3. Michael Curtiz Craftily Utilised 'Little People' Extras For Casablanca (1942)

Warner Bros.

The use of forced perspective in movies is, as well as surprisingly effective if used correctly, often absolutely hilarious when seen up close. Think Ian McKellen stomping around a tiny house like a giant in The Fellowship of the Ring, or Jim Carrey getting reduced to child-size for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. These are examples of forced perspective done right, but perhaps the most (in)famous application of the technique in cinema still resides in Casablanca, shamelessly exploiting as it does a set of 'little people' to stand in for extras, only ones that are very far away.

As Casablanca was made during WWII, more pressing matters - like not getting bombed - meant the crew couldn't film the picture's final scene at a real airport after dark. Instead, director Michael Curtiz took the shoot indoors, onto a sound stage, where he'd built a small cardboard cutout plane and placed a set of small people portraying the take-off crew. So next time you're watching this classic, take a look at Humphrey Bogart in the closing minutes, appreciate his final exchange with Ingrid Bergman, then allow yourself to recognise that stood behind Bogart were a pair of tiny extras hired just to confuse the audience into assuming there was a greater distance between the camera and the back of the studio.