Learning from past students

• Have a lot of shot variety
• cut away shot
• cross cutting (fast or slow cutting creates an intense mood)
• 3 way crosscut (eye of man looking around, kettle boiling,  )
• tempting to use dialogue to provide exposition but it's better to show visuals to show some signifiers
• create your own version of existing music 
• counter type ( challenge the stereotypes e.g. in slasher movies the killer are always male so therefore use a female killer)

...

...

• Health and safety check (in pre-production)
• create a mature mood but without creating material which isn't for +18
• take strong inspiration from more than just one film opening
• mise-en-scene to create anchorage/exposition
• wipe shot (old fashioned)
• have at least one clear binary opposition
• transition into main film
• shooting at night poses real challenges or image quality
• smart framings
• use candles to make the scene brighter 
• appeal to secondary audience as well