The Earth in the Air is a short film written by Michael Bailey and directed by Jared Hogan. In the film, the main character leaves home with next to nothing, and his surroundings ultimately determine his path. The making of the film reflects this as close as possible. Due to the lack of lighting equipment, the director was forced to let the surroundings determine the shots, and ultimately, the story.

The film was originally an 18–page script that involved nearly 30 extras and 6 principle actors. We quickly came to the realization that the story had to be simplified, but we weren’t willing to forfeit the impact of the story or our representation of that unique period. The story you see in the final film came from a very brief conversation I had with my D.P. Matt Kern, while location scouting in Texas. We decided right there that there would be two actors and no dialogue. We wanted the narrative to be driven solely by striking visuals and unique sound design.