 Byrkit came up with the idea for "Coherence" after deciding that he wanted to test the idea of shooting a film "without a crew and without a script".He chose to shoot in his own home and developed the film's science fiction aspect out of necessity, as he wanted to "make a living room feel bigger than just a living room".While Byrkit did have a specific idea for how the film would unfold, he selected improvisational actors and gave them the basic outline of their characters, motivations, and major plot points.