Actor Jeff Bridges studied ornithology and the behavior of birds to prepare for his role as an alien in human form for this movie. Bridges particularly used the sudden jerky head movements, amongst other nuances and mannerisms, of birds for his Starman character. Bridges figured that the alien would not have human characteristics and, being encased in a human body, would act with base primitive animal instincts.
The film's director John Carpenter wanted to use the United States of America as "our very own back lot," so the cast and crew traveled from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, then Winslow, Meteor Crater and Monument Valley, Arizona, east to Nashville, Chattanooga, and Manchester, Tennessee, upstate New York, and Washington, D.C. The film company then returned to California to complete filming at The Burbank Studios.
When Jeff Bridges walks outside the house naked and uses a 'marble' his hair seems to stand on end. This effect was actually created by shooting Bridges hanging upside-down and then matting the shot onto the background the right way up to give him a surreal look. His father, Lloyd Bridges, did a similar shot-albeit comedic-for 'Airplane (1980).'
The film's two leads, Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges, sang a duet in a new rendition of "All I Have to Do Is Dream" which was included on the movie's soundtrack. The song is heard in the film in an abridged acoustic version. The song was also recorded and filmed as a music video which is available on the DVD.
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