It was directed by Rodger Grossman, who wrote the screenplay based on a story he had written with Michelle Baer Ghaffari, a friend of Crash's and co-producer of the film.
Shane West stars as Crash, while Rick Gonzalez, Bijou Phillips, and Noah Segan respectively portray Germs members Pat Smear, Lorna Doom, and Don Bolles.
The film follows the formation and career of the Germs, focusing on Crash's mysterious "five-year plan", his homosexual relationship with Rob Henley (played by Ashton Holmes), and his experimentation with heroin, culminating in his December 1980 suicide.
Jan Paul Beahm grows up in Los Angeles through a troubled childhood: He does not know his biological father, his mother is an alcoholic, and his older brother dies from a heroin overdose.
An avid reader, he develops into a "frighteningly intelligent" student at University High School, where his antisocial behavior leads the administration to give him straight A's if he agrees not to return.
In December 1975, at age 17, he proposes to his friend Georg Ruthenberg that they start a band, showing him potential lyrics and claiming to have a "five-year plan" inspired by the David Bowie song "Five Years".
The Germs play their first gig in April 1977: As they are heckling the Damned outside the Whisky a Go Go, Claude "Kickboy Face" Bessy of Slash magazine suggests that they perform at an open mic across the street.
Additional minor roles are played by Kylan James as the Damned's drummer Rat Scabies, Chris Pontius as L.A. musician Black Randy, Randi Newton as Germs fan Gerber, Anna Waronker as (GI) producer Joan Jett, Giddle Partridge as 45 Grave singer Dinah Cancer, John Westernoff as brief Germs drummer Nickey Beat, and Missy Doty as Crash's manager Amber.
The Mae Shi perform as the Screamers in the Masque scene, playing a cover version of the Germs' "Sex Boy" with actor Rich Moreno in the role of singer Tomata du Plenty.
Inspired by Penelope Spheeris' The Decline of Western Civilization and the punk rock scene of Los Angeles, AFI Film School graduate and LA native Rodger Grossman, set out to create an authentic story about the formative years of the Germs.
[4] Heather Mallow, a personal friend of Grossman, was chosen and played the role of Darby's mother who was briefly discussed during one of the more documentary sequences during the start of the movie.
[4] The film was shot on location in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, primarily at Occidental Studios, where Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford once made movies.
[11] Carrie Rickey of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that West had a "terrific performance" and noted he also "bears an uncanny resemblance to Darby Crash.
"[12] Nora Lee Mandel of Film-Forward.com wrote that "West is magnetic trying to fill the gaps in the pop psychology insight into how the Germs' brief candle burned out so fast."
"[13] Phil Gallo of Variety praised both West and Grossman writing they both "have a clear, unwavering perspective on Crash that should entice curiosity seekers and old punks.
"[14] Pauline Pechin of Premiere thought that West played Darby Crash to a tee and kept on writing in fact, his performance was so believable that he's currently on tour with the reformed Germs as the lead singer.
Ken Fink of TV Guide wrote "Shane West does a pretty impressive impersonation of the on-stage antics of Darby Crash".
This was seen with Jim Emerson of the Chicago Sun-Times review with him writing "Where What We Do Is Secret succeeds is in the performances which sometimes expose a stilted, amateurish strain that's oddly in tune with the characters' D.I.Y.
"[16] Eric Campos of Film Threat wrote that "These actors and many more make What We Do Is Secret an absolute blast to watch and they do an undeniably perfect job of recreating this notorious scene.
[17] In addition to "Forming", which appears on the soundtrack album, the team of Shane West, Bijou Phillips, Lukas Haas, and Michael LeBlanc also perform the Germs songs "Circle One", "Lexicon Devil", "Richie Dagger's Crime", "Shut Down (Annihilation Man)", and "Lion's Share" in the film.