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From Hollywood Conducted by M. T. O. M OST of us accept without a sec- ond thought the statement that the motion pictures of today are a vast improvement over those of ten, or even five years ago. We realize, of course, that' they are better, and we are glad of it, but as a rule we don't bother about why. Of the many factors in the improve- ment of the "movies" a very big one is the Art Director. His is the task of pro- viding the background—the pictorial framework—for the action, and unless he knows his business he can easily spoil the picture. Formerly the Art Director needed to know merely enough to see that the chairs in a set matched and that the pic- tures hung straight on the walls. Today he is first of all an artist, second a bit of a genius, and after that an architect, a draftsman, a sculptor, a carpenter, a me- chanic, an electrician, a cameraman, and a multitude of other things. All of which simply means that he must know some- thing of every art or craft that has to do with making the setting of the picture an artistic unit. "I'll say this much for the dear old Art Director," said Jack Okey of the big Brunton Studios. "He is responsible for fully a five hundred per cent improve- ment in the artistic standard of motion pictures in the last five years." A truly.remarkable statement, which I began in some measure to comprehend as our conversation went on. I had wanted to know about the Art Director's job, and in answer to my ques- tions, Mr. Okey picked up a sheaf of papers that lay on the table before him. "These are some of the sketches for Allen Holubar's new picture," he said. "We'll go through them." First of all, he told me, he reads iM manuscript of the play to be produci and talks it over with the director, wh perhaps sketches roughly on paper hi ideas of the settings he wants. The Ai Director's business is then to redui these general ideas to tangible form, an —very important—-translate them i: terms of feet and inches. For example the director wants a room of Spanisi type. He suggests the general shape an] character. The Art Director makes 1 pencil drawing of the room, a front an* side elevation, perhaps—enough to enabl the director to decide whether it will sui his plans or not. Along with this draw ing goes a floor plan. . I The two directors go over the plans to gether to decide just how much of tri room will be needed in the scenes. Anj* thing which will not show is eliminated for this is the point at which to detec and curtail unnecessary labor and ex pense. Fewer changes than one migh expect are made in sets after they an built. Mistakes cost money; hence th extremely careful planning on paper be fore building is begun. Very few of these preliminary sketches are done in color, for that takes time, am time is precious in the movies. "Speed 1 is the watchword, first and lasU NeveB theless, I did see some small watercolo: plates. One was of a quaint Spanisi bungalow which had been built for thi express purpose of being burned down, j The plans, revised and finally approved go into the hands of a mechanical drafts man, who draws them to scale for th< builders, and brings detail work, such a; decorations, to the correct size for theii reproduction in wood, plaster, or what ever material is to be used. (Concluded on page 32) IS