Methods and apparatus provide for an output manager that receives an identification of content. The output manager receives an identification of a set of filters to be applied to the content where each filter in the set of filters defines a sequence of steps to be applied to the content. The output manager identifies shared steps that are common to the sequence of steps of at least two filters in the set of filters. Thus, upon a first execution of a shared step in a sequence of steps by a filter, the output manager caches output of the first execution to be used in place of execution of that shared step in a sequence of steps of another filter in the set of filters.