The Photodramatist (May 1922-Feb 1923)

From Pen to Silversheet By Melvin M. Riddle XIII— TITLING AND EDITING MOTION picture sub-titles serve several very important purposes. They establish the time and locale of the story, plant the theme, introduce the characters, bridge the temporal gaps in the action of the picture and explain certain technicalities in the story which would be either very difficult to get over by action or would require an undue amount of film footage. In addition to playing this very necessary part in the picture, the sub-titles contribute materially to the entertainment, if cleverly and properly worded. A good title, now and then, is a dash of spice to the picture and serves to break the pictorial sameness. The spoken title also helps to establish the personalities and temperaments of the characters, if worded in the proper dialect or phraseology typical to that character and expressing his sentiments in relation to the story. There have been numerous instances, especially in the case of film comedies, where a good set of titles have been known to strengthen materially what would otherwise have been a very poor picture. TN large studios where ■*• production is carried on on a big scale, the procedure leading up to the titling of the picture is something like this : After the scenes are all photographed and the laboratory has finished a complete set of positive prints of all scenes, as described in the article just previous in this series, the director assembles the scenes into a continuous, perfect sequence and cuts it down by trimming out superfluous footage, to about five or six reels, providing the picture is to consist of five reels. The continuity writer's guide titles, as they appeared in his script are then typed, photographed on to film and the filmed titles inserted into their proper places in the assembled picture. The picture, in this rough state, is then turned over to the title writers and editorial department for a complete set of new improved titles and the final editing and cutting down to footage. The titles in an average picture will require anywhere from a thousand to fifteen hundred feet of film. This means that the picture proper must be cut down to about thirty-five hundred feet of film, provided the completed production is to be in five reels. Thus, the editorial department must do a great deal of trimming on the rough, assembled picture as turned over to it by the director. Frank X. Finnegan, one of the staff film editors at the Lasky studio, explans in detail the methods Hand in Hand through the development of motion pictures, editing and titling have been closely associated. In a previous issue of Photodramatist the subject of titling was treated at length ; but in this interesting chapter of Mr. Riddle's series he presents the relationship of these two important phases of film manufacturing, which, however, are not perfected mechanical "effects" but instead require long experience and extraordinary ingenuity. The selection and revision of titles calls for finest descrimination as to choice of words, appropriate to the action, thus making titling one of the chief "high lights'" in film editing. in vogue at that studio in the titling and final editing of Paramount Pictures : "The title and editorial crew under the chief director of the studio or one of his assistants invariably will with great care view this assembled picture in the projection room and then go into conference with the scenarist's titles as a guide sheet. In writing a set of titles for the picture we strive for brevity and clarity, perfect grammatical construction, perfect English and in the case of spoken titles, to make them conform to the character of the person doing the speaking. For instance, if we had a French-Canadian character we would have him talk in the dialect peculiar to that race, or if the character were an underworld type, he would use the appropriate slang. This makes his portrayal stronger and more impressive upon the audience, stamping his character in their minds. "In titling comedies, the general policy is that every title must provoke a laugh, even though it be purely descriptive. We try to give the titles literary and entertaining value in addition to making them serve their necessary purpose in the picture. A title without a punch is more or less a holdup in the action. In drama, the titles must have dramatic strength as well as serving to clarify the scene in the minds of the spectators. "In the title conference, the picture is reviewed from the beginning and suggestions are made by the title writers. These suggestions are discussed pro and con and one is decided upon for each title. After a complete set of titles has been evolved, these are typed, photographed and inserted into the picture in lieu of the scenario writer's original titles. In some cases, some of the scenarist's titles are retained, if they are considered better than any of the new suggestions. All work with the spirit of cooperation, for the betterment and in the interest of the picture. The picture, containing this new set of titles, known as 'temporary title' or 'temps' is again review in the projection room by the title and editorial staff, who are thus able to judge them on the screen and see that they fit perfectly with the action or dialogue. Changes are then often made again and all are made to fit perfectly. For instance, if a character speaks on the screen and the corresponding spoken title doesn't seem to synchronize exactly with his gestures and expressions, the title is changed so that it does. This is a sort of literary smoothing-out process. 9