Kate Woods wanted to give the film a grounded, authentic feel that would do justice to the source material. When it came time for casting, Woods wanted to open the doors wide and audition people who had a lived experience close to the characters they would be portraying. She ran ads in local Italian and Serbian newspapers and even reached out to high school drama teams. Woods felt pressure to stay true to the source material, a beloved YA novel with a loyal fandom. She believes that Looking for Alibrandi may have been "the most stolen book out of any high school library" when she was a young person. For Woods, it was important to present the story of a young teen in a down-to-earth, relatable manner. The realistic dialogue and narrative plotlines follow the novel closely.
Woods uses cinematography to centrally place her female characters and frequently takes up the female gaze. For example, when the boys visit Josie's school, the camera often zooms in on the boys' jackets, pants, and legs. Similar camera techniques have been taken up by later coming-of-age stories, most notably Greta Gerwig's LadyBird. Woods has mentioned that Looking for Alibrandi holds a special place for her because she got to work with a number of mentors. She particularly enjoyed collaborating with producer Robyn Kershaw, as well as other female film makers.
