Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1914)

1834 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD really competent writer is hired to produce a script, he is not encouraged to learn technique. He is hived for the use of his name, which po ses advertising value. Some studio employee is entrusted with the work of making the actual script. If. by chance, good work is turned out. the director announces that he cannot bother with all that rot, makes his own two page working script — and the same old sort of story. A tew real writers have come into the game. Men like Bannister .\Urwin. our own Louis Reeves Harrison, Emmett Campbell Hall and one or two who write under pen names, women like Maibelle Heikes Justice have recognized the future of the business and they are working now with heart and soul for the time that is to come, hut writers who trust to style alone will not bother with technique of the camera and those who have risen from the ranks arc not permitted to really show what they can do, save in isolated cases. It costs no more money to make good pictures than it does to turn out poor ones. The cost of film is the same, the cost of actors is the same. All that is needed is intelligent and ever alert production and proper supervision, and the time is fast approaching when manufacturers must either produce good films from properly written stories .or go to the wall. It is not enough to turn out a thousand or more feet of exposed and developed film. There must be a story, the players must have identity s, there must be the human touch and the appeal to the nobler emotions. Men must and will be hired to produce what an author has written; to study the author's ideas and transfer these to the screen instead of seeking to impose their own ideas upon the author's painstakingly prepared plot. And unless all signs fail that happy day is closer to hand than most persons appreciate. For the last five years the producer has been regnant. Xow the author must have his day, and when that day comes, perhaps it will be found that men and women who can write for the camera will discover that it is worth their while. To Canadian Contributors. Do not send Canadian postage with your scripts. It may be an evidence of good faith, but they are not g >od for return postage. Get 1 nited States stamps. Some bank^ carry them, so do some tourists agencies You may have some friend in tli States, or we'll send you 4S stamps for a one dollar money order. If You Live in Wichita. If you live in Wichita, Kansas, and want to join an Inquest Circle, send a stamp and self addressed envelope and you will be given opportunity to talk shop for mutual good. Wright Stops Thomas. The following is from a letter William Lord Wright has sent to his professional associates with a request that it be given publicity. It is signed by A. Jay Miller, an attorney : In view of the annoyance and embarrassment occasioned Mr. William Lord Wright in the past few weeks by the statements in the circular letters of a Chicago enterprise to the effect that Mr. Wright had written a booklet for free distribution to would-be photoplay authors, and that he was in various other ways connected with this concern, permit me to say that Mr. Wright has taken up the matter and has effected a substantial cash settlement by way of damages for the injuries caused him, and has obtained a signed statement admitting the representations to be erroneous. In other words, Mr. Wright, who is a contributor to the Dramatic Mirror and a consistent opponent to all fake school schemes, has stopped A. W. Thomas, of the Photoplaywrights Association, from using his name and reputation to gain pupils for the school Mr. Thomas is conducting as a part of that enterprise. One of the objectionable lines is to the effect that "Mr. Wm. Lord Wright, Moving Picture Editor of the 'Dramatic Mirror.' has helped me. Together we have written a book, 'Wanted : More Photoplays.' " Another letter states that "Our list of Associate Editors, in addition to Mr. William Lord Wright, &c." Capt. Peacocke, Monte Katterjohn. Jack Byrne and others being named here and elsewhere. In the booklet, to which reference was recently made in this department, a page and a third has been devoted to Mr. Wright, who is designated as a "Consulting Editor," and the added statement is blithely made that "While Mr. Thomas will personally handle those whom he instructs, he has at all times the invaluable co-operation of Mr. Wright, who has been a close friend of Mr. Thomas through these stirring pioneer days." Evidently the best of friends must part — and have. N. Y. M. P. Not Buying. In spite of the fact that we recently announced that the New York Motion Picture Company was not in the market for scripts, writers are still sending in. Scripts made in Inceville are all done from the work of a staff of writers familiar with the needs of that group of brands. Outside stuff is not wanted, so send none in. Kalem Wants. Phil Lang sends this very clear and helpful suggestion as to the Kalem Company's wants in comedy scripts : I know how you feel about publishing a company's statement of scenario requirements, because conditions change so frequently. For