Movies

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. 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.
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. The film must be in color. 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. Optical work and filters are forbidden.
6. The film must not contain superficial action (murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden (that is to say that the film takes place here and now).
8. Genre movies are not acceptable.
9. The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 43, 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. The director must not be credited.

With the Dogma 95 movement the concept of film design is rather limited. While shooting on location does bring an interesting aspect to a film being unable to bring in any props and being limited to whats available on the location itself is rather constricting and unheard of in todays era of big budget films. It does however force actors and the director to be more creative with whats available to them and would result in a film that focuses more on good acting rather than flashy effects.

In terms of sound since no background noise is allowed aside from whats present already in the shooting itself (passing cars, a radio or television). The average movie viewer who has gotten used to fast paced music during actions scenes and slow, haunting music during tragedies would find themselves in a world devoid of the sounds they are used to. The reasoning behind this I believe is for the watcher to focus all their attention on the actors every word. The tone of the actors voice, the strength of the delivery, or the soft whisper of intimacy. Forcing the audience to focus on every bated breath of the actor due to the lack of other forms of outside interference in a dark theater is the goal of the director. The reasoning behind this is to pull the audiences attention towards the actors themselves. To make them remember not the settings, the music or the props but the plot of the film, the superb acting of the actors and the quality of the dialogue.

Since Dogma 95 advocates the usage of a handheld camera every single movement, action and even every mistake is caught on the camera. With the camera following the action instead of the actions happening right where the camera is it makes a person feel as if he is right there in the thick of it. Imagine being in a dark theater, with no background music, all your attention focused on the actors voices and motions however you notice a slight swaying of the camera, a movement here and there as if you yourself were right there moving your head, with all your attention focused on the screen it feels as if you are right there in that particular scene. That you are looking right at the actors as if you were sitting down or standing up near them. That what you are looking at isnt a movie screen rather its the lens of your mind.

With little to next to no editing allowed aside from the average cutting of scenes or transferring of film to another medium would seem to most that the end result would be rather plain however the reasoning behind this is to make the scenes seem raw and vivid. To make people believe that they themselves are a part of the film and not merely viewer. Thats one of the reasons why temporal or geographical alienations are not allowed. It is to ensure the continued illusion for the viewer that everything is happening right in front of them as if they were right there.

As for music, none of it is allowed unless it is through a prop already in the scene, a radio, a television etc. Since random scores of music dont usually play in real life whenever something tragic or exciting happens so to does the movement try to stay true to this as well.

For me being able to focus your attention entirely on a few things instead of lots of external stimuli is what Dogma 95 is about. No flashy graphics or epic songs, no special effects just plain good acting and directing.

British social realism
The design of British Social Realism is to use ordinary people with the problems that every average person can relate with and put them on the big screen.
For British Social Realism the life of the average person, with all its quirks, problems, little peices of happiness and moments of joy is what is important.

Real life, the way in which people live, not the flashy life of a secret agent, not the ife of a space hero but that of the ordinary individual. With all the flaws that comes with it. It through this use of the ordinary that majority can relate and watch in fascination as they watch another person deal with the problems they deal with, live a life similar to theirs and solve problems through ways that they themselves underwent. To watch it is to watch how life really is and that in itself is more provocative and inspiring than any fiction of adventure or of outer space that has been made.

For the sound of the film it relies mainly on what is happening then and there. It relies on the emotions of the person involved, their truthful reactions, the way that they show their emotions through their acting of their portrayal of the normal life of an individual. The frustrations, the joys all the normal reactions that a person whose lived an average life would have when confronted with adversary or joy.

The scenes are shot mainly in the real world when I say real world I mean in a real life environment wherein the extras are people who arent even aware of the film itself. The casually walk by and see the camera man shooting the movie but have no idea what is going on. Anything can happen, it shows the real lide situations most people have when walking on the streets where people act the way they usually do. With no planned actions of extras, no choreographed scenes of walking. The camera captures life as it happens and it is through this that people can relate with what happens in the film itself.

Editing is allowed however only to the extent that bad scenes are taken out. As much as possible the director wants to keep the real life aspect of the film with problems during shooting (people staring) appearing on camera as well. It adds a touch of realism to the way the scenes are shot.
Music can be added during certain scenes to add emphasis to a situation. A sad mournful song for heartbreaking scenes. A happy go lucky song for scenes depicting happiness, It is all for finding a way for the audience to relate with what they are seeing on the screen.

British Social Realism focuses on how a person can relate to whats being portrayed wherein they would be able to say that happened to me as well, I went through that or my life is exactly like that. The movement focuses on how people relate with what they see with their own lives and thus be captured in the world of the movie.