Development began when producer J. J. Abrams started conceptualizing a new monster and enlisted Neville Page to design the creature, referred to as Clover. In February 2007, the project was secretly greenlit by Paramount Pictures and produced by Abrams' Bad Robot Productions. Principal photography took place in Los Angeles that same year. During production, the project went under several working titles, including "Slusho", "Cheese" and "Greyshot". As part of a viral marketing campaign, a teaser trailer was released ahead of screenings of "Transformers" without a title attached. The film's official title was revealed in a second teaser trailer attached to screenings of "Beowulf". With limited details revealed about the film prior to release, it garnered online speculation, including forums and websites dedicated to uncovering any hidden information about the film. Several tie-ins, including a prequel manga series, were released as part of the film's marketing campaign.