Kevin Smith Explains The Differences Between Flash & Arrow Visual Effects

06/02/2017 01:46 pm EDT

While they exist in the same television universe, CW's Arrow and The Flash couldn't be more different. That extends to not just tone but also how they're handled behind the scenes.

Kevin Smith directed his second episode of The Flash this year but professes none of this would be possible without executive producer Andrew Kreisberg. The two compared the shows in a talk with EW, including the most readily visible difference.

"Arrow seems of a different feather than Supergirl and The Flash, not the least of which is like, they've got superpowers and this guy has just got a bow and arrow," says Smith.

The lead character's reliance on practical weaponry makes the budget significantly smaller, as really the only regularly occurring expense is all the arrows, which are created digitally. Still, you'll be surprised at how small that really is.

"The visual effects budget of Arrow is literally a tenth [of Supergirl and The Flash]," explains Kreisberg. "It's a lot of stunt-work. It's all practical by design."

You can watch the full conversation in the video above, and you can find the synopsis for the Arrow season 5 finale below.

The battle between Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Adrian Chase (Josh Segarra) culminates in a final epic battle on Lian Yu. After recent events, Oliver decides to recruit a group of unlikely allies – Slade (guest star Manu Bennett), Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law), Merlyn (John Barrowman) and Digger Harkness (guest star Nick. E. Tarabay) – to defeat Chase. However, Chase has his own army – Black Siren (guest star Katie Cassidy), Evelyn Sharp (guest star Madison McLaughlin) and Talia al Ghul (guest star Lexa Doig) – and the forces collide in an explosive season finale.

Based on the characters from DC, ARROW is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti ("The Flash," "Supergirl"), Marc Guggenheim ("DC's Legends of Tomorrow," "Eli Stone"), Wendy Mericle ("Desperate Housewives," "Eli Stone"), Andrew Kreisberg ("The Flash," "Eli Stone," "Warehouse 13") and Sarah Schechter ("The Flash," "DC's Legends of Tomorrow").

MORE ARROW: The Latest Supergirl, Flash, and Arrow Seasons Arrive On Netflix / Manu Bennett Campaigning For Deathstroke Solo Series / Creator Marv Wolfman Weighs In On A Potential Deathstroke Spinoff

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