This was truly funny guys. But you forgot CROSSING THE LINE. That's the one that really points out STUDENT!!! And don't forget all those first time filmmakers that insist on storylines involving GUNS and SUICIDE. The best of course being suicides WITH guns!

Location: L.A., CA USA

Entertaining and spot-on observations. How about the films with the short haired female questioning her sexuality and feminist beliefs? The main female is usually always naked in at least one scene or kissing her best friend or scribbling away furiously in a notebook while we hear or tormented voiceover! I don't know about you lot but I'm over those ones!

Location: Melbourne, VIC AUSTRALIA

Great point about how video effects suck. Now if we can get the film school crowd to stop watching MTV, and get them to watch real films, then maybe we will get more than 1 real film a year...

Location: Spring Lake , NJ USA

The stop go thing. Yah know, when the crew gets one camera, and they want to stop and change views while a character is walking. So they tell the guy to stop, change camera positions, say action and the guy walks. Only it looks like he is really walking then suddenly stops in the next scene, then starts walking again! Ah!

Location: Grand Rapids, MI USA

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A GREAT FILM TO LAUGH AT... DO EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE JUST BEEN TO TOLD NOT TO DO!

ONE MISTAKE IS YOUR PROBLEM... DOZENS OF MISTAKES MAKE FOR FOR A GOOD TIME IN FRONT OF THE TV!

TRUST ME, PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE BAD FILMS. IN FACT, I THINK THAT ROGER CORMAN HAS DONE PRETY WELL FOR HIMSELF WITH THIS LITTLE TRICK...

Location: NASHVILLE, TN USA

Homeless people. Yeah, they're people, too. Yeah, they say some pretty funny shit. Yeah, they're even a big problem in America. But if you don't have anything UNIQUE to say about them, in a unique way, MOVE ON. We've already seen "homeless guy sleeping in park set to Sonic Youth", "Homeless guy rambles on about his problems, and hey he's just like you and me (except he doesn't go dumpster diving for FUN)", "Homeless Santa", "Homeless Hero", "Homeless guy gets pissed at passing motorists and goes BERZERK". I could go on, but I'm writing my treatment for "Homeless CEO". Oh, yeah. I forgot to add "Falling Camera". We've all seen the end of Slacker, and we've all thought it would be fun to toss a $10,000 camera off a skyscraper, but WHY?

Location: Atlanta, GA USA

it could be added that... if you are making a "student" film... maybe you shouldn't be making films to begin with... (an artist can not be taught to be an artist)

Location: richmond, va USA

You should mention that students should avoid over editing their work. There's nothing worse than watching a film where they cut to another angle every time a character moves his head.

Location: clayton, ca USA

Handheld camera and jump cuts (a la: Homicide/NYPD Blue or any of Halloween/Friday the 13th films.) Granted, sometimes they can intensify the action, but most often indicate the student filmmaker's lack of coverage and/or shot selection. Excessive low angle (or other extreme angle) shots are also bothersome. Finally, long exposition with the character(s) either looking directly into or in flat profile to the camera. All are indicators of taking the easy way out. It seems student filmmakers say to themselves, "Hey, I've seen this kind of thing in artsy student films, I'll do it in mine." As a result, all student films look the same and are victims of criticisms like these.

Location: Carrollton, TX USA

I agree with the nameless person to an extent, however, why wouldn't he leave his name and e-mail? I do believe that old, overused ideas can be made to work, but, some need to be put to rest once and for all. How can we forget the extremely long movie about nothing; setting: nowhere- it's timeless and spaceless-ooo, deep AND overdone

Location: Toledo, OH USA

A couple of little things I picked up after making a 16mm student short and dpeeing a couple others. 1/ If you crossed the line like many of you will do, flip it in post (if you're desperate enough). 2/ As director, do you really need to make that cameo appearance? 3/ Forget casting your friends in your film. One, they probably can't act and two, they'll be wanting star treatment. 4/ Minimise diologue in you first film, since you'll probably ignore the last advice and cast friends who can't bloody act. 5/ Stylisticly, be careful at feeble attempts in mimicking great filmmakers like Godard. Saying things like, "In a film, you have the beginning, the middle and the end. To me it doesn't have to be in that order" is just dead lamed when justifying your chosen narrative structure. Or how about, "I did that two minute-one shot-handheld-stabbing scene because I wanted to romanticised the act of killing just like in those Godard films." Sensibilities change over time. Your two minute-one shot-handheld-stabbing scene will probably come out looking like a scene from your first Tarantino-inspired video. 6/ Get a proper DP if you can, or else you'll be spending less time on your talent and more time worrying about whether the aperture was set at t2.5 etc. 7/ Provide catering if you can on your set, or else your cast and crew who supposededly went down the road to grab a quick bite may never come back! 8/ If your script somewhat lacks a cinematic appeal to it, forget wasting money shooting it on film. You may as well shoot it on film. 8/ Forget thinking about doing a Western ot a sci-fi for your first short. Doing a genre in a short film format is very difficult. Your film will probably look like Act One of a feature film, or your Western entitled "The Existential Cowboy" will most likely look like a kitcsh student short. 9/ Do you need to do a film about coping with the loss of a family member? 10/ Make sure you're cam op isn't wearing an eye patch or you focus puller isn't stoned or else you will end up with shonkey focussed shots. 11/ "Hey! Let's shoot the whole film handheld!" Do you really have to? 12/ "Hey! Let's go for that cool tracking shot." If you haven't got a proper dolly and tracks, forget those tracking shots. Shit, I'm writing too much for my own good. Hope that helps.

