Although i do not know how they were started i did Google Mr. Weideman and i found that he did play a role on the film as Dr. Paul Robertson but if you look at a picture of this actor as you watch the film you will see he only acts as Dr. Robertson in what they clearly lable on the bottom of the screen as a dramatic re-enactment. This means they are re-creating the actual event with actors standing in as the actual scientists that were once members of NOAA as i said before.