How to Write Moving Picture Plays (1915)

HOW TO WRITE MOVING PICTURE PLAYS 19 Dear Lois: — Thought I would write to you. Am getting along fine. Hope to make a visit home before long. With much love, Walter. Do you think Lois would appreciate such brevity? If the idea you wish to convey is that Walter expects to come home soon, you could show the closing lines of letter, thus: Show Letter. . . .and will arrange matters to make you a visit very soon. With much love, Walter. (Also see Scenes 1 and 22 of sample play.) After using an insert or leader DURING THE ACTION OF A SCENE, say, “Back to scene,” and then proceed. (See scenes 1 and 9 of sample play.) If you are going to use some former scene or stage setting, use the words, “Same as (and give scene number).” (See scenes 3 and 4 of sample play.) Section 19.— WHAT CONSTITUTES A SCENE. Every time it is necessary to move the camera or change the background of the picture, it constitutes a new scene, and must be shown in your scenario accordingly. More than one scene may, of course, be made with the same background or stage setting (other scenes intervening), but each scene must be numbered consecutively. Do not write: — “Mary leaves the parlor, crosses the hall, and goes out on to porch, looks up and down the street, and returns to the parlor.” Write it: — Scene 5. Parlor. Mary exits into hall. Scene 6. Hall. Mary enters. Exits onto porch. Scene 7. Porch. Mary enters, etc. This would constitute three different scenes, as it requires three different stage settings to show the parlor, the hall, and the porch, and the camera must be moved each time. Then we will repeat Scene 7 and take Mary back to the parlor, as follows: Scene 7. Porch. Mary enters — looks up and down the street — exits into hall. Scene 8. Same as 6. Mary enters. Exits into parlor. Scene 9. Same as 5. Mary enters. To carry out the above, it has been necessary to employ three stage settings and FIVE scenes. A BUST scene is where it is necessary to bring the camera real close to the character or object to be photographed, to enable the audience to see clearly what is being depicted. Supposing we want to show John in the act of altering a signature to a check, or show Mary removing some very small trinkets from a treasure chest, and it is necessary for the audience to see clearly every movement of the fingers. Perhaps we want to show a detective examining the finger-marks on some article, or show our soldier boy studying the photograph in his watch-case. In any of these illustrations the effect would not be as good if we kept the camera back at the regulation distance; we want a close or bust view, where it is discernible just what our character is doing. Therefore we GIVE IT A SEPARATE SCENE NUMBER and say: — 24. Bust scene. Detective examines finger-marks on tablecloth smiles satisfied makes notes in book. 25. Same as (then go back to previous scene). (Also see Bust scenes 6 and 19 of sample play.) It sometimes improves the play to have the wayward son behold a vision of his dead mother or have your soldier boy, in a reminiscent mood, see the vision of “the girl he left behind.” However, we would not suggest using these visions unless you feel confident that they will add material strength to your play. Perhaps the best way, and the easiest for producers, to show a vision scene or dream is to say, “Dissolve into then give a new scene number and say, “Vision” or “Dream.” (See scene 23 of sample play.) The photographer gives this effect by slowly closing diaphragm over lens, giving it the dissolving appearance. This vision, or dream, of course constitutes a separate scene. Then say, “Same as (number),” when previous scene is resumed. If we want to show our character looking through a telescope, field-glass, opera-glass, keyhole, etc., we state, “Mask scene.” It is produced by using a mask over lens of camera the shape of article through which character is looking. The scene on screen then covers only a portion of the screen, assuming the round shape of the field-glass, the shape of the keyhole, or whatever object we may use. This mask constitutes a separate scene, and must be numbered accordingly. (See scene 20 of sample play.) Bust scenes are often used, and are NOT to be avoided if necessary to show more vividly the details of our scene action. But visions, dreams, and masks are more or less trouble to the producer, and should be resorted to as seldom as possible. Section 20.— CONTINUITY OF SCENES. Try to avoid a long lapse of time between scenes, such as, “Ten Years Later,” “Mildred Has Grown to Womanhood,” etc. Continuity of scenes is much preferred. It is well if you can make your story take place within one evening or one day, instead of giving the life-history of your hero from the cradle to the grave. Move your characters from scene to scene in a perfectly natural manner. Do not leave your characters standing in one scene, then flash another scene and have same characters standing in it. If they are to be in the following scene, have them exit before the next scene is shown and then enter following scene in proper order. For example: — Scene 5. Library. Helen reading book — Walter enters — Helen and Walter have argument. Now, in your next scene you want to show Helen’s bedroom with Helen putting on wraps preparatory to leaving. Do not flash this bedroom scene showing Helen engaged with her wraps. Instead: Helen exits. Scene 6. Bedroom. Helen enters — takes wraps from closet, etc. This shows Helen exit from Scene 5 and enter Scene 6. (Also notice this feature running through several scenes of sample play; for example, scenes 1 and 2.) The above is what we call “matching the scenes;” that is, making the succeeding scene match the close of the previous scene.