The sun., 1909-01-31
THE VORDLESS DRAMA HERE
!hAkTNG THE PLAYLETS FOR
MOVING PICTURE SHOWS.

!AAkING THE PLAYLETS FOL
MOVING PICTURE SHOWS.
Ideas what the Film Concerns want
TRAGEDY aud Humsr Both Welcome
sample Of the stsry That Can d
Compressed Into 500 Feet OF Film
II you have ideas to burn and wil'
dishts OF inns sgination which make yo'
wish you knew how to write novels sn'
dramas don't get discouraged II yo'
can't give them expression yourself
A new field OF literature has been openeC
to all ina slnstive persons without 70
gard TO their ability to write and prom
ising moro than pin money II they suc
osed In Il. /,
To the nickelodeon. which has beer
getting some hard knooks lately, shoulc
bs given some Of the credit OF opening
the door Of opportunity TO a large class
Of persons who have been unable TO gel
recognition either a. playwrights or a
novelists. You don't have to be eitheI
to write moving picture plays. All that
you have to have 10 an idea from which
you can evolve several other ideas. enough
to make q series OF scenes telling q
story, and what words wouldn't do foI
you heretofore the moving picture ma
chine win do very nicely.
OF course you may have TO write some
words. but that's only for the guidance
OF the men who are going TO picture your
play and they will be the only critics
Of your English. The public won't know
your style or your name. but you may
have the satisfaction OF knowing that
Thousands OF folks are sitting spellbound
simultaneously in u thousand Ave cent
theatres from here 10 San Francisco
watching your play as the moving picture
machine presents II.
It's getting to be quite a business.
this writing Of plays for moving picture
shows that will make children and nurse-
maids laugh or weep a. the case may be
and dsaw even sedate folks into the Ave
cent amusement houses for an hours
diversion. There are 800 Of these shows
in New York alone. and giving them a
variety to pick from In order to enter
tain their patrons means lot OF work
FOR the playlet writers.
For instance. one big concern which
manufactures films for these shows and
sells them all over the world turns oui
four plays a week. They aren't called
plays for commercial purposes. The
moving picture man will call the tabloid
tragedy with which some imaginative
person has furnished him a reel. because
that's the way IL will be sold.
The company that turns out four new
reels a week can't, Of course, get ideas
for these itself 1t has to depend on con.
tributors just as the Magazines do. About
two playlets a day on an average are
submitted to it. and IL would be glad to
have more OF them.
Writing a play for a moving picture
machine is like writing a story in tabloid
form. and the more novel the ideas and
the greater the action in IL the more
chance there is OF having the moving
picture man accept il. There are a lot
OF folks who have discovered already
that they have ability in this direction.
They don't depend upon il as a livelihood.
because it would have to be a very imagi-
native person indeed who could do that.
but they do pick up considerable money
to help out their income.
One man. for instance. who wrote
several melodramas and short stories
but hasn't had much success at this re-
Gently. has turned to supplying a moving
picture concern with these playlets. He
writes on an average three a week. Ii
doesn't take him half an hour to write
one. and sometimes for one OF them he
gets as much as $50. One idea is often
sufficient for such a story
Passing the Singer Building one day he
10 it toppled over. That gave him an idea
for q moving picture drama.
1t was to have a man suddenly appear
and by magic topple over the skysorapers.
The Man Who Destroyed New York
was the title OF this piece. and once the
story was submitted the camera men went
ahead with their tricks with the slides
and there actually was presented the scene
Of skyscrapers falling over.
or course an idea like that 10 valued
FAR more by the moving picture men
than the usual romance. because it's
bound to be in great demand by the nickel
odeou proprietors. who are always on
the look out for novelties that will lure
folks before the curtain.
The Ave cent theatres have been the
means Of helping out the humorists as
we'll as those with ideas for thrilling TRACE
dies. There are lots Of people who have
IDEAS which In the hands OF the Aim man
will make a Get Of moving pictures that
will make people laugh.
These humorists perhaps haven't been
able TO sell their ideas heretofore because,
like lot OF other people. they absolutely
acked the power OF expressing them
selves. With the camera taking the place
Of the dictionary their troubles are over.
It's easy enough to jot down your funny
IDEAS in simple words showing just the
scenes you have In mind. A lot OF funny
folks. practical jokers who have blushed
unseen except In their own homo circle.
are numbered now among the contribu-
tors to this new literature.
Some Of the most successful writer's
OF moving pictures. according to the con-
Germs making films, are actors and ao-
tresses in the minor theatres. whose
knowledge Of the stage comes in handy
and who are able to lay out scenarios
which mean less work for those in the
picture studios.
The shorter you make your story for
the camera to tell the better tho moving
picture men will like It. for unlike other
literary productions II won't be measured
by words but by the number OF feet OF
the hlm which will tell the story. OF
course it's little hard 10 tell when you've