Executive producer Neal Baer collaborated with the Enough Project to portray child soldiers truthfully and called the episode part of a "continuing commitment to bring the audience stories that resonate with timely social issues." The filming of "Hell" marked the first on-location use of the United Nations building in a television episode. Ī later episode "Hell" condemned the activities of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. Prop master Anthony Munafo mentioned that he spent eight hours finding a pet store that would sell them enough eels of the right size. Early in "Lunacy", detectives learn that their evidence is degraded due to eels feasting on the body. A table made of balsa wood and breakaway glass was used in this scene so that it could be broken easily.
Another scene involved a fight between Detective Stabler and James Brolin's character. Members of the production staff appeared as astronauts in a still picture.
In order to film the weightless scene, Kristina Klebe was harnessed into cables which were later edited out. The episode, which filmed between July 14 and July 28, 2008, contained a scene in which detectives watch footage of an astronaut on board the International Space Station. The making of the episode "Lunacy" was covered in detail by authors Susan Green and Randee Dawn. Truly was used to programs that included frequent meetings with other writers and said "In some ways it's slightly lonelier" on SVU. He became a vocal correspondent about the production and was the first to comment on the appropriateness of Ice-T's casting in the show given the alleged misogyny in his music. The tenth season introduced writer Daniel Truly to SVU.