Museums were given specific instructions on how the film was to be presented. The film was to be projected onto a 21 by 12 foot (6.4 m × 3.7 m) screen, in a room with white IKEA couches. The couches needed to staged in such a manner to facilitate coming and going and no curtains were to be across the entrances to the exhibit.
When Marclay started to make The Clock, Marclay expected that copyright would not be a substantial obstacle, theorizing that "If you make something good and interesting and not ridiculing someone or being offensive, the creators of the original material will like it." He did not get copyright clearances for any of the films used. He stated that although his use was illegal, "most would consider it fair use." Because of the film's copyright status, museums have offered it as part of their general admission instead of charging for separate tickets.
Over 12,000 clips are used in the final version.
Marclay originally considered making The Clock as a public art piece. However, difficulty with lighting and sound made it impractical, and he instead decided to sell it to enclosed art galleries.
The film won the Golden Lion, the top prize at the 2011 Venice Biennale.