Transforming “Traditional Filmmaking” That Lacks Editing Flexibility

Why Is Film Creation Often Perceived as Difficult?

Creative hobbies span a wide range of activities, each offering unique appeal. For those who are deeply immersed in their hobbies, life tends to feel significantly more fulfilling compared to those without such pursuits.

This sense of fulfillment is not to be underestimated. Without it, people often resort to criticizing others in a futile attempt to gain a false sense of satisfaction.

In short, having an enjoyable hobby enriches your life. For someone like me, with limited physical energy, “creative arts” stand out as ideal hobbies, and filmmaking, in particular, is something I highly recommend.

However, among all creative hobbies, filmmaking is often seen as:

• Expensive
• Complex

The perception of high costs stems from outdated knowledge, harking back to an era when filmmaking required substantial financial resources. In reality, modern filmmaking costs little beyond data storage and electricity, making it arguably one of the least expensive hobbies when done with tools you already own.

As for complexity, I understand why it might feel daunting. This is likely tied to the notion that “film is difficult to revise.”

Let’s consider writing, for example. Recently, I read an e-book by an entirely unknown author and found it surprisingly delightful. It made me want to try writing myself. The great thing about writing is that anyone can jump in and start creating text, regardless of quality, just by imitating what they’ve read.

Writing allows for revisions. As your work takes shape, you can identify areas that are unclear or overly wordy and make necessary improvements. The process of continuous editing gives you the confidence to quickly jot down ideas, leaving refinements for later.

The same principle applies to oil painting. Once the paint has dried, you can always add more layers to refine your work.

The Challenges of Revising Film

In filmmaking, revisions are limited to post-production adjustments. You can select or reorder clips, but altering a character’s traits or changing the furniture in a scene isn’t as straightforward as revising a novel or painting. This makes pre-production—planning and preparation before filming—absolutely critical.

In professional filmmaking, years of preparation often culminate in weeks of shooting. By the time filming begins, about 70% of the work is already done. As a hobby, however, this level of preparation can feel tedious and uninspiring.

While I find joy in pre-production, it’s hard to keep the momentum going when the fun aspects of filmmaking—shooting and editing—feel far off. It’s no surprise that many people lose interest when faced with lengthy preliminary work.

Technology Redefining the Process

The inability to revise freely is a fundamental weakness of traditional filmmaking. Despite meticulous planning, issues often arise during post-production that cannot be fixed by simple edits. Retaking entire scenes repeatedly to achieve perfection is impractical.

This is where my “Masuda Super-Previz Method,” based on green screen compositing, comes into play. Originally developed to drastically shorten shooting schedules, the method also enables “revisable filmmaking.”

For example:

• If a character’s outfit would be better in red than white, you can reshoot just their scenes and swap the footage.
• If character roles need to be reversed, you can film the relevant parts again to create an alternate version.
• Backgrounds can be re-filmed, allowing for ideal seasonal settings, like autumn foliage.
• Even elusive sunset shots can be perfected by matching green screen footage to optimized background recordings.

While some may call fully composited films “unorthodox,” the true advantage of this method lies in its ability to prioritize creative visions and allow iterative refinement.

Enhancing Collaboration and Motivation

A key feature of the “Masuda Super-Previz Method” is the ability to pre-visualize progress. Backgrounds are filmed and edited first, using placeholder dolls for characters. These stand-ins are later replaced with actual performances shot on a green screen.

Seeing the project evolve visually throughout the process can significantly boost everyone’s motivation. For hobbyists, enjoying the journey is essential, especially when filmmaking takes time to complete.

Although the method involves mastering several technical skills, the reassurance of being able to revise fosters a direct path to the exciting aspects of filmmaking—shooting and creating.