▁F alk ▁and ▁Ben ▁G azz ara ) ▁in ▁his ▁films . ▁As ▁Cass av etes ▁said , ▁he ▁stro ve ▁" to ▁put ▁[ act ors ] ▁in ▁a ▁position ▁where ▁they ▁may ▁make ▁ass es ▁of ▁themselves ▁without ▁feeling ▁they ' re ▁reve aling ▁things ▁that ▁will ▁eventually ▁be ▁used ▁against ▁them ." ▁ ▁The ▁manner ▁in ▁which ▁Cass av etes ▁employed ▁impro vis ation ▁is ▁frequently ▁misunder stood . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁version ▁of ▁Sh adows , ▁his ▁films ▁were ▁completely ▁script ed . ▁Conf usion ▁ar ises ▁in ▁part ▁because ▁Cass av etes ▁allowed ▁actors ▁to ▁bring ▁their ▁own ▁interpret ations ▁of ▁characters ▁to ▁their ▁performances . ▁ ▁Dialog ue ▁and ▁action ▁were ▁script ed ▁but ▁delivery ▁was ▁not . ▁ ▁Cass av etes ' s ▁un orth odox ▁characters ▁reflected ▁his ▁similarly ▁un con vent ional ▁method ▁in ▁the ▁making ▁of ▁his ▁films . ▁He ▁employed ▁mostly ▁his ▁friends ▁as ▁actors ▁and ▁set ▁personnel , ▁generally ▁for ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁money ▁guarantee ▁and ▁a ▁share ▁in ▁the ▁prof its ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁Both ▁Sh adows ▁and ▁F aces ▁were ▁shot ▁over ▁a ▁four - year ▁period ▁on ▁week ends ▁and ▁whenever ▁funds ▁became ▁available . ▁ ▁Cass av etes ▁said : ▁" The ▁hard est ▁thing ▁for ▁a ▁film - maker , ▁or ▁a ▁person ▁like ▁me , ▁is ▁to ▁find ▁people ▁… ▁who ▁really ▁want ▁to ▁do ▁something ▁… ▁They ' ve ▁got ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁a ▁project ▁that ' s ▁their