I get you, thanks. I've done this in auditions, tried not to impose on what actors might bring to it...and come to think of it, I've done it on the shoot, too, without thinking about it. But my goal has been to see where they move. A physical thing. Something for me to think about more.

Cool article. Interested in no. 3, but not fully understanding it. I always thought you would do a few scripted takes and then try a wild, improvised take. Clint seems to be talking about doing it on the first take.

Well done on the article, Mike -- its success is evident in the wealth of comments. Weirdly, I find myself agreeing with everyone here and now I don't know what to think. But the point is, as someone who has made only short films and has never considered anything else: I'm now thinking.

With mentions of Panavision New York, Alexa, and The Mill, I realise that my experiences of "under $1,000" are depressingly far from this! But good on you for building those relationships and taking advantage. The same principles can apply to us all.

This makes me miss using video cameras. Managing batteries for DSLR setups is no fun at all.