Location: Hamilton, New Zealand

According to the above, I must be a masochist: I operate a web site that reviews mainly Australian Short Films, and most of these come out of film schools. Yes, some are so bad that I don't get to the end, but some are good, very good. However, here are a few tired themes: bad relationship that both stay in; a no plot film with a twist that is so much of a twist, it looks like the ending of another film; rants to camera "I'm annoyed, why am I annoyed, I'll tell you..."; the young playful fe male teenager that snogs a female friend; and my favourite- a collection of one-liners and images that have no connection and are clearly the extracts from the director's dreams. For some more positive outlooks try: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~smendham

Location: Sydney, NSW Australia

Resisting temptation of primitive postmodernism can be the greatest obstacle of the student filmmaker. You make some interesting points concerning this idea, but there is a general fallacy in delivery. You have to remember that films that are now imitated either in essence or with specific shots were derived from filmmakers that were themselves influenced by prominent directors of their youth. For example, you can take frequently imitated filmmakers Quentin Tarrantino, and Martin Scorsese and trace their influences to directors like Abraham Polonski and John Cassavetes. This is not to say I believe it to be acceptable. On the contrary, I think any deviance from present pop or postmodern imitations should be initiated more consistently. The sign of a true filmmaker artist is not only in his creativity, but also his innovativeness in storytelling using unconventional tactics. I thank you for presenting a straight to the point site with interesting ideas. I would also like to add....where are all of the Los Angeles student filmmakers? CSUN, USC , and UCLA products...

Location: Los Angeles, CA USA

Great site! Every bit of it is true, and I'm still laughing. I've made student films, and seen plenty more. I just thought I'd add that everybody, even really good filmmakers, have been guilty of at least some of the stuff listed here. I did the flamenco thing, and... ok, I admit I used the overhead soundstage shot for no reason once, but it loooked so cool! It's nothing to be ashamed of, short films are where you figure out what works, and that means it's easy to fall into cliches. Roll with it, learn from your mistakes and move on. I just finished my first feature, and it was a few failed shorts in filmschool that made me objective. Failure is priceless!

Location: USA

Here's one thing that drivs me crazy. It's the NYPD Blue unsteady camera that makes you sick to the stomach to watch.

Location: USA

I love you. One addition though-East Villiage coming of age stories with either/or large, gratuitous party scenes with everyone in 70's clothes and drag queens.

Location: NY, NY USA

To the selfish ignorant guy(Rocha)below . You will never work in the film industry. When you're lucky enough to have a collective group of people (industry and student) willing to put their time and effort and HEART to your vision for FREE, the most you can do is show some appreciation by providing as an example, some catering for the crew who put in long hours to help you realise your film. Little things count. Grow up and lose the attitude.

Location: USA

DUMPS, thanks for providing this useful site. Precise, sharp criticisms. However, not all DUMPS are created equal--some seem too general. The "Quest for Truth," for instance, could cover a broad spectrum (the last movie I saw comes to mind--"Good Will Hunting." it turned out all right.)

Location: Hinsdale, IL USA

The DUMPS list was both terribly painful and as funny as hell to read - I'm guilty of more of these than I want to admit. I'm going to print out the list and tape it right over Ingmar Bergman's picture on my wall, where it will hopefully serve as a warning against pretentiousness for me on future short film projects.

Location: USA

DUMPS is great reading. Thats all it is. It's something that should be read and be DUMPED. Getting unduly influenced is what makes student movies suck. It is important to rely on the language of the heart and to translate it in "cinematic terms" - without any preconceived notions or DUMPS. Whoever said film-making was about following rules - its about making your own rules.

Location: Bombay, INDIA

How can I delete my ad from the board?Thank You

Location: ft.lauderdale, fl USA

This section is supposed to be fun, but isn't it amzing what a bunch of cry-babies many short filmmakers seem to be? How about the one below "..I'd be very interested in seeing your first films". This isn't the point: are short films made solely for other short filmmakers? Am I only allowed to make comments if I've made a film? Why do the directors think that somehow their short film is not permitted to be reviewed or critiqued like a feature film? Why do they take such offence at the words "I didn't like it". Nobody forces these guys to make films. Not everyone likes every film and many films have flaws. So what's the problem with talking about the obvious traps like here in DUMPS. I recognise that it is not fair to lump all filmmakers together like this, but the attitude is frightfully common. Lighten up, have fun with this site and your projects. Remember, if you are going to make a film (short or feature), be prepared for feedback whether positve or negative. If you can't take bad reviews about your short film, then it may be time to consider another career because you'll get eaten alive when it comes to features. Australian Short Films And Actors. http://www.ozemail.com.au/~smendham

Location: Sydney, NNSW Australia

I think perhaps an over used short genre is the 'questioning my sexual identity' film. I'm sorry, but I'm getting awful bored with people viewing art as exploring our perverse sexual appetites. What two or three or ten people do in bed with each other is their own business, and unless it has some meaningful commentary attached, it makes me want to puke. I believe it was commented on earlier, and I don't want to be offensive, but more often than not, female film students seem to be obsessed with the theme of confronting their own lesbianism with their roomate, or some version thereof.

Also, side comment: I recently watched 'Four Rooms' for the first time, and I think this is a perfect example of bad short crap. - And they blamed it on the editing *laugh*

Location: W. Lafayette, IN USA

One more overused plot device. It ranks up there along side: Slacker with a gun. Hitmen/Friends/Criminals sitting around a table talking about "the job" or recounting their lives. It's Tarentino again...give it up..

Location: Toronto, On Can

You are a moron and a asshole. You must think you are the best, and it really brings you joy to put down student filmmakers . Sir, you worthless piece of shit, What makes you think that you can make better films. These are film students, and not all of them can make a perfect film to win the student academy award. You say you cant stand watching student films, then why are you there. [GROSSLY OFF-COLOR COMMENT REMOVED] Location: USA