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128 TECHNIQUE OF THE PHOTOPLAY of the stage, since the action must be figured with the speech in writing the play to an exact measurement of time and film. Some of the productions are confined to one scene and six minutes, and others run up to five hundred or one thousand feet. If the author desires to try his hand at the talking picture script he should first advise with the companies as to length. Dialogue is no more than speech written down, the speech of every-day life. It is on this point that the average stage dramatist fails at the start. He seeks to produce dialogue that will read well rather than that which can be spoken naturally and convincingly. He ventures as closely as he may dare to the blank verse of Shakespeare. The real dramatist, to the contrary, strives to re- produce as closely as possible the speech of every day life. It is not necessary to use flowery phrases and rounded pauses. Say: "Please hand me that glass of water," rather than: "I pray thee give me drink." Remember that dialogue on the stage is spoken a trifle more slowly because of the need of clear enunciation, nowhere more important than in the making of phonograph records, and allow for this in judging the length to which the dialogue will run. Make full allowance for the business and by-play and remember that even in a sustained conversation there will be a pause of a part of a second between speeches. Few characters should be employed and no effort may yet be made to produce mob scenes. Have the character drawings clean cut and accurate, do not have all of your people talk in the same general way. Give personality to their speech as well as to their actions and apparent modes of thought. For a time, at any rate, only the advanced writers can hope for any marked degree of success. Talking Pictures are more important to the photoplay writer because of their supposed influence upon the silent drama. It is not probable that talking pictures will seriously affect the photoplay proper, for the chief charm of the photoplay lies in its condensation of action. In the quickness of movement that per- mits a reasonably full story to be unfolded in twenty minutes of action. It was this quality which gave it its advantage over the stage drama as much as the cheaper price of admission. One may wit- ness three plays within an hour, though those same plays might require two or three hours for presentation were it necessary to speak all of the dialogue. A gesture may often replace a page speech and a situation show more than minutes of dialogue could tell. It is not probable that this condensation of action will be re- placed by the talking picture, which has as its advantage over the