scene/credits.lua
index 62545e3..fdede66 100644
--- a/scene/credits.lua
+++ b/scene/credits.lua
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ function CreditsScene:render()
 
     love.graphics.setColor(1, 1, 1, 1)
 	love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds[19],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop(id),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
     )
diff --git a/scene/game_config.lua b/scene/game_config.lua
index 2276ad6..597a33a 100644
--- a/scene/game_config.lua
+++ b/scene/game_config.lua
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ end
 function ConfigScene:render()
 	love.graphics.setColor(1, 1, 1, 1)
 	love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds["game_config"],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop("options_game"),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
 	)
diff --git a/scene/input_config.lua b/scene/input_config.lua
index 7b488f8..7909f33 100644
--- a/scene/input_config.lua
+++ b/scene/input_config.lua
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function ConfigScene:update() end
 function ConfigScene:render()
     love.graphics.setColor(1, 1, 1, 1)
     love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds["input_config"],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop("options_input"),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
     )
diff --git a/scene/key_config.lua b/scene/key_config.lua
index 419ebb5..f025bd9 100644
--- a/scene/key_config.lua
+++ b/scene/key_config.lua
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ end
 function KeyConfigScene:render()
 	love.graphics.setColor(1, 1, 1, 1)
 	love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds["input_config"],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop("input_config"),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
 	)
diff --git a/scene/mode_select.lua b/scene/mode_select.lua
index b394896..015cc0f 100755
--- a/scene/mode_select.lua
+++ b/scene/mode_select.lua
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ end
 
 function ModeSelectScene:render()
 	love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds[0],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop(0),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
 	)
diff --git a/scene/replay_select.lua b/scene/replay_select.lua
index 6857dcf..0d4c30b 100644
--- a/scene/replay_select.lua
+++ b/scene/replay_select.lua
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ end
 
 function ReplaySelectScene:render()
 	love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds[0],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop(0),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
 	)
diff --git a/scene/settings.lua b/scene/settings.lua
index eaa7361..14d7282 100644
--- a/scene/settings.lua
+++ b/scene/settings.lua
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function SettingsScene:update() end
 function SettingsScene:render()
     love.graphics.setColor(1, 1, 1, 1)
     love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds["game_config"],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop("options_game"),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
     )
diff --git a/scene/stick_config.lua b/scene/stick_config.lua
index 3e7be01..7c68d23 100644
--- a/scene/stick_config.lua
+++ b/scene/stick_config.lua
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ end
 function StickConfigScene:render()
 	love.graphics.setColor(1, 1, 1, 1)
 	love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds["input_config"],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop("options_input"),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
 	)
diff --git a/scene/title.lua b/scene/title.lua
index 35bbc82..72978fa 100644
--- a/scene/title.lua
+++ b/scene/title.lua
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ function TitleScene:render()
 	love.graphics.setFont(font_3x5_4)
 	love.graphics.setColor(1, 1, 1, 1 - self.snow_bg_opacity)
 	love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds["title_no_icon"], -- title, title_night
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop("title_no_icon"), -- title, title_night
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
 	)
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ function TitleScene:render()
 	love.graphics.setFont(font_3x5_2)
 	love.graphics.setColor(1, 1, 1, self.snow_bg_opacity)
 	love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds["snow"],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop("snow"),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
 	)
diff --git a/scene/tuning.lua b/scene/tuning.lua
index ef0f4ee..738d22c 100644
--- a/scene/tuning.lua
+++ b/scene/tuning.lua
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ end
 function TuningScene:render()
     love.graphics.setColor(1, 1, 1, 1)
 	love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds["game_config"],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop("options_game"),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
     )
diff --git a/tetris/modes/gamemode.lua b/tetris/modes/gamemode.lua
index a24e1a5..1179d20 100644
--- a/tetris/modes/gamemode.lua
+++ b/tetris/modes/gamemode.lua
@@ -980,10 +980,10 @@ end
 
 function GameMode:drawBackground()
 	local id = self:getBackground()
-	if type(id) == "number" then id = clamp(id, 0, #backgrounds) end
+	-- if type(id) == "number" then id = clamp(id, 0, #backgrounds) end
 	love.graphics.setColor(1, 1, 1, 1)
 	love.graphics.draw(
-		backgrounds[id],
+		fetchBackgroundAndLoop(id),
 		0, 0, 0,
 		0.5, 0.5
 	)