Eli Hollander had a particularly difficult time casting the role of Empty Fox. He attended powwows in search of the right person to hire for the role. Two names kept on coming up: Rolling Thunder (a star of Little Big Man (1970)) and Semu Huaute. Hollander set about calling Grandfather, who actually owned an early model mobile phone that he never answered. When Hollander finally contacted him about the script, the Native American non-actor said, "Interesting script, but I have two problems. One is the name Empty Fox, and two is the part where I pull out the whiskey." Hollander defended the name Empty Fox and offered to change the whiskey to Perrier. When Haute arrived on the set, he told Hollander that he could use the whiskey. Hollander liked the Perrier substitute better. The two argued and argued and ultimately it is the Perrier that Empty Fox pulls out and offers to Peter Coyote's character. Hollander also recalls how Granfather Semu Haute could not remember his lines and how he had to be constantly prompted throughout each of his scenes.
Many of the more well-known members of the cast appeared in this film without pay.
Peter Coyote was appearing in a stage play at the time this film was shot, and this occupied five days of his week. Director/producer/writer Eli Hollander shot his film in accordance with Coyote's restrictive schedule. The entire film was shot around the San Francisco area.
Eli Hollander discovered Danny Glover in a local theater company in the San Francisco area and cast him for a role in this film. The theater company also included Whoopi Goldberg.
The video title "Deadly Drifter" is strongly contested by Eli Hollander. He has claimed that he plans on making a legal plea for the original title "Out" to be re-applied to all video versions, since it is he who holds the copyright.