The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-10
GOOD PLOTS ARE
HARD TO DEVISE
An Idea With a Punch" One OF
the First Requisites

An idea with punch ~ one ot
~. hardest things to find in motion
nictnre plot writings. ana the finding
is hut "a small part of the work that
is to follow That is what the seem
.rio department is operated for-to
find out of the immense amount OF
material that daily pours into the ed
tor's office. one idea that can be sue
,essfuily utilized for motion pictures
This found. the real work on the story
commences, for about only one out Of
three hundred scripts is technically
uerfect and ready TO be produced
when purchased.
For the work of putting scripts into
technical shape for production, spc-
,iaI department is detailed. its pur-
nose bcnig Ia find naws ana correct
those flaws.
TO SIM mp the whole thiGg, it is =
painstlRing practice nf COMPRESSION
into about eighteen minutes of action.
the complete plot of a story-a story
that is interesting in all it's points and
I'm sucn shape that the producer viii
,yrcricncc no lost tim" in the recon
,uuction
Among the points To b" c"nsilcro =
d.. the department that reconstruct
lhr story are. that the action shall
rrlnsplrc. as near as possible, i'm uus
period of time, that the story shan
center. as near as practicable, around
une main incident the basic p0iu'
,,ound Which the whole plot hinges.
That every scene ia Tho story shall
contribute and lead w 10 the one biz
situation SO as ~ produce, as in any
story. climax.
Scenarios. tho majority of thom, as
uurchasod. ALWAYS have to be recon
structoG. The average writer does not
could not. think Of all the tcchnicali-
ties that the produce" Of motion pie
turo plays IS confronted with.
For instance. there is the censor
BOARD. VIII the idea as submitted
conform 20 the regulations of the Ma e.
ituum GorrF of Censorship Does the
tory teach moral? Are the char
gctcrs such that viii appeal, and in
uhc end. win favor with the audience
Has the story continuity? That,
Though some people do not seem to
think So is one of the chief essentials
,t the scenario. \ story. 10 be- tcch-
meal, aust have continuity. by con-
tnn,v Is meant the different scenes
following each other i'm such "a rela-
ton 90 ono another that the linking
together of the action is without Il
lump. \ small point? Yes. But one
that often puzzles the best writer's and
win sometimes i'm spite Of all that
can be- done. creep unobscrved into the
story.
There are some script writers who
have the knack Of being able to sit
down at their machine and, having
the basic idea. write Il story that is as
near perfect as can lac. These writer's
arc few and far between FOR they have
10 contend with MANY. many details.
\ single character 10 be followed
through the maze ana intricacies Of
The plot: the Introduction of other
characters into the story so tha- the
whole combines TO furnish a compl
cation that is To be unravellcd; the
unravelling of the plot-bringing to
climax the action. makes the au-
6ience realize that the story is
throush these are some of the little
and big details that the professions!
script writer must worry with.
Then too the camera. The camera
must also be considered N the making
81 The story. \ motion picture camera
is n very versatile piece of mechanism,
being able in, the hands of a skilled
operator. Ia produce results that seem
impossible 10 write scenarios tech
uically. the writer must he well verscd