Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1914)

282 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD THE PHOTOPLAYWRIGHT Conducted by EPES WINTHROP SARGENT In Plenty, Thanks. OUR recent request for the printed matter of the fake schools has been so promptly met by our friends that we are no longer in need of back number stuff, though we are always glad to see the newest outbreaks of these photoplay pedagogues. One Philadelphia writer sent us twenty ounces of letters and circulars. It is evident that with a single exception there is no such thing as a standard price for tutelage, for each school has follow-up letters that gradually reduce the price to various sums ranging from fifty to twenty per cent, of the original. As one correspondent cleverly put it, "I am holding off to see if they won't give me five dollars as an inducement to study their lessons." The Jones Series. Owing to other matters Marc Edmund Jones could not continue his western studio series in time for the last issue, but we print this week the second of the series and will print one a week for four more weeks, completely covering the Pacific coast field in a practical way from the point of view of an actual free lance writer. This is the first time that the western field has been so exhaustively covered, and we, along with the rest of the writers, are grateful to Mr. Jones for his courtesy. A Swindle Checked. On December 21 a former employee of the Universal was arrested in Los Angeles charged by Marc Edmund Jones with having sought to dispose of his script, "Hatred's Endless Chain," and it is hinted that the arrest will lay bare a wholesale theft. Mr. Jones submitted his story to the Kalem Company and when they were unable to use it, he sent it to the Universal. Presently it was Returned to tlie Kalem office from Los Angeles by "G. G. Paul," and was recognized by Phil Lang, who communicated with Carl Laemmle and Mr. Jones. Mr. Laemmle very promptly took the matter up with Mr. Bernstein, manager of the Pacific coast studios with instructions to get at the root of the matter, with the result as stated above. The Universal has footed the entire expense of the long investigation and has made it very ■ its attitude in the matter. The authors owe thanks both to Mr. Laemmle and Mr. Bernstein for their prompt and efiicient action. The Los Angeles Mutual Studios. By Marc Edmund Jones. The Mutual Film Corporation has two studios in Los Angela, aside from the studios of the New York Motion Picture Company, whose connection with the Mutual is by contract only, and in addition to the studio of the American Film Manufacturing Company, which is a hundred miles up the coast at Santa Barbara, Cal. The Majestic studio is on top of the hill at Brooklyn Heights, just a short distance over the Los Angeles river and commanding a splendid view over the north end of the city. It is the old Thanhouser plant, and is well equipped with permanent frame buildings and one large open air stage. The Reliance studio is the old Kinamacolor plant at 4500 Sunset Boulevard, in Hollywood, and it has just been taken over two days previous to the writing of this article. This plant is roomier than the Majestic, and is as well equipped. Any article on the Mutual movements is apt to be incorrect by the time of publication, because Df the re-organization of the studios by David W. Griffith. Indications are that the Majestic plant will not be disturbed, but future plans at the new Reliance yard are unsettled as yet. Grifl^th, together with a large company of players and at least one other director, is due to arrive possibly before the first of February, and it is probable that Frank E. Woods and the scenario bureau will be brought with him. Announcement as to whether to submit to New York in that case, or to Los Angeles, or to both, will be made in the trade papers. In the meantime, the Majestic studio continues to read for its own wants, and the Reliance studio will not yet be of interest to the photoplaywrjght, as Director W. C. Cabanne, now in charge, states that it is the intention of Mr. Griffith that they both confine themselves to multiple reel productions of copyrighted works, so that the name of the author may assist in the exploitation of the production. At a later date a director will be put to work making i.ooo-foot farce comedy, and scripts for him will be read by the Mutual bureau at its advertised address. The Majestic studio is in charge of Head Director Lucius J. Henderson. Working with him are Directors Albert Hale, John O'Brien and John Adolfi. The Maiestic policy does not favor the exploitation of any particular player, which means that the story is the thing, and that nearly any type of story is apt to find favor at Majestic. The principal players at this writing are Billy Garwood, Lamar Johnstone, Francelia Billington, Billie West and Jessalyn Van Trump. The scenario head at Majestic is Philip Lonergan, a brother of Lloyd Lonergan, who writes most of the Tlianhouser stories. Philip Lonergan, before his transfer to Los Angeles upon the taking over of the Majestic brand by Thanhouser, was associated with his brother at the New Rochelle plant, and was the author of many of the Thanhouser stories. Since coming lo Los Angeles he has been absolutely responsible for all the Majestic stories, buying and revising, or writing them himself. Upon going over a list of recent releases, approximately half were from his pen, the rest being bought from outside writers. He carries the title of Editor, but in position he carries more power than usual with the editor, as the director must produce the story given to him, and must produce it exactly as it has been edited by the editor. This condition works admirably in the case of Majestic, as Lonergan