Overused techniques?

Stock sound effects.
Pulp Fiction dialogue.
Push/pull shots.
Placing camera in a fridge or cabinet.
Handheld shots.
"Serious looking shots" (desaturation through color grading).
Lens flares.
Dutch angles.
Predictable story structures.
Stories about bullying/zombies/gangsters/slackers.
"Clever" twist endings.
Dream sequences.
Flashbacks.
Royalty-free music.
Exposition through dialogue.
Shots of characters waking up.
"Subtle" pop culture references and quotes.
 
ChimpPhobiaFilms said:
Stock sound effects.
Pulp Fiction dialogue.
Push/pull shots.
Placing camera in a fridge or cabinet.
Handheld shots.
"Serious looking shots" (desaturation through color grading).
Lens flares.
Dutch angles.
Predictable story structures.
Stories about bullying/zombies/gangsters/slackers.
"Clever" twist endings.
Dream sequences.
Flashbacks.
Royalty-free music.
Exposition through dialogue.
Shots of characters waking up.
"Subtle" pop culture references and quotes.
Click to expand...

I think you've excluded every single film ever made :)
 
moonshieldmedia said:
I think you've excluded every single film ever made :)
Click to expand...

Not that all of those techniques are all bad.... although some of them are...

Stock sound effects. Royalty-free music.

Oh man, these two irritate me :grrr:


Others can be bad:

ChimpPhobiaFilms said:
Pulp Fiction dialogue.
Push/pull shots.
Placing camera in a fridge or cabinet.
Handheld shots.
"Serious looking shots" (desaturation through color grading).
Lens flares.
Dutch angles.
Predictable story structures.
Stories about bullying/zombies/gangsters/slackers.
"Clever" twist endings.
Dream sequences.
Flashbacks.
Exposition through dialogue.
Shots of characters waking up.
"Subtle" pop culture references and quotes.
Click to expand...

We're talking about overused techniques. I'm not saying that I don't like all films that do [insert technique here], it's just that because of how skillfully used that technique is, people thought that it would work just as well in their film as it would in the previous film which it was used in better.

Example: Push/Pull was good in Vertigo.
The Push/Pull effect has been good in other films, both horrible in hundreds.

Not that it can't be done well, but unless it has a purpose and is done subtly then it will come off as cheesy. That goes for everyone of those techniques.

One that I'm sure will be mentioned is gangster/slacker/zombie films. Not that I don't always dislike films of those kinds, but I've seen them overused in student films and even in many features and seeing that they can easily be done poorly, there are many films that have come across as done poorly due to their lack of studying, originality, or etc. etc. etc. You get the idea.
 
Every. Single. Time. A microphone appears in a movie, it will have two seconds of high pitched feedback when the person tries to talk into it.

Also in terms of stories I'm sick of seeing this year, depressing broken family stories!
 
jax_rox said:
Every. Single. Time. A microphone appears in a movie, it will have two seconds of high pitched feedback when the person tries to talk into it.
Click to expand...

Oh man, THIS! Of all the things mentioned in this thread, this one for me makes me cringe every single time.

The thing is, having done live sound for school plays and such when I was in high school, this almost never happens.
 
Running female falls down during her escape from antagonist.

Desaturated color grading.

Sex scenes are 100% serious. SERIOUS! There's never any joking, smiling, or just having fun f#cking each other.
SERIOUS! :rolleyes:
 
I like gangster films.. I dislike when people drop a gun and it goes off. Believe it or not, guns are made with safety in mind and don't just randomly fire when impacted.. especially if it lands in the grass (I'm looking at you, kiss kiss bang bang)
 
jax_rox said:
You've obviously never seen Young People F**king ;)
Click to expand...
:lol:
Apparantly I've been doing it wrong for quite some time, now. :D

Let me go put on my "SERIOUS" face now while I go motor-boating her... nevermind.


Oh! And I also think dysfunctional relationship sex on film is both disturbing and cliche (because no one ever seems to have a normal, healthy sex life in "film world.")

Know what I'd like to see?
Aside from the aforementioned healthy sex, I'd like to see a healthy relationship portrayed of some pretty "non-standard"/fetishist sex.
Surprise me.
I guess I'm kinda sick and tired of cliche "all non-standard sex must be portrayed as abberant, where one individual is clearly getting the short end of the stick - and he/sh'e not happy about it." :rolleyes:
You know... it's a big d@mn world out there of consenting adults.
I certainly don't want to get all latexed up in some suburban BDSM dungeon to do something or have something done to/for me - BUT - I respect the right of all dem super freaks to do whatever sorta freaky sh!t they wanna do.
I really don't care.


Learn to use firearms properly in film.
Learn to portray sex properly in film.
Learn the fundamentals of physics so that cars don't flip up into the air when they hit a bush on the side of the road in film.
Don't have your escaping damsels in distress fall down.
Monsters with big teeth and scales and demon eyes are all also cliche.
Obviously-evil-looking dolls behaving evil is cliche.

Overused film technique?
  • Shakey cam.
  • Found Film.
  • Centering subject w/o any artistic merit.
  • Off screen kills.
  • Boring story unfolds before our eyes.
 
rayw said:
Learn to use firearms properly in film.
Learn to portray sex properly in film.
Learn the fundamentals of physics so that cars don't flip up into the air when they hit a bush on the side of the road in film.
Don't have your escaping damsels in distress fall down.
Monsters with big teeth and scales and demon eyes are all also cliche.
Obviously-evil-looking dolls behaving evil is cliche.
Click to expand...

But... but...

Then it doesn't look as cool on screen! ;)

  • Boring story unfolds before our eyes.
Click to expand...

This.
 
jax_rox said:
But... but...

Then it doesn't look as cool on screen! ;)
Click to expand...
LOL!

I don't know who to be more annoyed with: the directors for perpetuating gross stupidity or the audience that lets them get away with it.



I'm thinking of having a big toothed scaly monster running after a damsel in distress and the monster falls down, breaks out several big teeth.
:D
And then she stops, goes back, she provides comfort, helps him find his broken teeth, (She's going to be a dentist!), she fixes his teeth, they strike up a VERY non-standard relationship, and engage in regular sex in the woods.
There'll be an epic waterfall scene.
Ecstasy echoes through the valley.
Repeatedly.
It'll be great.

No found footage.
No shakey cam.
I'll probably oversaturate the colors for max vibrance!
The dutch angles I'd use WILL BE AWESOME! It's going straight to DVD, so no MPAA worries!
Oh! And on that waterfall scene I'll use that infernal push/pull effect the way it was d@mn well designed to be used!
Push/pull!
Push/pull!
Push/pull!
Push/pull!
Push/pull!
Yes!
Yes!
Yes!
AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Don't stop, you BEAST!
Push/pull!
Push/pull!
Push/pull!
Etc...

The conflict will be with his and her families that don't condone the unconventional relationship.
People and monsters will die horrible deaths via pump-action small caliber revolvers with endless bullets in their five-round cylinders and a slide to pull for dramatic effect.


Sigh...
 
Ray, please make this movie. Give the monster a Barney-like voice, and tiny arms like a T-rex. I'd pay to see this abomination
 
You think we could make money?! :yes:

inflatable-sex-toy-malfunctions-animated.gif
 
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