Thomas Limpinsel, who plays Franz Blank, is the only professional actor in the film. All the other performers are playing variations on themselves: Tomas Friedmann, who plays the host, is the actual manager of the Literaturhaus (House of Literature) Salzburg, where the film was shot. Otto Neumaier and Werner Michler, the two experts, are professors at the University of Salzburg (Neumaier works at the Department of Philosophy, while Michler works at the Department of German), specializing in aesthetics and literature, respectively. Wolfgang Görtschacher, who plays Franz Blank's agent, is an assistant professor at the University of Salzburg (Department of English and American Studies) and owns a press called Poetry Salzburg.
Christian Genzel previously directed Thomas Limpinsel in his feature film Die Muse (2011), where Limpinsel played a writer as well.
Both Otto Neumaier and Wolfgang Görtschacher did guest appearances in Schlaflos (2006), an earlier movie by director Christian Genzel. Neumaier also appeared in Genzel's Mystery Project (2005) and Tutmosis (2008), while Görtschacher appeared in an early student film by Genzel, "Caged Experience".
Most of the film is improvised. There was no actual script, just a treatment with a general structure which formed the basis of the actor's performances. Some parts of Blank's reading were written down, while others were improvised by Thomas Limpinsel. The discussion was entirely improvised - director Christian Genzel only discussed the experts' ideas and attitudes with Otto Neumaier and Werner Michler, instructing them to interrupt each other and disagree with the other's opinion, even though they should both praise Blank's art.
Many audience reactions are genuine. Most audience members didn't know what was going to happen and simply reacted to the improvisations of Thomas Limpinsel, Otto Neumaier and Werner Michler. Even those who knew what the film was going to be about didn't know what to expect.