The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-01
EAL MAN BEHIND THE MOVIES IS THE STAGE DIRECTOR
He Not Only Shows the
Actors How to Act
but in a Single Day
Will Himself Run
Through the Whole
Carnut of Emotions

plot and all, thrown away for the sake
OF getting single big scene and idea.
around which an entirely new play was
built. Many times also the director
Is direct producer of plays. From
an idea which IL suggested by play
ne Is staging or by some other circum-
stance director writes his own
scenario. There Is one director in New
YORK working for company which
produces only multiple reel plays who
mas himself written more than as per
cent or the plays produced by his COM
pany in the last year. All directors
consider 1t part OF their work to do
this. or when unable to find time to
write scenarios themselves to suggest
To the scenario editor a plot which can
hc written by his STAFF.
with his scenario fixed to suit him
the director turns his attention to the
settings for the different scenes. in
terror and exterior. He directs the
work OF the property man and the stage
hands in their preparation. displaying
care which Is sometimes no less than
meticulous.
The eye of the camera has no imagi-
nation, but shows exactly what il
placed before it. so all details have to
be carefully worked out, no matter how
small they are. Some stage settings
take many hours to prepare and then
are used for only few minutes: nor
are the most elaborate ones always the
most difficult to get ready. It took
less than an hour recently to prepare
stage setting representing an elabor-
ate apartment. and 1t was used during
an entire day. On the other hand six
hours were consumed in preparing a
cellar scene, which was used less than
two minutes.
Three painted walls had to be set up,
representing the stones Of the founda-
tion: big furnace, with it's accom-
panying pipes, had to be placed in posi-
ton: the floor sanded to look natural;
barrels. boxes and pieces of old lumber
piled and scattered about: dead matches
thrown carelessly on the floor and the
fine dust Of ashes obtained and thrown
upon top Of the pipes. The actors were
discovered" when the picture was
made beside the furnace. They indi-
Gated that they heard a noise upstairs
and then made their exits through q
door beside the furnace. No other use
was made Of this setting.
a director is hardly necessary to the
preparation OF scene like this. one
might think, but IL any detail were left
out thousands would notice It and the
best effect OF the scene be lost.
Everybody knows the great care Mr.
Belasco exercises in preparing his plays
that stage settings and costumes shall
be true to nature or to the period In
which the play is supposed to occur
other theatrical producers follow Mr.
lal In 10 g..
resources Of finances and artistic ability
permit. The same Is true Of the direc-
tor OF motion picture plays. although as
a general thing the exigencies Of the
business will not permit the develop
ment Of another Belasco. even were
such thing possible.
| But the average theatrical production
demands only few scenes or settings
| while the average motion picture play
| which consumes, say quarter Of an
| hour to exhibit on the screen. has from
| a dozen to twenty different stage set
| tings All these must he In keeping as
to time. place and character. II Is the
| business Of the director to make them
so. and he cannot give months to the
study and preparation Of them.
This does not apply To the work Of
| the director Of the great productions
which require many months of prepara-
| ton In which the last thing thought Of
is haste. But these big plays are pic
| tured under a number of directors. all
under ope head director, who have OPP
portunity for consultation with each
other before "A single big scene Is at
| tempted.
In the matter Of lighting "A stage set
| ting the work of the director dovetails
| IL h.t ..ft I.. rh. Lat
ter Is supposed To know just how the
| lights should he placed to produce the
best results. but woe betide the director
who tries to lay blame upon the camera
| man for faulty work. He might almost
| as well blame the property man for any
error in "A stage setting. The director
| Is the man who must get results, and
good ones, and II Is distinctly "up &c
him" To do so.
All big concerns have what are callct
| outside stages. They are large plat
forms, open to the air above and or
| all sides So that daylight may be hat
| during sunlight hours. For the winter
| months these platforms are closed II
and covered with glass roofs To- protec
| the actors from the weather and at the
same time allow the light Ia stream
| through. Some of them are hundred
rect square, or more, ana permit %
| simultaneous work 10y a dozen diffcrcn
directors on different plays, Here the
| light is managed by shifting screens
much as photographer shifts his
| screens in his studio 1t is the directors
job tn see that his camera man shifts
the screens 50 as To produce the best
effects.
Interior studios. of which there are
many more, are furnished with great
banks Of Cooper Hewitt incandesCent
tubes. pendent from the ceilings and on
portable stands. Moving these about
from place to place so as to concentrate
| their light upon the scene being pic
turcd. Is supposed to be the work Of
the camera man; but while the drcc-
tor may defer to the latter many times
in this where there is "A difference of
opinion, he never defers to anybody in
the makeup on the faces Of his actors.
He must know accurately just how any
makeup will appear before these lights
and he gets very little assistance from
his actors, who are rarely artists.
That Is pretty nearly all a director OF
motion picture plays has To do only to
know IA good play when he secs the
l 10. Vaal .I.a