Main teen actors chose to use their real names to aid in spontaneity during improvisational scenes, and keep with the documentary style of the film.
Main cast have been friends since meeting as babies in a playgroup, and remain friends to this day.
Most of the supporting characters were cast in roles that reflected their real-world professions.
Peter Otis, who plays the fisherman, was a real marine biologist, who spent several years at sea.
Many of the teen cast members are graduates of the Marin School of the Arts.