Signs of a Novice Filmmaker

1. On-the-nose dialogue in which characters say exactly what they’re thinking or feeling in lieu of subtle exposition.

2. Excessive use of coincidence.

3. Flashback that disrupt forward momentum and take the audience out of the moment.

4. Voiceovers explaining exactly what can be seen on screen.

5. A perfectly good protagonist or a perfectly evil antagonist.

6. A passive protagonist who does not choose a course of action.

7. Flat frames lacking foreground and background enrichment.

8. Too many scenes filmed from the same distance.

9. Underactive actors who recite lines without seeming to inhabit the scene.

10. Uneven lighting.

11. Poor sound quality.

12. Inattention to continuity, resulting in simple transition errors.

13. An ending that doesn’t grow naturally or inevitably out of previous events.