Since the dawn of cinema, crews have built realistic sets for their films. The classic tokusatsu films like Godzilla, produced by Toho Studios, required life-size sets as well of scale miniature cities to tell the story. While the monsters may have been the big guys on camera, the human production crews were the giants behind the scenes.
I found an out-of-print book, Japanese Special Effects Films Illustrated, at a local library. The pictorial guide features information and tons of behind-the-scenes shots from dozens classic Toho SFX films.