Just like the rest of the film, The Pink Opaque segments that appear throughout the film were also shot in 35mm, but later transferred to both VHS and Betamax in post-production to create the show's different period-specific degradations.
The Pink Opaque, the fictional television series in the film, was inspired by shows such as El mundo secreto de Alex Mack (1994), Buffy, la cazavampiros (1997) and ¿Le temes a la oscuridad? (1990).
The font used in the credits for the Pink Opaque is the same font used in the opening credits for Buffy, la cazavampiros (1997).
Multiple 90s stars are included in the film. Michael C. Maronna and Danny Tamberelli, known for the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1992), show up for a brief moment. Fred Durst, lead vocalist of Limp Bizkit, also has a fairly significant role in the film. In an interview with Vulture, writer/director Jane Schoenbrun said their inclusions were less about reverence and more about being "haunted" by these familiar faces. They reference these faces being ingrained in their subconscious as a child of the 90s, and how they found it interesting to bring these faces back to the screen after so much time.
The school featured in the movie is called Void High School (VHS). VHS tapes play a prominent role in the film.