I loved reading about the shouldn't do's for once. I like it when people are blunt and honest with me. I never realized so many people were really interested in film. It has totally woken me up to start studying books about film, watching movies (really watching them and all the technicals), working up ideas about future films I would like to create, and much more. There is so much to do and I am so overwhelmed. I'm the only person I know personally right now that is really interested in film and its hard to get going because I don't have many people to discuss it with or actually practice making films that suck (j/k). Best of luck to all of you and remember to stick to your dream because there is always tomorrow.

Location: AZ USA

Thinking about it more these rules are more guidelines. Some of the best filmmakers are rule breakers, e.g Godard, the danger being that your list will become the inspiration for directors to make films in exactly the way you advise against. What is wrong with long takes, surely it is not the technique that is used, but how it is used that counts. Even the dreaded long sequences in black are explained by David Lynch as being a blank space allowing the viewer's imagination to fill it. I can even forgive Robert Rodriguez for casting that ugly chick as the sexual interest in El Mariachi forhis sheer verve at creative filmmaking. Ridley Scott seems desperate to make every shot in his pictures aesthetically complex, but this is not really the filmmakers art. It is increasingly difficult to come up with new techniques and ideas, there aren't many Spike Jonzes out there. Christ! i'm turning into a pessimist, no go forth and film thyne cat's arse, it'll be a masterpiece.

Location: London, U.K.

I wish I'd discovered your list when I made my first student film in 1997. But you forgot these: 1) The dramatically flickering striplight. Presumably meant as a visual metaphor for the protagonist's skewed state of consciousness. Or something. 2) The looking meaningfully into a mirror and rubbing face bit - clearly our hero has had a bad day. 3) The crane up at the end finale. Shit - we've got the cherrypicker -we'd better use it. I worked on a 35mm short by some very determined German filmmakers and they had a phenomenal crane shot which took all day to set up. To do them justice, when it came to the edit, they decided it wasn't necessary and slowed things down too much so they dropped it. Six hour's shoot for a shot they dumped. Beware - do you really need that shot?? That said, I've commited most of the sins on the list myself but as I always say - don't learn from your mistakes - learn from other people's! Keep shooting! Gavin Boyter. Writer/Director

Location: London, UK

It's hard to laugh and cry at exactly the same time. It still hurts from trying.

Location: USA

Hey, there is nothing wrong with dolly/zooms, ever seen goodfellas? Second... student/independent films need to learn when to cut. I am sick of watchin the "retrospective thinking shot" up on the screen for over a minute. Cut it damn it... u have no idea how boring that is. Make ur stories move. I dont care how lame ur shots are just make me wanna see more. And if its crap its crap... dont hide behind "art"... Oh its 'art'... ya but i still cant stay awake when im watchin it. Ok im sorry for ranting... but i think the whole point of movies is to entertian.. and if u use some cliche'd shots and they work.. go for it. Just make the story good.

Location: Atlanta , ga USA

The indie film world is filled with basically 3 types of people; assholes, smarms, and regular joes. Assholes are the kind of people who are going to write to this list and say, in all caps, "YOU GUYS SUK" or something like that. Usually they can't spell, they promote themselves like a rapper, and they're obnoxious. Whether they can make a decent film or not has no bearing because these people whould be killed and ground into coyote feed. The world does not need assholes.

Smarms (as in smarmy), well there are a few different kind of smarms, but basically it's anyone who thinks they know it all, or think they are an artist struggling against the establishment. So it can run from some punk kid who writes in "I make great movies. I'm doing it for me and no one else. You guys with your list are fascists!", that sort of thing... Or it can be someone who works in the industry, going on a didactic diatribe for pages and pages with their own guidelines to good filmmaking. Either way, whether they can make a good film or not is moot. These people are extremely arrogant and self-absorbed and also need to be fed to the coyotes. The last thing the world needs is a pompous know-it-all, or a punk trying his best to be oppressed (word to the wise punks- only those thast hold direct power over you can be trying to oppress you. A website has no power, so therefore they are not trying to submit you to their will, neither are you oppressed because of it).

Smarms and assholes both usually have extensive networks of friends that constitute a support group that allows them to be assholes and smarms and feel good about it.

