The Essential Cost-Performance Strategy for Filmmaking: How to Reuse Props, Stock Footage, and More

How Reusability Improves Cost-Performance

Creating a film involves preparing various items like props, costumes, and in my case, miniature sets for backgrounds. When crafting something like a prop, its cost-effectiveness is proportional to how prominently it appears on screen and how much preparation budget it justifies.

Props that appear multiple times or are part of key scenes can reasonably have higher costs. However, if a dazzling prop is only on screen for a brief moment, its high cost becomes unjustifiable.

Ideally, investing in brief visual moments would boost appeal, but the ripple effects on other areas of the budget can’t be ignored.

For this reason, I often cut costs for less prominent props by simplifying their creation, making them as miniatures instead of full-scale models, and incorporating them through visual effects.

Addressing Cost Challenges Through Reuse

The solution to cost issues is reuse.

For instance, I once crafted a full-scale model of an electron microscope. While the film only needed a single angle, creating it fully realized multiple shooting angles and ensured reuse in future projects. This way, effort spent on intricate work doesn’t go to waste.

Contrary to the assumption that original works must involve entirely new preparations, building up reusable “assets” is highly beneficial.

Maximizing Miniature Set Reusability

In my Masuda Super Previsualization Method, I create all indoor sets as miniatures. This opens countless opportunities for reuse.

For example, by switching out a wall or replacing furniture, a single miniature set can represent multiple rooms within the same film. Similarly, these sets can be cleverly repurposed across different films. Smart modifications ensure they don’t look recycled. With each reuse, their appeal grows.

Leveraging Stock Footage and Scenes

The concept of reuse doesn’t stop at physical props. It can apply to footage too.

Imagine using green screen techniques like the Super Previz Method to create an omnibus film. Upon completion, you might have fresh ideas for a stronger narrative or longer feature film. While creating a story from scratch is labor-intensive, refining or reimagining existing works is far easier—even when applied to your own creations.

Super Previz’s flexibility allows characters to be swapped out and sets to be reused, enabling entirely new stories to emerge. Elements from multiple omnibus works could even be rearranged into a cohesive full-length feature.

For those who view filmmaking purely as an “artistic pursuit,” this may seem sacrilegious. But cinema undeniably shares qualities with “industrial products.” Why not embrace these characteristics and enjoy the process?