Conversation so far:
When and where was the movie Departures filmed?
Primary filming began in April 2008, lasting 40 days. Locations included Kaminoyama, Sakata, Tsuruoka, Yuza, and Amarume, Japan
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article besides when and were the movie Departure was filmed?
Despite the importance of death rituals, in traditional Japanese culture the subject is considered unclean as everything related to death is thought to be a source of kegare (defilement)
What was unusual about the filming and post-production of the movie Departures
The taboo subject of death in Departures made prospective filming locations and distributors wary of taking on the film
What did the actors and crew say about the movie Departures?
The actor Motoki stated he had a sense of mission ... to try to use as much human warmth as I could to restore [the deceased] to a lifelike presence“
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article, besides when and where they filmed Departures and what the actors and crew said about the movie?
To provide realistic bodies while preventing the corpses from moving, after a lengthy casting process the crew chose extras who could lie as still as possible

Question: What other preparation did the actors do?
Self-contained rewrite: What other preparation did the actors for Departures do besides having a sense of mission to try to use as much human warmth as they could to restore the deceased to a lifelike presence?