Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1920)

5 — CASTING THE PHOTOPLAY "Authors are usually called upon to cast their own stories nowadays. This means interviewing scores of aspirants, looking over their photographs, and tactfully explaining why they won't do; sometimes it means searching the highways and by-ways for a rare type. Beware of writing into your scenario some such character as a red-headed girl with a dimple on her left cheek and a Roman nose, for you may have to find her for your producer. On one occasion we spent a fortnight looking for two five-year-old darkies who would match up as twins." 6 — SUBBING AS DIRECTOR "Many photoplay writers direct important scenes in their screen dramas, for producers are gradually realizing that, by letting one brain supervise the story, a finer bit of artistry can be produced. Many directors, on the other hand, are learning to write scenarios, just as Mr. Emerson— who is directing the shimmy dancing in the cabaret scene of Constance Talmadge's latest picture, 'The Virtuous Vamp,' — has made a study of directing. If you aspire to make a profession of scenario writing, you had better plan to learn every phase of photoplay production." 7 -WORKING WITH THE STUDIO STAFF "Did you know that as a movie author, you will be expected to come to the studio and help produce the photoplay? It's all too true. In the above picture you see us explaining a big scene to Miss Talmadge, the director and cameramen. Movie writing is an all-around job, so don't try it unless you are willing to help supervise the production of yo\ir story. To most really successful screen authors that's all a delicious idealist's dream about lolling eternally out on the veranda, sipping iced drinks while your privately-owned accountant totals up the daily arrival of scenario checks." 8— DOPING OUT THE SUBTITLES "Writing good subtitles and planning illustrated subtitle cards to be held before the camera is one of the hardest, yet pleasantest, sides of photoplay writing. It is a scenarioist s one chance to 'spread himself in clever, forceful verbiage. Use lots of subtitles — it's one of the secrets of good screen dramatization — but make them terse. The faster the action, the shorter the subtitle. Never forget that for every word you add to your subtitle card, another second or so must be added to the time it is held on the screen in order that the slowest-reading spectator may fully grasp it." ■ ^^hSk Pt-1 wmm l3 i ' ' 1 ' J5^^ ir^ '^W^'W/k 9 — CUTTING THE PICTURE "Here's the hardest job of all. After your photoplay has been completely filmed, and the actors and directors and photographers have gone off for a few days' rest, you'll have to sit up nights cutting the picture. They give you a hand projector wherein your photoplay appears in a microscopic animated picture (if you grind hard enough), and tell you to pick out the best scenes and assemble them. Since a picture consists of only 5,000 feet, and since they have probably taken 60,000 feet in the making of it, none of which is in any kind of sequence, you'll probably wish you'd stuck to your old trade. For you must not let even one badly acted or photographed scene slip in." 10 -THE FIRST SHOWING "There are no first nights or author's curtain-speeches for photoplaywrights, but, withal, there is no thrill which quite equals that of watching your own story when it appears complete for the first time on the screen of the tiny studio projection room. The cast and technical staff will be there to view it with you. Above you will see this sort of an audience watching the final showing of the picture, 'The Virtuous Vamp,' which you have followed from start to finish in this series; the names from left to right are Irene Conahan, the cutter, "Anita Loos, Tallulah Bankhead, of the cast, Constance Talmadge, the star, Oliver Marsh, the cameraman, Conway Tearle, and Mr. Emerson." 51