Picture-Play Weekly (Apr-Oct 1915)

30 PICTURE-PLAY WEEKLY then he becomes a business man, and must use businesslike methods. The "mailing department" of every writer should consist of himself and two or three books ; one for keeping track of the exact wants of all the companies at all times ; another for keeping track of where each script has been submitted, et cetera ; and a third, which is really not necessary to a beginner, to keep track of expenditures in handling the scripts. We consider it highly important that a writer should always keep his "mailing department" up to scratch, for it corresponds largely to the advertising department of a newspaper — the end that brings in the money, though it cannot do so without the editorial department's product — the news. Edison's scenario editor. After having been without a scenario editor since that position was recognized Arthur Leeds, Edison's Scenario Writer. as beijig of great importance, Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, has appointed Arthur Leeds to look over all manuscripts submitted to it. Mr. Leeds is known to most photoplaywrights, having been in the game for many years, both as a writer and as an actor. He has also served considerable time on the speaking stage as a player, and is one of the best champions of the actor-writer class in the world. When he started out to become a dramatist— he would probably have aspired to become a photo-dramatist had motion pictures been as important then as they are now — he determined to learn the game from the bottom up, and his first step was to become a scene painter in a theater. He worked at this until an opportunity offered itself, and then became a regular actor. For a while he gave the greater part of his time to the Thespian art, but never forgot that his future lay in literature. Then came the day when he discovered that motion pictures were a means of dramatic expression which could not help but gain public favor. That discovery terminated his career on the stage. He entered the ranks of the Essanay company as an actor, and also wrote scenarios for them. Later he shifted from that company to Selig's. His writing attracted the attention of an Eastern publishing house, and he was asked by them to write a book on photoplay writing, which he did. He retained his connection with thiis concern as -a teacher until he joined Edison, a short time ago. His work at present, like that of his fellow editors, consists of reading all scripts submitted, and passing judgment on each. In addition to this, he finds time enough to turn out original scripts at his usual rate, which is — well, quite often. DO YOU KNOW? Do you know that no matter how many years you would work on a plot, it would never be anywhere near complete ? This may sound like a needless statement to some, but we believe that there are many amateurs in the game to-day who firmly believe that there is a certain mental rule which they must, acquire somewhere which will enable them to mechanically turn out plots which are measured and tied up in neat packages of the same dimensions, and which are complete and unchangeable in every detail. Writers laboring under this impression are handicapped. They may have a scenario which is perfectly balanced dramatically and artistically, and still feel that it is not worthy of submission because they have not yet acquired the "something" which will enable them to write salable scripts. This feeling in writers certainlj is not as common as the one which prompts them to believe that all they write will iv 1 i m iil tor isi sell, despite the shortage of brainwork |^ in some of it, but it is equally as fatal j^' to success, and should be overcome. i • It is very true that an amateur isW more likely to underdevelop the idea-j*! which he gets because of the lack of experience, but there is no reason why | he should not carefully study the screen and apply his studies to his own script,' 3i£ thereby getting a fair idea of how well^Ii he has treated his subject. As a writer gains experience, he is able to judge just how well he has done his own work with a little more accuracy, and it is be-, cause of this, doubtless, that the be-i; ginner feels he is out in the cold. The wise writer, no matter how longt^* he has been in the game, pays no attention to such "feelings" but goes right' ahead and does his work to the very best of his ability, thinking out, in his own way, ever}' difficulty which arises, and injecting his own personality into: every typewritter line. That is realljthe only way a beginner can hope to' cease being a beginner, and even then there is much between him and success — the reward is worth the effort. SAVING POSTAGE. AVe wonder how many of our readers are interested in the postage-cxpensesaving question ? Here is one way to cut it down : When your present batch of scripts are returned— one by one, of course — take ? each and look it over carefully. Study it and compare it to all the screened'^ pictures you have seen lately. Is it worthy of consideration? Is it' fresh and strong enough to make ari editor select it as acceptable from among a hundred others? f If you can truthfullj' answer "yes" to those two questions, send the script along on its travels, and it may bring back a check. If you believe in youi heart that your answer to either of then ' should be "no," however, set the script aside for a time and do not waste postage sending it out. Do not destro} the script, for you may take it up in i week or so and, by revamping and re writing it, make it into a scenario whicl would tempt any editor or director. THE COMEDY AVRITER. Do not think that j'ou have to be ai undertaker to write comedy, if you art one of the class who believe only seri ous people can write nonserious stuff Or do not think that one has to be j village cut-up to attain the same posi