While the production office was located in Greensburg and many of the actors and crew were living in Greensburg (including Director Patrick Clement)only a select few scenes were filmed in town. Having been completely rebuilt after a 2007 tornado, the modern buildings were not in keeping with the rural look of the film.
Though the film takes it's namesake from Protection, Kansas, only one scene was filmed there. The rest of the street exteriors were filmed nearby in Coldwater, Kansas.
The angry man who complains that there is too much sports in the newspaper was actually local Coldwater, Kansas newspaper editor Dennies Andersen.
The location used for the newspaper office is actually a working newspaper office. The Coldwater Western Star is the longest continuously operating business in Comanche County, Kansas and has been in the same building since it was established around the turn-of-the-century.
The entire cast were untrained actors. Only James Crawley, Chance Caeden and lead actress Brittnee Hill had any sort of acting experience.Crawley had been an extra in About Schmidt, Hill had been in a number of stage plays in Pratt, Kansas and Wichita, Kansas and Caeden had been in some short films in Wichita, Kansas.