Originally titled "Good & Bad," the director decided to change the name of the short to "Blacked Out" to make it less generic.
The librarian's name plate reads "TEACHER LIBRARIAN", a reference to the teacher librarian from writer Jonathan Waserman's high school who asked to be called that because, although she was a librarian, had also earned her teaching credentials.
Zach Johnson (who played Chris) was in the running to play "John", but because the actor casted as "Older John" has brown eyes, and Johnson has blue, the casting department felt it would make more sense for the younger "John" to also have brown eyes which is why they chose Jonathan Levitt.
It is cinematographer Justine Sto. Tomas that is heard over the intercom in the classroom scenes.