makes a practice of co-operating with the director, and has the director go over each script with him until it meets with the approval of both. In case of a disagreement, however, Lonergan has the power, and so there is a definite responsibility. This results in a certain "atmosphere" in Majestic releases, and the screen is a criterion of their wants, Send scripts to Majestic Studios, 651 Fairview Avenue, Los Angeles. McCardell Knows Them. Roy L. McCardell, who'll write you anything from a cigarette advertisement to a grand opera and who was the first and still one of the most prolific photoplay writers, is doing a series of articles in the New York Sunday World on the various means of earning a living by writing, and his first article is one of the few really sane articles on photoplay work that has been printed by a daily paper. Most of these articles have dealt with the vast profits to be made, but Mr. McCardell sizes up the situation frankly and honestly and holds out small inducement to the novice. We regret that we cannot give space to the entire article, but this excerpt gives the essence of the whole: Frank Woods, a scenario editor, announced recently that within several months (Really about six weeks. — E. W. S.) he had examined 7,000 moving picture manuscripts (or scenarios, as they are called), written by amateur authors, and only ten of all these could be used, and then only after being rewritten. Mrs. Marion Brandon, editor for another film company, long ago gave up hope that any untrained scenario writer had any message for her, and she will not read manuscripts of picture ideas unless submitted by those who have had at least three moving picture ideas previously accepted. Yet every person that can wield a pen or borrow a lead pencil is writing scenarios. The prices paid for acceptable ideas have gone up from $5 and $10 to $50 and over, but the moving picture companies are compelled to depend mainly upon scenario writers on salary. It is doubtful, with everybody trying to write moving pictures, if there are ovec a hundred persons in the United States who as free lances write moving pictures with any monetary success worth while. Of these hundred persons it is safe to say that not ten of them but were trained newspaper men, magazine contributors or playwrights. One of these supposititious ten was a retired army officer of fine mental attainment? and another a railroad man of keen perceptions, w-ho has specialized on railroad pictures, of which he knows the practical side and of which he has brains to imagine the romance. Let the name of a supposedly successful writer of moving picture scenarios be printed in that connection and he or she is flooded with a shower of manuscripts from the amateur aspirants. It is in pain the practised writer tells the aspirants to read old Dr. Epps Winthrop Sargent's famous authoritative work. "The Technique of the Photoplay," and learn how — they do not want to work and study, the amateur doesn't; he or she wants to "dash off" some scenarios and make some easy money. It can't be done. There are about a hundred moving picture companies in the United States. Some twenty of these are "on the level" and are really in the market to buy moving picture scenarios from people who know how to write them. Yet it is doubtful if over sixty or seventy moving picture scenarios are bought "from the outside" by these honest companies week by week. The reason of this is that when any writer develops a faculty for turning words to pictures, said pictures being visualized stories of love, hate, horror, revenge, and. best of all, laughter — they, the writers, are hired at good salaries as staff scenario writers. Police I This from a school in San Francisco: Even boys and girls can learn how to write picture plays in a very short time. A boy in an office has earned from $25 to $75 monthly writing picture-play scenarios in addition to his salary as clerk. A girl in our office wrote her first play in an evening and sold it for a good sum. As one girl puts it — "Picture-play writing is just fun and it is the kind of fun that pays." There is more truth than poetry in that statement. Emmet C. Hall says he made $1,485 in one year writing picture plays. And all you have to do is to send them two dollars now and three dollars when you have made fifty. The literature of this concern is at the disposal of the Chief Post Office Inspector at San Francisco if he is interested. If he will write Mr. Hall in care of the Lubin Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., he can get Mr. Hall's expert opinion as to the probability of children making $1,485 in one year. Clearness. Sometimes when you blame the editor for keeping your scripts too long it is because he is trying to see your story. Phil Lang said the other day, in discussing a certain writer, that he knew that there was a story in a certain script of a type he stood very much in need of at the moment, but the story was so diffusely told that he could not, without repeated readings, separate the story from the useless detail and see it as it really stood. Every editor has the same trouble. He gets a script that he knows must contain a story, but the plot is masked by useless detail until it is lost and it must be read over and over again. The plot can be discovered, but (t means repeated readings at odd intervals, and soi the story is held until time permits the separation of the grains of wheat from the bushels of chaff. Do not write page on page of description. Tell your story briefly in action. If your story is worth while and details are needed you will be asked to supply the deficiency, but do not, at the start, bury the action under a mass of description. Some editors, like Mr. Lang, are patient. Others are not.