The collaboration between Oppenheim, known for 'Some Kind of Heaven,' and Fielder, celebrated for 'Nathan for You' and 'The Rehearsal,' began after Oppenheim cold-emailed Fielder about his documentary. Their friendship blossomed over extended conversations, eventually leading to Oppenheim pitching Fielder various project ideas.

The genesis of 'You Can See Everything' was serendipitous. In early 2023, during a visit to the Magic Castle, a magician's request for a celebrity name yielded 'Elizabeth Holmes.' This coincided with a rumor Oppenheim had heard: Holmes, facing an 11-year prison sentence, had approached A24 about a documentary before her May 30, 2023, reporting date. A24 had reportedly shown initial interest but then hesitated, lacking a director.

Fielder acknowledged the intrigue but expressed concern that "the story been told so many times already." Despite this, Oppenheim urged him to contact A24. Fielder confirmed the rumors: a deal with Holmes had fallen apart, and she had mere weeks left before heading to federal prison. It was at this critical juncture that Fielder proposed his radical solution to A24.

According to Oppenheim, Fielder suggested, "Well, do you think if Lance and I were to go and see if there was something there, would you be comfortable with giving us money and essentially just leaving us alone, and giving us a provision in our deal, whatever the money was, that we could just kill it at any time?" A24, surprisingly, agreed. This 'kill switch' proved to be a game-changer, removing the immense pressure typically associated with documentary filmmaking and allowing for pure curiosity to drive their exploration.

With just 34 days until Holmes's incarceration, Fielder and Oppenheim assembled a small, trusted crew. They arrived at Holmes's Del Mar, California beach cottage, where she lived with her partner Billy Evans and their two children, unsure of what they would find. Oppenheim recalled Fielder's deep skepticism, contrasting it with his own eagerness to work with a cinematic hero.

Once filming began, divergent interpretations of the couple's domestic life emerged between the co-directors. After 14-to-16 hour days, Fielder and Oppenheim found themselves disagreeing on observations that seemed mundane. Even their crew members, including cinematographers David Bolen and Jonathan Mitchell, and sound mixer Richard Carlos, had differing perspectives. This 'cognitive dissonance,' as Oppenheim described it, became the film's unexpected core.

They realized that the very questions they were asking—'Is this a performance? Is it not a performance? Is it possible to observe an authentic moment with someone who is known for being a master deceiver?'—were the film itself. This ambiguity, even in simple actions like whisking eggs, presented a rich, cinematic challenge. It was this breakthrough that solidified the project, making the 'kill switch' irrelevant as they committed fully to capturing this unique, layered reality.