Regular Joes are people with a bit of humility, who've maintained their sense of wonder, and aren't brimming over with hubris like the other people. These are people who can laugh at themselves, and not take everything so seriously, especially things like DUMPS. They're less self absorbed than the other folks, and often find themselves in their shadows, if only because they're not willing to do and say the evil things smarms and assholes do to get ahead. It doesn't matter if these people can make a good film or not, because if they can, praise and success will not make them worse people, as it would for smarms and assholes. And making a bad film will only serve to teach them a lesson. These people deserve to get paid to feed the coyotes.

Location: LA, CA USA

i want to study film,i make films with all these cheese thing's that you have listed ,i do it on purpose,just for a good laugh,and you might want to add this to your list,(guy walking around with somthing in hand,and he's going to meet someone)that is the ultimate cheese.

Location: la, la USA

This has been said before, but it's worth saying again. Pay attention in English class! Anyone who cannot compose a simple sentence on a computer that has a spell checker and thinks they can get their ideas or feelings across in a film are fooling themselves. I suppose some people think writing like a 8-year-old is some kind of slacker or hip-hop style, but all it does is make you look like an 8-year-old. I know that it's considered cool by some young adults to not care too much about anything. I can only point out that there are a great many people out there of all ages who still believe in using care and exercising ability in making themselves understood. If half of your words are misspelled and you display no sense of how your own language works, no one will ever take your treatments, scripts, or films seriously. Of course, if sounding like a kindergartner is part of your "aesthetic" or "style" or "mystique" or whatever, then go for it. I'd rather spend my time reading or viewing work by artists who have chosen not to waste my time.

Location: Williamsburg, VA USA

I stand corrected. Hey, it was a first draft!

Location: Williamsburg, Va USA

I think it's ironic that this person has a glimmer of enlightenment about the ins and outs of filmmaking, but communicates like a child. It's almost like an oxy-moron. Some of the things written have a bit of relevance and are even thought provoking, but I had to struggle through the "DUMPS" because of the ignorant and "marmy" writing style. I suggest this "DUMPS" guy focus less on film school and go back to middle school.

Location: Washington D.C., USA

move your camera slowly and smoothly. if its fast and rough, the entire audience will throw up.

Location: USA

I have read and re-read the list and subsequent comments, and have tried to learn from them. Hopefully in the near future when I make my (ahem) "masterpiece" I can avoid all the over-used and under-justified techniques (AKA "cheese"). However, I think the emphasis should be on justification. If it is truly justified, I think it is ok to use these techniques. If they are executed in a slick and original way, so much the better. It is worth remembering that DUMPS is a guide to student film makers, written by people who got pissed off watching crap student films. After all, many mainstream directors use these techniques with success - but this is because they got all the cheese out of their system as students and can now justify the use. (There are of course a few notable exceptions...) I've never made a film of my own (although I've done a little camera work for a friends media studies coursework), nor have I attended film school. I would therefore appreciate any useful advice, in particular using video as a medium. Best wishes to all, David.

Location: UK

Do not use any characters suffering from a mental disorder - anything goes, but who cares? Especially no girls jumping up and down for sheer joy (but actually they are really really sad)

Location: NL

Do not do your own voice-over. The voice you hear inside your head is not the voice they hear in the theatre. But the voice you hear in the theatre IS your voice.

Location: A'dam, NL

I'm enjoying this. Any actor that masters The Three Pillars of Mime (1. Climbing the invisible ladder 2. Eating the very juicy invisible peach 3. Trapped in the invisible glass box) should be fired on the spot. Even your sister.

Location: A'dam, NL

I'd like to look at it like this, those exceptions to the rules are the real geniuses; The true artists. They probably don't need such a harsh list of does and donts. If you're 29, you've been made short films all throughout college, and here you are reading this list and realizing that you've been breaking all of these rules for years... then you've gotta do one of two things: 1. Stop making short films. The chances are you're not a filmmaking genius. You've watched way too many movies your whole life and got wrong idea. So in this case, movies are there for your enjoyment, not your creative outlet. Find another line of work before it gets too late, sorry pal. 2) Re-think the ways that you have been cinematically conveying your vision, cause you know what? It's dull, it's boring, it's been done, it's pretentious.... blah blah blah blah... Whatever the case. So sit down for a while, do what you gotta do, watch some porno, clear your mind, read some books... AND GO OUT THERE AND DO YOUR THING BABY! In the end, theres a whole lot of posers out there... YES POSERS! Cinema posers... Then there's the real deal. The Stanley Kubricks (RIP), the Tim Burtons, the Darren Aronofskys, the David Lynchs, The Coen Brothers (however that would be pluralized), and etc etc etc. These guys didn't have cheese to get outa their system, cause the vision and originality was already in them. The cheese is the result of those guys who don't know how to make a movie, but for some reason think they belong on that long list of geniuses, so they go around incorrectly and unintellegently reusing those genius shots and styles and end up with garbage/cheese. So whatever... that's just my two cents. Good Luck Y'ALL.

