Rules for Dogme ‘96

Every day we find new rules:

  1. *The film must not be named.  Would you name a life?
  2. *No editing or post production must be used. If a passage of time is needed, that time must be filmed and shown in fast forward.
  3. *No film shall use “actors”. Everyone in the world is an actor. Everyone in the world is not an actor.
  4. *If an animal appears in the film he must be wearing clothes.  No one wants to see an animal penis. That is just gross.

Rules of Dogme ‘95

  1. 1) Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in. If a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found.
  2. 2) The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. Music must not be used unless it occurs within the scene being filmed, i.e., diegetic.
  3. 3) The camera must be a hand-held camera. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. The film must not take place where the camera is standing; filming must take place where the action takes place.
  4. 4) The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable (if there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera).
  5. 5) Optical work and filters are forbidden.
  6. 6) The film must not contain superficial action (murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
  7. 7) Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden (that is to say that the film takes place here and now).
  8. 8) Genre movies are not acceptable.
  9. 9) The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, that is, not widescreen. (Originally, the requirement was that the film had to be filmed on Academy 35mm film, but the rule was relaxed to allow low-budget productions.)
  10. 10) The director must not be credited.

Information on Dogme '95
Look at how much more these people are enjoying our REAL films than the schlock Hollywood is giving them.

Look at how much more these people are enjoying our REAL films than the schlock Hollywood is giving them.

Danish Filmmakers Rory and Martin are co-founders of the Dogme 95 film movement. They have since broken apart from their non-peers to form Dogme 96, the true form of cinema.
Contact us: RoryFjordandMartinHamburgle@gmail.com