The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-04-17
TIPS TO AUTHORS
OF MOVIE PLAYS
Information for Those Who
Would Succeed in Writing
Scenarios.
MANY TECHNICAL TERMS
Dictionary" Gives Majority Of the
Most Important Expressions of
Those in Business.
MANY TECHNICAL TERMS

One of the most absorbing topics OF
the day is the motion picture play and
| how II Is made. Beyond doubt, at least
| half of those who read this newspaper
are ambitious to write moving picture
plays. or scenarios as they are common
Iy called. Most. IL not all, OF those who
would succeed in this fascinating voca-
ton are unfamiliar with the methods
employed by the professional motion pic
| ture play writers.
Following is what can be described as
movie" dictionary, giving a few Of
the more important technical terms used
| in the movies that should be known to
writer's of plays.
Business-The detailed action of the ac-
tors in the scenes.
Close up-Action taken with the per-
formers about eight feet from the lens,
that being the minimum distance for sue
cessful photography.
Commercial-An American photo play
Of the regular service more than
thirty days old.
Cut-Ending Il scene sharply by a
change to a leader or TO another scene.
Cut back-The change from one scene
to another having to do with the same
action. as from one end OF a telephone
line TO another. Also the change to a
past scene, such as a memory that comes
to an actors mental vision.
Director Is stage Manager.
Dircctor-The equivalent Of a stage
manager in a theater.
Dissolve-The running of one scene
into another by gradual cutting of
of one and Sharpening of the other. II
is done by running the film twice through
the camera; the first time gradually clos
ing the shutter on the first scene. and
the second time starting with a closed
shutter and gradually opening it on the
now Scene. II is most often used TO
suggest memories of the past or vision
seen by characters in the play. The
scenes which appear to their mental
vision are gradually brought on the
screen and are gradually dissolved away
as they end.
Double expOsure-Ised where the vi
sions are seen by characters in the play
or for trick photography. as that in
which one actor takes two parts in the
same scene. In this case again the film Is
run twice through the camera. The first
time the section of the picture which is
to show vision is cut out with shade
over that section of the lens. and the
second time only vision section is per-
mitted to let light through. In cases
where one actor is playing two parts the
two characters are kept in different
parts of the scene. one part being photo
graphed on each run and the other part
shut of.
Exterior-A view apparently of out
doors whether taken indoors or not.
Fade Out-Somewhat similar to dis
solve. except that instead of having the
entire picture fade away evenly it is
steadily reduced in size until it vanishes
in the center.
Feature-A play OF two or more reels
First Run-A play shown by theater
m the day of its release from the manu-
factUrer Second. third and fourth runs
come Cunsecrtively after il.
Fash-A brief glimpse OF scene. just
enough to account for the presence of
some character in a particular place.
FootaSe-The number Of feet of film
used.