We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
434
Scenario
Hervery, who was responsible lor Devil and the Deep and Shanghai Express^ Nearly all scenario writers ol to-day have been in the film world for years. Some of the most famous are S. J, Perelman, Howard Estabrook, Grovet Jones, Ernest Vadja, Richard Schayer, Tim Whelan, George Marion Junior, and Sam Mintz. Watch for their names on the credit titles next time 5'ou go to a cinema.
When the Continuitywriter has finished his share of making the script, the work is completed and the finished product is called a Scenario. The average scenario has about five hundred separate Shots — that is, five hundred separate scenes that are all filmed from different angles. "Watching the screen, one is 'not conscious of all these changes, but they are occurring all the time. Just when a Shot should be changed or a certain angle used, is a matter of common sense and knowledge of film technique, acquired only by long experience.
For example, when Mr. Stan Laurel slips up and falls into a nice big custard pie, we should use a medium long shot as he falls into the pie and then a close-up of him after he has fallen into it — to get his re-action. This would appear in the scenario as a separate shot.
Let us take a few scenes from the Radio picture, The Lost Squadron. It is an excellent example, containing much of both dialogue and action — i.e., sound and camera work. It is the story of a thrill-mad motion picture director (played by Erich Von Stroheim). The scene described in this excerpt from the script is one in which the stunt-mad director watches unmoved as one of his pilots whirls into a spin that means a real crash instead of a faked one. The director, concentrated wholly upon his desire for thrills, cold-bloodedly orders the scene to be filmed, caring nothing for the pilot's peril. Richard Dix, as Gibson, the pilot, is in the 'plane that is out of control. This is how the scenario reads :
Scene 37. Sequence E. Long Shot. Exterior. Aerodrome Day.
Gibson is in the 'plane. The 'plane spinning dizzily towards the ground.
Scene 38. Medium Long Shot. Exterior. Aerodrome Day.
Von Furst (Erich Von Stroheim) is
near the cameras in the scene. The
cameramen watch the 'plane anxiously,
and look at the director. Von Furst Yon •
removes his coat as he watches Gibson. j^^gp ^p j^e action— never mind tha
Sound ol Gibson's 'plane heard off 'plane. Let him crash !
screen.
Here in the scenario we get a shot of the aeroplane ; then the people's reaction below, when they realize that the plane is out of control ; and then the stunt-mad director giving orders for the continuation of the scene. In the Scenario, as quoted, the scenes are numbered and the Sequence given.
The word Ejtterior denotes that the Shot is taken in the open ; the word Day is used to denote the time the episode is taking place. If it were evening the word Night would be substituted and the lighting altered. Some American scenariowriters spell night " nite ! "