Editing Godzilla vs. Biollante (section)

===Special effects===
[[File:GvB - behind scenes.jpg|thumb|Preparation of the Biollante model for the final battle scene. The model required 32 wires to operate.<ref name="kalat2010"/>]]
[[Koichi Kawakita]], who had previously worked for [[Tsuburaya Productions]], replaced [[Teruyoshi Nakano]] as head of the series' special effects unit after Toho became impressed at his work in ''[[Gunhed (film)|Gunhed]]''. Kawakita made use of ''Gunhed'''s special effects team Studio OX, and initially wanted to make Godzilla more animal-like, using crocodiles as references, but was berated by Tanaka, who declared Godzilla to be "a monster" rather than an animal. [[Kenpachiro Satsuma]] returned to portray Godzilla, hoping to improve his performance by making it less anthropomorphic than in previous films. Suitmaker Noboyuki Yasamaru created a Godzilla suit made specifically with Satsuma's measurements in mind, unlike the previous one which was initially built for another performer and caused Satsuma discomfort. The resulting 242 lb suit proved more comfortable than the last, having a lower center of gravity and more mobile legs. A second 176 lb suit was built for outdoor underwater scenes. The head's size was reduced, and the whites around the eyes removed. On the advice of story finalist Shinichiro Kobayashi, a double row of teeth was incorporated in the jaws. As with the previous film, animatronic models were used for close-up shots. These models were an improvement over the last, as they were made from the same molds used for the main costume, and included an articulated tongue and intricate eye motion. The suit's dorsal plates were filled with light bulbs for scenes in which Godzilla uses his atomic ray, thus lessening reliance on optical animation, though they electrocuted Satsuma the first time they were activated. Satsuma was also obliged to wear protective goggles when in the suit during scenes in which Godzilla battles the JSDF, as real explosives were used on set.<ref name="kalat2010"/> The film was mainly shot at the Toho lot, although some filming occued on location at the East Fuji Maneuver Area.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tohokingdom.com/movies/godzilla_vs_biollante.htm|title=Godzilla vs. Biollante
|publisher=TohoKingdom.com |access-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref>

Designing and building the Biollante props proved problematic, as traditional suitmation techniques made realizing the requested design of the creature's first form difficult, and the resulting cumbersome model for Biollante's final form was met with disbelief from the special effects team. Biollante's first form was performed by Masao Takegami, who sat within the model's trunk area on a platform just above water level. While the creature's head movements were simple to operate, its vines were controlled by an intricate array of overhead wires which proved difficult for Satsuma to react to during combat scenes as they offered no tension, thus warranting Satsuma to feign receiving blows from them, despite not being able to perceive them. Biollante's final form was even more difficult to operate, as its vine network took hours to rig up on set. Visibility in both the Godzilla and final form Biollante suits was poor, thus causing difficulties for Takegami in aiming the creature's head when firing sap, which permanently stained anything it landed on.<ref name="kalat2010"/>

While it was initially decided to incorporate [[stop motion animation]] into the film, the resulting sequences were scrapped, as Kawakita felt they failed to blend in with the live-action footage effectively. The film however became the first of its kind to use [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]], though its usage was limited to scenes involving computer generated schematics.<ref name="kalat2010"/> The original cut of the movie had the first battle culminating in Biollante's spores falling around the hills surrounding Lake Ashino and blooming into fields of flowers, though this was removed as the flowers were out of scale.<ref name="ryfle1998"/>