The entire movie was filmed in six days, with all of the taxi cab interiors shot with rear-screen projection inside a sound stage. Exterior shots were filmed in Pasadena, CA and Palmdale, CA.
Many of the passengers seen during the montage are crew members for the film, including the Chief Lighting Technician (the Chonger), the Key Grip (Korean Man), and the 2nd Assistant Camera (Spring Break kid).
The old Checker Marathon taxi cab used for the film was not in the best shape, and routinely would not start when called upon for outside shots of the car running. For the final day of exterior shots, once the crew managed to get the car started (after a scary 15 minutes), they did not turn it off for the entire day. Miraculously it managed on a single tank of gas.
The role of the Dispatcher was not cast until production was completed and the film was edited. On-set, the Dispatcher role was performed by co-producer David Midell. Jason Stuart was hired near the end of post-production and recorded his role in three hours. Minor edits were made to accommodate changes in timing, but generally, the film was done when he did his work.
D.C. Hamilton: The passenger whistling 'Hello, my baby...' in the back seat, which is itself a nod to the previous collaboration between the writer and director, 'The Midnight Man.'
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