New-York tribune., 1912-02-18
WRITTEN BY A BOY,

There is a thirteen-year-old boy in
Brooklyn who sends me Indian plays every
two weeks or so. lie always offers 10 play
the principal part Then there is the girl
who thinks she can put the tragedy of her
own life into a scenario. She numbers
great many.
",Tbe fact that the novice knows expert
ence is not required in this line OF en-
deavor has resulted in making 1t hard PICK
ing 10 get five scenarios that the producers
can use out Of three hundred offered man
uscripts. The easiest thing TO write is
scenario and it is also the hardest thing
t. write. Pantomime won't do for NOV
ing pictures Pantomime is a language in
itself. Natural acting is required for the
photo play: pantomlme is definite Ian
guage Of signs.
There is a house carpenter IN Newark
who writes good scenarios. II he had the
nerve TO break loose from the carpenter
trade ne would do very well. He writes
script that makes me laugh. but it takes
me three days 20 reproduce 1t so as to
make it funny on the screen.
"a man who does as good work as any
enc now engaged in scenario writing in
this country makes $3.50 a year at 1t, and
gives about one-fourth of his time to 1t.
The average price for manuscripts Is from
so to s35. For adaptations Of some stand
ard literature, done by Rex Beach, Roy
Norton. Edward w Townsend and men of
that type. $50 is sometimes paid by the
producers.
There is a demand by the public for
higher class stories than the majority Of
the twenty-five manufacturers have felt
willing to pay for in the past, and the boy
who gets in the gftme now will be In
position in two years to receive 500 for
scenario. where now S25 is paid.
"Wm Careton's published poems, such as
"The Old Front Gaze" over the Hills 10
the Poorhouse." ETC., will soon be put on
the screen. The trend is upward Com
petition among the producers Is getting
stronger all the time. This is bound to
raise the standard Of prices for good
scenarios"
GETTING A SCENARIO ACCEPTED.
II is about as difficult TO get a scenario
accepted as TO get play performed. Al
fred II. Saunders. editor Of 'The Moving
Picture News" says that young men OF
college education are repeatedly asking
him for advice as 60 how 10 get theH
scenarios accepted, but until there is
marked Improvement noticeable in the
standards yet by the producers he would
not advise well educated mon to devote
any time 60 scenario writing. Such
young college chap will find that ii VIII be
months before he will begin 10 realize
nnything like his just deserts While there
Is great need for clean, bright. moral
shows. the directors as yet do not seem TO
care for them.
For instance" he added, "a friend OF
mine wrote something ike sixteen OF the
highest class picture dramas. and out Of
these only four have been accepted. My
iliend received s25 apiece for the four, or
800 for four months work. The writer
was a graduate Of two colleges and
medical institution.
Another friend professor OF four Ian
suages, who has occupied one OF the high
81 positions on the stage in England,
fance and Germany. with all his vast
knowledge utterly failed to get four
.cenarios accepted By any OF the twenty
axe manufacturers.
the same time my son ia high school