Common Mistakes By Independent Filmmakers

I watch a lot of movies for my job. Over the past ten years, I've probably seen thousands of movies. Most of these are from independent filmmakers looking to gain distribution. There are certain mistakes I see independent filmmakers making time and time again. It's not even beginning filmmakers, this is common among people that have made 10 or 20 independent films. They keep making these mistakes and that's a large part of what's holding them back and preventing them from transitioning to the mainstream.

Here are a couple of common mistakes I see all the time:

1. Trying to do it all yourself. When I see the same person has written/directed/produced/edited/filmed the piece, I know it's going to be bad. Find your strengths and stick to them. There are a lot of really talented people who would love the opportunity to work on your film. Let them. Find the best editor you can. Find the best director of photography.

2. Don't get too married to the script. I've seen too many films with stilted and artificial dialogue. Or unfunny jokes kept in that should have been cut. Writing is rewriting. If you see something isn't working, rewrite it. Allow your actors to improvise. Some are better at it then others. If they come up with something good, keep it. Don't let them say whatever they want. But if a certain line doesn't feel right, change it. Of course it goes without saying that you need to lock your script at least a week before shooting. Nothing annoys actors more than constant changes right before they film. But also, allow for discovery and improv while shooting. Sometimes a throwaway line that they come up with on the spot can be better than anything you could have written.

3. No resolution to your film. Too many filmmakers try to be arty by leaving the ending open. It very very rarely works. Try to wrap up the story as much as possible. Then once you have the resolution, end the film as quickly as possible after that. Unless you have an interesting twist or new bit of information at the end, then there's no need to keep it going. Although the end of the film isn't exactly a place to put out new information. Just finish it and move on.

4. Info dump at the beginning. If you start the film with a fourteen minute monologue about everything that has happened before the film, there's no way an audience will stick with you through that. It's best to space out the information over the course of the film. If the audience doesn't absolutely have to know it, then cut it out.

5. Don't depend on your friends. I know this sounds harsh. Unless your friend works in the film business, it's best not to use them. Sure you can have them come in for a day and be an extra. But anything above that is setting yourself up for disaster. I learned this the hard way. It's better to find eager, hard working film students or other people who want to work on films. They will work their hearts out to try and make the best film possible. Your friends are only there to help you as a favor. They don't want to be there. If you want to retain that friendship, let them come to the premiere and leave it at that.

Those are five common mistakes I see in independent films. I'll post more as I think of them. What do you guys think? Are there certain mistakes you guys see in independent films that happen a lot? Let me know in the comments.