The Implet (Jan-Jun 1912)

THE "IMPLET Imp Players: VIVIAN PRESCOTT VIVIAN PRESCOTT. Vivian Prescott is one of those baffling and elusive personalities which defy description and drive the photographer to despair. The photograph here reproduced does not do her justice, and if J attempted to tell the reader what she was like personally I should find it extremely difficult. She is just Vivian Prescott. Thai's all. Graduating in an excellent school of moving picture acting work, she has entered the Imp ranks to play a wide range of parts, including comedy and drama leads. At present she is comparatively little known to Imp fans. She'll soon be very well known, indeed. Let me assure them that Miss Prescott is one of the best actresses in the moving picture field. At some future time, when the Imp pictures may also talk, I would like you to hear Vivian. She has a most wonderful voice and an alluringly electric style. She pervades the stage, or the room, wherever she happens to be present. Still under 21 years of age, but concentrating a whole world of experience in her work Miss Prescott has a great career in front of her with the Imp forces. She tells me that she has Italian, English and American blood in her veins. If that is not "some mixture" likely to make for fine moving picture acting, I do not know what is. T. B. "SIX-AWEEK-SIX! YES, SIR ! ! SIX!!!" Wish we had a phonographic record of this speech, and the questions which provoked it, to send to Every Moving Picture Exhibitor on Earth. The only Living Soul who was privileged to listen to those Dulcet Sounds was the SPECIAL COMMISSIONER of The Imp Films Company, who in the one — hundred — and sixty-eight hours (168), since No. 3 of "The Implet" was published, has interviewed one hundred and sixty-eight (168) moving picture exhibitors in the States of New York and New Jersey. Going Some? Sure, Mike! To one of them (168), the proprietor of a beautiful 10 cent house in Brooklyn, our Special Commissioner said : "How many Imps would you like to use in your house?" The answer is the caption to this article : verbatim et liberatim; word for word ; syllable for syllable. SIX-A-WEEK!!! And as sure's your'e born, Sonny, there'll be Six Imps-a-Week scudding along the pike, in the sweet by and bye. Meanwhile, help the good cause by demanding THREE-A-WEEK. Demand 'em NOW. HOW TO WRITE A SCENARIO A great many people underestimate the requirements for successful scenario writing. It is not merely the conception of a story with just some kind of a plot ; the plot must be definite. The first flash across the brain when one writes a play is the motive of the story. The prime essential is the idea. It is the essence of the plot, but it is without avail if it provides no opportunity for silent acting. As in a play, the construction of the moving picture scenario embodies four stages : Introduction, development, climax and finale. The introduction should group the characters and indicate their relations at a glance, for there is no time, as in stage representation, to gradually introduce the dramatis personae and explain the plot. A point that adds greatly to the possibilities of a successful picture is the introduction of an element of suspense. This may be in the form of either an interrupted situation, or, what is considered still stronger, the manipulation of an anti-climax; that is, a sudden but temporary reversal or change of situation between the climax and finale. In comedies, extremely complicated relations should be avoided, not only because this is not the best form of comed}% but also for the reason that this kind of play has run its gamut of forms ; and novelties are the making of the most desirable pictures. Serio-comedy is the most acceptable, with farce-comedy second; it will be noticed that both these forms of play necessarily entail an absolutely defined plot. The moving picture play has altogether outgrown themes of single individuals in a series of incidents that have no relation to one another except for the presence of the main character. For instance, the mischievous small boy in a series of pranks; the victim of sneeze powder in various mishaps, the nearsighted man, etc. They are all passe. The successful novelist or playwright does not necessarily make a successful moving picture playwright merely by applying the principles of construction. Moving pictures afford a new school of composition, and before one attempts to write for them he must understand them. He must go to see them often, studying not only the limitations they place on the art of acting, but also the possibilities of the camera, scenic construction, etc. Continuity of events is a feature of the best pictures ever made. Avoid these "twentyyears after" stories. We prefer modern American plays, written in concise, narrative form. The average length of a film is 1,000 feet, and this takes about twenty minutes to show. An entire story ought to be clearly told in six hundred words, introduced by a cast of characters. It is most desirable that material be typewritten. Avoid stories that include the portrayal of murders, suicides or any form of viciousness ; remember that the moving picture theatre counts millions of children among its patrons, and young minds are easily impressed. Write your name and address plainly under the title of the story.