Prioritize Time and Efficiency: Kyoto Uzumasa-Style Shooting Techniques for DIY Filmmaking

First Things First: Satisfy the Hunger

Let’s start with a metaphor. Imagine someone saying, “Food is essential to life, so we should be mindful of it. Use elegant plates, select premium ingredients, and don’t forget the herbs.” That’s not wrong—but if you’re starving, worrying about herbs or plating is absurd.

In filmmaking, the “herbs” are the artistic flourishes—direction, performance, visual nuance. They’re tempting to obsess over, but they’re not the priority. First, you need to finish the film. Only after you’ve proven you can complete a project should you indulge in refinement.

Why? Because focusing on direction or performance too early often leads to delays and unfinished work.

Don’t Let Acting Derail Your Schedule

It’s natural to admire the powerful performances in commercial films. Actors want the right environment to deliver their best work. But creating that environment takes time—and time is your most limited resource.

You might think, “I don’t want to make a bland film.” But if you can’t even finish a bland one, you’re not ready to pursue complexity. Would you rather have an unfinished masterpiece or a completed simple film? The answer should be obvious.

The Balance Between Craft and Speed

Every creative project faces constraints. Time is the biggest one.

That doesn’t mean you should abandon all artistic ambition. Quite the opposite: protect your key creative priorities by streamlining everything else.

The biggest factor in shortening your production timeline is speeding up the shoot.

There are two ways to do this:

• Increase the amount you shoot per day
• Reduce the gaps between shoot days

This article focuses on the first: how to shoot more in a single day.

Learning from Kyoto’s Uzumasa Studio

Uzumasa Studio in Kyoto is famous for its period dramas. Back when multiple historical series aired weekly, the studio operated at an astonishing pace.

They couldn’t afford to wait for actors to “get into character” or shoot just a few scenes per day. They developed a unique, high-efficiency shooting method.

Here’s an example shared by actor Tetsuya Takeda, who starred in Mito Kōmon:

Let’s say the day’s shoot involves four main characters:

• Kōmon
• Suke-san
• Kaku-san
• The corrupt magistrate

First, they shoot all scenes where all four appear together.

Then, they shoot all close-ups and solo shots of Kōmon.

Then, they shoot all shots where only Kōmon’s back or shoulder appears.

Once that’s done, the actor playing Kōmon is dismissed.

Next, they repeat the process for the magistrate—face shots, presence shots—and release that actor too.

This method frees up busy actors quickly. The shooting order is completely out of sequence. For example, Suke-san might be speaking to Kōmon, who’s no longer on set. Someone else stands in for Kōmon’s position, off-camera.

There’s no time for emotional preparation or method acting. It’s pure montage theory in action.

To purists, this might seem like “not real acting.” But if your priority is shooting pace, this is a legitimate technique. And knowing that a prestigious studio like Uzumasa uses it can be empowering.

Planning Is Everything

DIY filmmakers face many constraints. One of the biggest is limited shooting time.

That’s why the Uzumasa-style “out-of-sequence, efficiency-first” method is so valuable.

To pull it off, you need detailed shot design and a solid shooting plan. Even with preparation, editing may reveal continuity issues. But with experience, you’ll learn to capture “safety shots” to cover potential gaps.

The first goal is to finish all shooting within the scheduled time. Only when you’ve created that buffer should you spend time on artistic refinement.

Hope this was helpful.