The following are pretty basic tips that I have picked up along the way. Some of these tips can be bent to fit your vision, but it is always a good idea to know and master the basics before you stray away from them. They are a “top five,” but in no particular order.

1.) Opening credits are a bad idea with a short film. This is because your audience may get bored if the opening sequence is just as long or longer than the film itself. If you must show credits for a short film, they should be at the end. Just the title is sufficient enough at the beginning, and sometimes one or two of the main actors.
2.) The tripod is your friend. Your stop-motion will appear much more smooth with a tripod and if it is live action, your audience will be less likely to want to stab the cameraman. Of course, for certain aesthetic purposes and ease, a tripod is not necessary, but more often than not, keeping the camera steady is most effective.
3.) Transitions can be annoying. You can rarely go wrong with just cutting from one shot to the other, but if a transition is necessary, fades and dissolves are your friends. Most everything else (wipes and other variations) can be super cheesy if used improperly- and if used too much, they are annoying. I find they work best with slideshows and not actual video footage… unless I am going for something cheesy.
4.) Typically, you want your editing to be seamless and unnoticed. Having dialog and music overlap various shots helps keep everything flowing without interruption.
5.) Shoot as many angles as you can. Different angles keep the viewer interested and if you shoot multiple angles of one shot, you will have more options for editing.

Well, that is my first Top Five. I have a few more up my sleeve and I will post them later if there is enough interest.