The creation of Birdshot was a family affair. Director Mikhail Red began to write the screenplay for the film with his cousin Rae Red in 2014. The two were inspired to write the film because of a real-life incident in 2008 when a three-year-old Philippine eagle was shot, killed, and later cooked and eaten by a farmer - and the ensuing fallout from the incident.
Shortly after the script was completed, a producer submitted the completed script to the Doha Film Institute, who funded the film. After this was revealed, a number of other companies provided for the rest of the film, allowing for a ₱14 million budget.
The film had a rather condensed shooting schedule, as it shot over the course of 23 days primarily in three different cities in the Philippines. When making the film, Red certainly wasn't expecting for it to be released on Netflix (no other Filipino movie had). When it was released on the service, however, he was no doubt pleasantly surprised.