Location: CA USA

I hate suicide films. I realy realy hate them. But im making a music video to the marilyn manson cover of suicide is painless. Why? because i like the song. I'm also making a slasher flick that is going back to the style of the 80's horror movie. Why? because I like those movies. This list is great for people who want to make movies for other people to enjoy. The films I make to show to mass audiences, I make following these, and other similar, rules. The films my friends and I make for the hell of it, we do what we want. I guess what I'm getting at is that just because you love your film, don't expect others to feel the same way. And all you assholes that want to say that these rules are facist and that your "experimenting" and making "art". GOOD FOR YOU. Do all of that, you might accedentaly come across something great. Who knows what it will lead to. But dont expect the world to love you for your fuckups along the way.

Location: Columbus, MS USA

Listen, I understand completely what you are trying to do D.U.M.P.S crew, but it seems as though you've attacked almost every aspect of film making. Perhaps maybe you should look into Katherine Atwell Herbert...Ex-script analyst for Paramount. Many of the things you "bag" are recommended by people with real Hollywood experiance. That is if you want to make some real money off of your talent or maybe you just want to sit around and bitch all day? It seems to me, although I see your points in many different ocasions throughout your page, that you guys need to see Jay and Silent Bob - after all the internet is a place where millions of Faceless Critics can be heard. Keep up the good work though...at least you're out there which is more than a lot of us wannabes...

Location: phoenix, az USA

A lot of interest in your piece,but state the principles for sscreen writing clearly. Additionally, can i have findings or abstracts on home video uses and gratifications? How do one ensure objectivity and focus with entertainment in screen writing?

Location: ibadan, 0y0 Nigeria

Don't forget to include these in your student film: 1. Young woman dancing alone in motel room 2. Killer raising large knife/cleaver into f/g of shot 3. A drug deal 4. Completely unresearched heroin injecting sequence 5. Sex scenes where the woman wears a bra or t-shirt 6. A back of head "off screen" blow job shot 7. Your favourite pop song from start to finish 8. Hero sees approaching thug in rear view mirror 9. A cherished photograph falling to the floor 10. Slowmo out of focus shot of happier days

Location: Australia

Hey everybody, I'm one of the guys who wrote the original DUMPS list. Thanks for all of your posts...we never thought this thing would touch a nerve like that. Anyway, I made a short film, so feel free to rip me apart...you can watch it at http://www.herbzipper.com. You can also read an interview with me about DUMPS here: http://www.filmmaker.com/w-agora/view.php3?bn=agora_filmnews&key=1002065... Thanks, and keep up the posts! P.S. - If you're going to email me, make sure to put the word "dumps" in the subject line or message body or it will be deleted before I read it. There's just too much spam coming in.

Location: Los Angeles, CA USA

I had a good laugh reading the list of things "not to do". But I've made a few movies, with no budget... nothing in fact, and some of em sucked, some of em are good, even if they include some of the stuff from the list. Student/amateur films may sometime suck, but the it's not better than the common hollywood movie hit. To me, most of the "big" movies have more cheesy elements than the suckiest amateur films. I think there is no recepie for a good movie, avoiding certain things wont make it better...to me, a good movie is good balance between acting, music, pictures and editing. Anyway. drop a line.

Location: montreal, kanada

What a great set of tips! These are practical and I'm going to keep them in mind when doing my films for school!

Location: Oakville, ON Canada

Gangster films. Look, if you don't actually live that life, just don't make films about it. Surely you have something more important to say to the world than "I like Guy Ritchie."

Location: Australia

As a film student on the verge of making a 4 minute film on any topic, i think that the list of don'ts is a fantastic help and it covers everything i intended to avoid. The list could do with good things to do on it as well as bad. My tip for English Filmakers is if you cannot afford actors, don't have any dialogue because it will just sound crap.

Location: Cambridge, UK