Cast and Crew
- Directed by Jason Reitman
- Writing Credits Walter Kirn (novel) Jason Reitman (screenplay) and Sheldon Turner (screenplay)
- Music by Rolfe Kent
- Cinematography by Eric Steelberg director of photography
- Film Editing by Dana E. Glauberman
Notes
What (Film Language Element)
Why (What did the commentary reveal)
How(What did the commentary reveal)
- Made the film as the economic depression happened – firing scenes originally satyrical, but economic depression happened and interviewed people who were actually fired
- The first film to be allowed to film real security checkpoint- 10pm-4am shooting, real TSA officers volunteered time
- Director’s house burned down, he and his wife were safe which was the only thing that really mattered, did not really want anything in their house, which is where the backpack speech came from
- First meeting scene with milage cards – unironic, echoes 1940s romance style
- Why they both joined the milage club was improv, it felt too sudden to go from flirting over milage cards to sex
- Specifically wanted circular hotel
- When Ryan is talking with his sister the glue, filmed in the real airport at night, open terminal, people bewildered by walking off the plane and seeing George Clooney, also can’t stop airplanes so getting good sound was hard
- The camera has to have counter-movement for every movement the actor does and find the new eyeline, in the shot where he asks her to “fire” him.
- The composer made music for not quite an outright comedy, doesn’t tell the audience what to think, light comedic music that you don’t notice
- How Natalie types very important detail-Jason wanted her to be killing her computer with her fingers
- Shot on two planes- One real one and one mock one
- “Do you want the cancer (can sir)?” Line actually happened to Jason
- Extras in St. Louis great to work with – acted beautifully and subtly when fired
- Only one looped line in the entire film
- Fighting the seasons- covered the bottom of trees in wood bark to hide green sprouts since it was still winter in the film
- Abandoned chairs felt like abandoned bodies, a mark of a failing company, each chair felt like a person
- Director’s favorite scene was when Ryan, Natalie, and Alex all meet and Ryan and Natalie sit down and talk with Natalie about her future life because all characters coming together
- Moved the boat on the water to get shots instead of moving the camera, wanted a completely black background with no city
- At the beginning of the movie, places were chosen to be beautiful, later in the film, they were chosen to be real
- Shots get shakier as Ryan gets more disheveled