10 Things Filmmakers Need To Stop Doing Immediately

“In slow motion, the blast is beautiful,” sang Snow Patrol, presumably having just watched the opening sequence of The Hurt Locker.

Lovely crisp slow motion, accounted for by the way in which the footage is shot, is a wonderful cinematic treat. Think: the innovative bullet time used in The Matrix, or The Comedian smashing through his apartment window followed by the bloody smiley face badge in Watchman, or the elevator blood in The Shining. It is an excellent technique when employed correctly

However, slow motion that is presumably decided upon in the editing room, and therefore was not shot with the correct shutter speed for maximum smoothness and prettiness, cheapens and dates any production dramatically. There is a lot of this in eighties and nineties cinema, even in otherwise ascetically pleasing films like Blade Runner when poor near-naked Joanna Cassidy is shot and falls through all that glass.

It is better not to over-use slow motion either – yes, Mr Bay and Mr Snyder, you. However nice it looks, it will lose its power if every punch in the fight or explosion in the war is slowed down. Plan for it, use it sparingly, when it dramatically has meaning if possible, and all will be well.