my part I have always hesitated to authorize a statement for the same reason. However, I believe we will he safe in passing the word to the comedy writers that we particularly desire single reel farces for Marshal Neilan's production. Mr. Neilan uses a good deal of "slapstick" but does not depend on it for his laughs. He has a splendid company of comedy players and can cast anything within reason. Writers who have had scenarios produced by him have dlubtlcs been agreeably surprised to find their original stories resting in the middle of stories twice as big and twice as good. Because of his ability to tell a big fare story in 1,000 feet, Mr. Neilan has rewritten practically everything he has produced and the avei scenario has been oi little value to him, beyond the idea offered I do not think any author has been offended by the elaboratii a. Unless the author is skilled in the preparation of tins,. rapid-fire, short flash comedies, containing many close-ups, it will be well for him to submit only a complete synopsis. If the plot i:. available, the synopsis is quite acceptable. However, the carefully developed comedy corresponds in value to the dramatic subject which is perfei ti <1 in technique. We do not care to consider scenarios of the "mouse-loosein-the-girls'-dormitory" type and scenarios that border on vulgarity are not considered. I suggest that the comedy writ, rs see some of Mr. Nelian's productions before submitting to us, as he handles a variety of subjects that it is impossible to offer any specific "tip." Crystal Out. The Crystal Film Company announces that it is no longer in the market for manuscripts. All of its stories are now prepared by staff writers and outside contributions will not be read. At the Ed-Au. At the December Ed-Au meeting Marc Edmund Jones read half a paper on "Pointing up the dramatic situation" and talked the rest because he did not have time to write it down. It served to start a discussion on various unrelated topics. George Sargent only talking about a third of the time instead of his customary half. Phil Lang reverted to the discussion of the previous meeting on Psychology and told of a coming Kalem release in which preparation for the event enabled the director to get over a thought transference stunt intelligently. The situation was one in which a wile is really the brains for her composer husband, though he does not realize this at the time and -..I. inspiration — and another city — with a new source of inspiration. In the supreme moment she projects an idea to him. Mr. Lang explained that it was only through an early scene showing that she gave him his themes that what followed was made clear without undue explanation through leaders. This gave rise to a disussion as to whether or not it was possible in a detective story to mystify the audience as well as the detective. It was agreed that it might be possible where there was not too much explanation. President Schulberg fought almost single handed for the superiority of the stage play over the original idea, but Mr. Jones called attention to the fact that only stage successes were used, and that there was about the same proportion of failures in stage 1 reductions as in original photoplay stories. It was an interesting meeting throughout and it is hoped that the club has at last completed us year-long discussion of the by-laws. Checks. Someone asks how long an author is supposed to wait for a check atter returning a release slip. The question probably interests others. Most companies send a cheek within a week. Some habitually wait two or three weeks. We have had to wait longer than that. Very few send out a check with the release, although the release is virtually a receipt and acknowledges the receipt of the sum named therein. In most instances the delay is due to the fact that the persons empowered to sign checks are too busy to give time to check signing save at irregular intervals. It has always seemed strange to us that the voucher check is not more generally employed, the simple process of putting the check through the bank automatically receipting check. Most magazines emr^oy this form. Some merely use a rubber stamp on the back of the regular check. Others use a simple voucher. One company uses a voucher form or more than 800 words, about the longest we know of, and much more comprehensive than the release slip now used by most ermpanies. This saves bookkeeping, the making out of both slip and check, time, temper and credit, and yet some of. the Mutual companies are the only ones we know using this form. A Dollar Per. An anonymous correspondent tells of an offer of three dollars for a tbree-reel script. If he will send along the company's letter and his script, we will be more interested than we can get in an unsigned letter. Technique of the Photoplay (Second Edition) By EPES W. SARGENT •six pages ot actual text. Sp«ia. "chapters* on' De'veloping the "Punch," Condensing the Script, Writing the Synopsis, Multiple Reel Stories, Talking Pictures, Copy.ights, etc. In cloth, two dollars. Full leather, three dollars. , By mail postpaid. Add ten cents if registration is desired. 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