Applying Osamu Tezuka’s ‘Star System’ to Low-Budget Filmmaking

The Narrow-Minded Idea That Films Must Be Art

First and foremost, it’s important to recognize that films come in all types. However, knowledgeable individuals often dismiss genres that don’t align with their values, declaring, “That’s not real cinema.”

If one subscribes to the Kurosawa ideal—where the entire setting must be meticulously prepared and shot in front of the camera—it would limit filmmaking to a theatrical-like approach. Such a notion makes it nearly impossible for amateurs to create films on a tight budget, leaving only modest works with local, everyday settings as viable options.

Certainly, the lavish preparation and camera-centric approach of such films are admirable. For those who consider film a form of high art, this may seem like the obvious gold standard. But cinema should be far freer. Unlike theater, filmmaking is a creative expression through the medium of visual storytelling, offering endless flexibility if we embrace its advantages.

Fully Utilizing Montage

The defining feature of films is their ability to stitch together separately shot elements to create scenes or scenarios that don’t exist in reality. You’ve probably heard of “montage theory.” This theory posits that even identical footage conveys different meanings depending on the preceding and succeeding shots.

For instance, consider the following scene:

• A protagonist looks out the window.

What we see through that window can define the setting:

• If it cuts to an ocean view, the story unfolds in a seaside town.
• If it’s a shot of factory buildings, the stage shifts to an industrial zone.

Without filming in a specific room overlooking the sea or a factory, you can imply these settings simply by leveraging montage theory. And in the digital age, you can directly composite a different scene outside the window.

Osamu Tezuka: Incorporating Industrial Efficiency into Art

The legendary Osamu Tezuka revolutionized manga by incorporating cinematic techniques, defining the modern manga format. Among his innovations was the “Star System,” where characters from one work would reappear in another, akin to actors playing different roles in separate films.

Fans found it delightful to see familiar characters take on new roles, while Tezuka himself benefited from reduced labor. Developing entirely original characters for each work is a monumental effort, and this system provided a practical solution.

Tezuka also embraced animation’s “bank system,” where existing footage—such as Astro Boy’s smile—was reused in new scenes to save production costs. While criticized at the time as cutting corners in creative work, this approach was vital to completing groundbreaking projects like Astro Boy. Without the bank system, Tezuka might never have produced as many works as he did.

Creating Reusable Footage

For us DIY filmmakers, who often pursue filmmaking as a hobby, embracing productivity is essential. Without considering efficiency, our projects risk remaining incomplete, robbing us of the joy filmmaking can bring.

I advocate the extensive use of reusable “stock footage.” Stock footage is common in mainstream cinema, like wildfire scenes captured during real events or crowd shots in Rocky, likely sourced rather than filmed specifically.

In my filmmaking approach, green-screen compositing forms the backbone of what I call the “Masuda Super-Previs Method.” By storing footage of various interiors or backgrounds, I can recreate settings at minimal cost.

Additionally, I aim to capture all dinosaur and creature footage as stock material. With variations in angles, lighting, and movement, these clips can be reused for future projects by simply adding new background settings. Just as in Astro Boy, swapping out the background creates entirely new scenes.

Building a Stock Footage Community

Through my DIY Filmmakers’ Club, I encourage members to share stock footage for mutual use. The dinosaur clips I produce could allow others to create their own dino films by simply shooting their own scenes. This would let creators focus on storytelling, while leveraging complex creature footage effortlessly.

By routinely capturing stock footage, each new project grows the repository, continually reducing production costs and making DIY filmmaking more accessible and enjoyable. I hope you’ll consider incorporating this approach into your own projects!