Short answers, pulled from the story.
Ingmar Bergman wrote the play Trämålning in 1953 and 1954. The first public performance aired on radio in 1954 before moving to stage productions in Malmö and Stockholm.
All scenes except two were shot at Filmstaden studios in Solna during production. The famous opening chess scene and final dance sequence occurred at Hovs Hallar, a rocky beach area in northwestern Scania.
Bergman received a schedule of thirty-five days and a budget of $150,000. He rewrote the script five times under these tight constraints after initial rejection by studio head Carl-Anders Dymling.
The title references Revelation 8:1 stating silence in heaven for half an hour after the Lamb opens the seventh seal. This motif represents the Silence of God, which serves as a central theme throughout the film.
Bergman began writing the screenplay while recovering from a stomach complaint at Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm. He later rewrote the screenplay five times after initial rejection by studio head Carl-Anders Dymling.