New-York tribune., 1912-02-18
SELLING THE RIGHT IDEA
WRITING Scenarios for Moving
Picture Producers.
ROOM FOR regulations
sunplying Themes for 1000
Foot Films Has Reached the
Dignity of a Profession.

uvr,ting scenarios for moving picture pro-
sroors Is one OF our newest professions.
T,oro are persons who are trying to make
ronutation for themselves in this field.
T,a number who are succeeding in this
an,bition is constantly increasing. Their
~.res are only known, however, among
.hout twenty-five manufacturers.
others are trying to make a living BY
citing scenarios for the moving picture
.o,onanies. This is now hard-many say
,,anossible. But within two years condi-
lions will have improved, 1t is said. Then
,S,re will be fortunes made by authors
:, nboto plays. Just as is nov done in the
higher priced drama of dialogue
The reasons why the present Is so dis
.or,aging from financial point of view
:, the person who hopes 20 see his ideas
rictured on the screen, together with the
.volutlon now said 70 be under way, ana
that will increase the income Of scenario
writer's at least 400 per cent within short
time are set forth below.
The person who gets into the game OF
writing scenarios will be in a position TO
cot the pay check plums promised in two
Years. This would seem TO be a fine tip
for boys The main thing for scenario
writer is to be fertile in ideas. The aver
sge American boys brain teens with these
things.
The trick Of putting his ideas in spirited
action must be learned It is rot an easy
thing TO acquire. The difficulty in scenario
writing is that the story must be written,
not in words but in action. This is one
reason why trained writer's do not always
,,1g Md f2
penter or a schoolboy will succeed.
NO ROOM FOR DIALOGUE.
The story must be capable of being told
almost entirely in action. Deft dialogue
has no call. You are allowed few eN"
pIanatory sentences on the screen, that IS
all You can't have a story with an in
yolyed mental thread running through It..
II must be novel, because there have been
ten thousand stories already written. Ihe
producers are looking for some new kink
70 an old situation or some brand new
situation.
The comedy story is in most demand, but
IL must be "A comedy of action, not com
edy of ideas The day for pate breaking
sIapsticb comedy is said to have gone by
What is wanted is a little sob, turned To a
laugh. The person who can write such Z
scenario may receive to-day as much 9s
s35 for it. The average price paid for
photo play is So. The laugh is wortb/the
extra $40
II don't believe that the average man
can make a living now out of writing
scenarios" said Epes Winthrop Sargent
scenario expert of THE Moving Picture
World" a few days ago.
There are only about fifty men in the
United States who practically concentrate
on scenario writing There are about tif-
teen hundred who so at it more than once,
and probably five thousand more who have
written one scenario and got disgusted
and quit
Producers receive manuscripts, though
IN great numbers from all sorts of novlces.
They come from eight-year-old girls and
, twelye-ye -year-old boys, and all through the
list up to eighty-y -year-old men. You can
get everything out of them this side OF
lunacy.
What is wanted is the simple dramatic
idea, with a grip-something that appeals
10 YOUR heart II must be simple or you
can't get 1t over. You have only one thou
sand feet of film TO do IL in. You can |
have all sorts Of complications. The best
scripts have not more than four charac-
ters Of Importance You can have as many
people as you want-a thousand or more
but YOU have 10 carry not more tnan three
or fur persons prominently.