The flashback scenes with young Louie were originally featured in Untitled Louis C.K. HBO Project (2007). The footage was shot on video, transferred to film, and transferred back to video in order to give it a hazy look. HBO allowed Louis C.K. to use the footage for free.
The ending of the conversation between Louie and Mike was improvised.
The flashback scene with young Louie and his father was based on a real-life lecture that C.K. heard from his father when he was a kid.