Designing for Compositing: Lessons to Learn—and Avoid—from Director Takashi Yamazaki

Understanding the Nature of Green Screen Filmmaking

In 2023, Takashi Yamazaki’s film Godzilla Minus One became a massive hit. Yamazaki is one of the few consistent box office successes in Japanese cinema, though he’s also known for attracting a fair number of critics.

His situation reminds me of a young George Lucas, who was once dismissed as a “tech geek” rather than a serious filmmaker. When directors foreground cutting-edge technology in their work, they often face backlash from more conservative film fans.

I first watched Returner on video, but it was Always: Sunset on Third Street that truly impressed me in theaters—with its masterful story structure, immersive world-building, and unapologetically sentimental direction.

The Bias Against “Mainstream” Films

Some cinephiles have seen so many movies that they’ve grown tired of conventional storytelling. There’s a tendency to sneer at “mainstream” or emotionally direct films. Even renowned critic Nagaharu Yodogawa once said of director Yoji Yamada, “With his talent, he should move past the kind of direction where it rains during a sad line and a melancholy tune plays.” That’s a misplaced critique born from overexposure.

There are viewers who can only be moved by cinematic “delicacies” and openly look down on those of us who still enjoy the comforting taste of a well-made set meal.

I remember hearing things like:

• “If you like Back to the Future, don’t call yourself a real film fan.”
• “Only Kubrick-level work satisfies us.”

That kind of elitism is, frankly, exhausting.

Mainstream films that resonate with general audiences are the backbone of the industry. Without them, the infrastructure collapses—and so does the space for experimental or niche works. That’s why I proudly count myself among Yamazaki’s fans.

Yamazaki’s Craft: Green Screen and Compositing Mastery

Godzilla Minus One showcases Yamazaki’s strengths: entertaining story structure and sophisticated CG techniques. One standout feature is his extensive and skillful use of green screen shooting and compositing.

In the past, filmmakers built massive sets inside studios and lit them with elaborate rigs. Yamazaki, however, often sets up green screens in ordinary outdoor locations—off-season beaches, parking lots—and uses natural sunlight to shoot actors, later compositing in miniatures and CG backgrounds.

The key to successful green screen shooting is evenly lighting the green surface. In that sense, sunlight is surprisingly effective. You can see this approach in official behind-the-scenes videos on YouTube.

This method—filming actors in front of a green screen and compositing backgrounds later—is becoming a major trend. Yamazaki and his team are pioneers in this space.

In one YouTube interview, Yamazaki made a compelling point:

“The difference between good and bad compositing lies in how the feet are handled.”
Bad compositing often hides or poorly renders the actor’s feet, making the scene feel unnatural. Proper treatment of the feet elevates the realism.

My Experience with Foot-Level Compositing

In my short experimental monster film Dark Beast: Wani-Gama-Eater, I used green screen throughout. And I quickly realized how difficult it is to convincingly composite the feet.

The contact point between shoes and ground never looked right—it always screamed “composited.” I tried adding shadows and other tricks, but couldn’t move beyond mere camouflage.

So in my next film Forest of Spirits and Kappa, I deliberately avoided showing the contact point between shoes and ground whenever possible.

Since then, I’ve started watching films and TV dramas with a new question in mind:

• Are the feet and ground visible?
• If not, does it feel unnatural?

Surprisingly, feet are often cropped out—and it doesn’t feel strange at all. In my own work, I tended to show the feet because of habits formed while storyboarding, likely influenced by old Ray Harryhausen films or Bruce Lee’s Hong Kong action movies.

Given how difficult foot-level compositing is, I’ve decided to adopt a rule:

“Unless absolutely necessary, don’t show the contact point between feet and ground.”

Yamazaki might call that “bad filmmaking,” but for those of us working without high-end resources, it’s a practical compromise.

The Unique Framing of Composited Films

As mentioned earlier, I often shoot actors and backgrounds separately, then composite them together. I’ve developed a method I call the “Masuda-style Super Previz Technique,” where I first create a rough cut using puppets before replacing them with live actors. This allows for rapid production.

This method introduces specific constraints in storyboarding:

• Avoid camera movement
• Avoid angled shots
• Don’t show foot-ground contact

Some may find these limitations stifling. After all, isn’t indie filmmaking about creative freedom?

But within these constraints, I’ve discovered surprising creative potential. Scenes that would normally be impossible—due to budget or location restrictions—suddenly become feasible.

That’s why in my DIY Filmmaking Club, which also serves as a training ground for MVG creators, I plan to continue sharing knowledge centered around compositing-based filmmaking.

Hope this was helpful.