Picture-Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1917)

266 Hints for Scenario Writers and hesitates, undecided ; then goes to him. 10. Back to scene 6. — Wiley still showing some emotions ; throws his cigar away, expressing disgust with everything; Gray enters; Wiley does not see him ; Gray watches Wiley's expression ; then he speaks to him ; Wiley faces him ; Gray says : Subtitle. — "I LOVED HER, TOO, BUT THE BEST MAN HAS WON." Wiley surprised to think Gray would step out of his rank to speak of a personal matter with him ; still Wiley is not inclined to agree with what he says ; Gray further disregards rank by offering his hand to Wiley ; W7iley accepts gladly, but clearly shows he is not giving up the fight for Edith ; they leave together. We believe this particular form of scene action would fill all qualifications for the opening under consideration. If beginners, who believe they see something that could be shortened or something that is not clear, will visualize the scenes as they would appear on the screen, we believe they will see that this arrangement of scenes and subtitles is pretty air-tight. You know, on the screen you have not the character's names in each scene, as you have in the scenario ; neither have you an explanation of their motives for action. All yon see is the player representing the character and what he does. The only explanation that is given is the three subtitles, and, in this case, they are enough. SAVING THE IDEA. Very often it happens that a young writer has a wonderful idea — fresh and full of dramatic strength — and yet he turns in such a miserable scenario to the editor that even the idea, despite its worth, cannot be recognized as being of merit. The reason is because the young writer has smothered his idea com pletely in a mass of worthless development stuff. He has forgotten that the thing to be preserved is the idea — especially because that is the best thing in the beginner's bag of tricks, as a rule. It may happen at times that, while working out one main idea, another one of more worth will come to a writer to be fitted into the same creation. If it really is better it should be used, of course ; but every author should be mighty sure that it is better before discarding his original idea. To subordinate the idea one starts to work out to another, habitually, will weaken a writer's work. It is well to work toward a defined goal in order to keep the original idea intact. This goal may be considered as having three divisions along which general lines plots should be developed so as to bring the idea to a head. Following are the divisions : (A) . — The development of a character. Under this division come such plays as are based almost entirely upon one character, all that happens revolving around him, and the plot itself working to a definite end to affect his life. All other elements are subordinated. (B) . — The development of a themeidea. In this class the main thing is to work out a definite thought in the undercurrent of the action. Everything must point toward the idea-theme and the incidents, situations, characters, et cetera, must be subordinated and used merely to make the desired point. (C) . — The development of a situation. This type of play has interesting characters, no theme-idea, plenty of action and situations, and, as a rule, surprise. The big object to be aimed at is to work out an interesting main situation with the aid of all the helps mentioned above. This form of play is meant purely for entertainment purposes and goes no further. There are, of course, other ways of