As David eats cereal in the apartment, the DVD spine of "Magnolia" can be faintly seen underneath the TV.
The film was conceived on March 8, 2008. Principal photography took place in several segments totaling 108 days: 78 days from September 10 to November 22, 2009, 10 days from January 16 to January 25, 2010, 9 days in August 2010, and 11 days second unit. The final shot was filmed on December 20, 2010.
At least 588 people worked for free to make this movie (contributing time, talent, services, and energy over the course of three years).
The director and composer collaborated for nearly two years and completed the entire score without ever communicating vocally or face to face. All correspondence was e-mail-based before meeting for the first time just days before the live orchestration of the score.
A large percentage of filmmaking techniques and advice came from DVD commentaries, American Cinematographer Magazine, and learning from mistakes on short film projects.