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CHAPTER XVII PRACTICABILITY' PLOTS may be good in all other features and yet worthless because they are not practicable. In one sense a play may be practicable in that it will be possible to produce it, but the cost will be too great in comparison to the return likely to be received. Cost must be counted against effect and price compared with product. 2. Since the first outside writer undertook the writing of photo- plays, it has been his excuse that "anything is possible to the camera." This is practically correct. Anything is possible; but will it be practicable? Unless it is an exceptional feature film it is sold at an average price. If it is program stuff, it is sold at a flat rate; the reel costing $300 to produce commanding the same price as that which costs $3,000, the manufacturer and exchange arguing that the matter will average up in the long run. It follows that the story which does not put the manufacturer to great expense is given the prefer- ence, other things being equal, and that cost can be raised to a pro- hibitive point. 3. There are several factors of cost, such as time, labor, waste and travel. Each must be considered. A picture that requires twenty interior settings in which to display forty-five scenes costs more than one requiring but seven sets. Each set must be built up, which involves the labor of the stage hands. It also represents a time loss of the services of the players if they must wait while the scene is erected. If the company must travel to get the proper locations, then there is both a railroad expense and the cost of salaries while the players perform no service. 4. It does not follow that a story will not be made that costs more than the film will sell for. Now and then a costly story will be made that will be put out at a loss merely to advertise the brand and keep its name up, but more often the seemingly costly stories are the result of chance. A manufacturer may not be willing to purchase an old ship and blow her up for the sake of a few scenes in a story, though this has been done a number of times. On the other hand he may be advised that a wrecking company is going to dynamite an old hulk for the sake of the metal. For a small part of what the ship would cost, he can obtain the privilege of taking scenes on the deck and around the vessel before the explosion and film the explosion itself. On the screen it looks precisely the same as though the ship had been purchased for no other purpose than picture making. Such a story would not be purchased. If one is needed, it will be put together overnight by one of the staff writers. 5. In the same way a wrecking company about to raze a tall smoke- stack will arrange with a picture company to rent it. The scenes near the stack are made and the stage carpenter will prepare a repro- duction of the top of the stack on which the scenes at the top of 52