How to Write Moving Picture Plays (1915)

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HOW TO WRITE MOVING PICTURE PLAYS 15 Imagine my surprise recently when I opened a manuscript and read the title, “The Bride’s Feat.” The play was supposed to be a drama, but the title would signify a comedy. Choose an attractive title — not too long. Avoid one that contains eight or ten words; this may be necessary at times, but two, three, four, or five words is far preferable. A title THAT WILL APPEAL TO THE CURIOSITY is very important to the producer in advertising the film, therefore of much value to YOU in getting your work accepted. These producers are in business to make money, and if they can display a poster advertising a play with an attractive, appealing title that will make the nickels flow into their coffers, it is attaining their desires. Make the title suggest something definite — one of suspense, and not one that tells your story before it begins. Do not call your play, “The Derelict’s Return;” call it, “The Derelict.” Make the audience await his return; why tell them before you begin that he will eventually return? Do not name your story, “The Deserter’s Vindication;” call it, “The Deserter,” or, “The Deserter at Bay,” or, “The Deserter’s Child,” or “The Deserter’s Mission,” or some other title suitable for your play without telling audience at the very start that your deserter will finally be vindicated; this destroys much of the suspense, and we know what to expect as the story advances. Do not call it, “A Fortune Regained;” name it, “A Fortune at Stake.” Make us wait and see whether or not it will be regained. Do not give playtitle of your principal character unless it be someone well known in history. “Roy Samuels,” “Joe Matthews,” or “Esther Hall,” means nothing to the reader, while George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte, or Abraham Lincoln would attract. Avoid the stock expressions for titles such as, “ Bread Cast Upon the Waters,” “The Tie that Binds,” “The Lane that had no Turning,” “Where Ignorance is Bliss,” “For His Brother’s Sake,” “The Wages of Sin,” “An Eye for an Eye,” “A Little Child shall Lead Them,” etc. These are old, stereotyped phrases that are time-worn by constant usage. Originality in the title plays as important a part as originality in the theme. The following examples are the kind that excites curiosity and makes us want to know “what it is all about ’ ’ : — The Intercepted Letter. A Woman’s Privilege. An Interrupted Honeymoon. When the Clock Struck One. The Midnight Intruder. A Book Agent’s Dilemma. A Counterfeit Dollar. The Unsealed Envelope. Another Man’s Wife. A Night of Peril. Section 14.— SYNOPSIS. The synopsis is of vital importance to YOU. Your scenario may be excellent, and if your synopsis is unattractive, the scenario editor may be prejudiced at the very start and not give the scenario the attention it deserves. But if your synopsis is attractive and appealing, the editor will certainly go on and on until he has read the scenario from beginning to end. Producing company often uses this synopsis for advertising the film in various trade journals, and is therefore doubly pleased if the synopsis is attractive. IT IS WELL TO COMPLETE YOUR SCENARIO FIRST AND THEN WRITE YOUR SYNOPSIS. Having the completed scenario before you will enable you to use every strong feature of the story in writing the synopsis. It is not sufficient to say, “After several misfortunes, Bob succeeds in winning Maude’s hand.” You must relate in as few words as possible an outline of these misfortunes. Boy may have experienced some original adventure that will go a long way towards an acceptance of your play. You are not doing yourself justice, and neither does the editor know the substance of story wdthout reading scenario. Say, “Bob is locked in a closet by the villain, breaks down the door, misses his train, rents an automobile, has a wild chase through the country, collides with a farmer’s wagon, is arrested, etc.” Try to limit your synopsis to not more than two hundred words; an editor with one hundred manuscripts before him would far rather read two hundred words than five hundred. However, this is not imperative, and you should do your story justice by including in the synopsis all the appealing touches of your play, even should it take more words to do so. Try to put your Title, Synopsis, and Cast of Characters on the first sheet; in any event, always begin scenario on a fresh sheet, marking the first sheet of your scenario, “Page No. 1.” It is unnecessary to number your title page. (See sample play.) In writing your synopsis, do not say: — “John Dawson was a tall, broad-shouldered, handsome man of twenty-five, deeply in love with pretty Jane Walker, the village belle. However, he has a jealous rival in the person of Frank Morris. Jane is quite undecided as to whom she prefers, one moment believing that John has established greater favor in her eyes,” etc. Write it, instead: — “John Dawson and Frank Morris are jealous rivals for the hand of Jane Walker, village belle. Jane is undecided as to her preference.” We have there in twenty-three words what was unnecessarily expressed in more than fifty words. Omit all superfluous words and descriptions, including in a brief manner all strong points of your story. (Note brevity of synopsis in sample play, and also the fact that all the important features of story are included.) Some writers consider it a good idea to allow a critical friend to read the synopsis when it is completed, and pass judgment. But every “friend” is inclined to praise your efforts, tell you the story is far better than the majority produced, and that it certainly ought to sell. Admit, kind student, that if he or she did not express a favorable comment the friendship would be severed. It is possible, though, they might suggest some additional point or situation to strengthen your plot. Section 15.— CAST OF CHARACTERS. Try to limit your cast to a few characters; too many are confusing. Keep all principal characters together as nearly as possible. Do not have a character appear in first scene and then not reappear until the last scene. Introduce all of your principal characters as early in