The Washington times., 1914-06-19
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Photopldys Produced
Before Audience
of But One
Person

VI SOurScr tncIe are usually Two
or three others around-but It is just
one man that the actors seek to
satisfy-the director -
The director of the photoplay is
much, more important man than
the stage manager of the regular
show. 1t Is usually the director who
makes the play. He gets tho
script" picks the cast, and directs
the action. The script ne gets IS
sometimes the merest outline Of a
story, and very often the story the
author had in mind is not the story
that is finally shown in the play.
1t is said that Gilbert NJ! Anderson.
"Broncho Billy" who directs all his
plays, never tells his players what
they are going to do until they get
ready to do it. He never te9s them
ply what they are to do in ea.h
scene. and then only, just before
they are required to do it II
might be the first scene, II might be a
scene in the middle of a play.
Sometimes director will take sin
gle bit of action. that he gets en-
tirely by accident, and make
Griffith goes at his work as though
each scene was the last thing he
aver expected to do, and he insists
on its being perfect. Every director
has a lot Of trouble. and every d.
rector makes his scenes In. way TO
suit his own convenience
one of the most successful Of the
actor-directors Is King Baggot. OF
the Universal Company, who was an
actor before he became q photo
player, and who was one Of the trst
OF the players to come under the
Griffith spell. Baggot has written
about the troubles Of the director IN
q most interesting manner tor tne
Dramatic Mirror. He says, among
other things:
Take the story as we receive 1t
from the scenario department. 1t is
usually insthe form of a scene-by-
scene description of every step In the
photoplay. With some companies
the director must follow this ar
rangement without deviation, in
other studies the producef.is allowed
Judgment as he works the story out.
Personally, / would prefer to have
the story written In about twenty
1--WE words-the actual story can
easily be told in that, nuribsr. and
that is all director really needs.
To my mind, the person who can
make a scene-by-scene script that Is
pIdCllCal 10 Oot oASai3
be director. For he has all the
qualities that make director, the
lima agination. the creative power to
see inS the minds eye the logical
stcp-by-step.deyelop OF the story.
the ability to overcome the obstacles
and work within the limitations OF
the screen.
with the script received from the
scenario department, IL Is the prac-
tice in some studios to g1ye-the d.
rector duplicates for the property
man and the scene man: In others
the director will make UP his own
scene plot Having attended to
these mechanical details. his next
task Is to place the players In the
different roles Perhaps his story
has characters that are readily at
fortunate. More often, there Is a
part for which a certain player. who
IS at the time working with another
director, Is peculiarly fitted. Then he
must go to the other director. find
out on what day he will be able to
secure that players services. and so
arrange his work as to put on first
the scenes that do not call for the
particular players appearance.
Before starting on the staging Of
q picture go on in a corner of the
studio. sit down with the principal
players, and tell them the story.
Then each principal makes note
of the costumes he will require for
the entire picture: / might here
a misunderstanding OF the directors
duties. Though director usually
keeps in mind a clear Idea of just
what costumes a player wore In the
different scenes of picture. just
whether he backed. out of a certain
scene or whether he walked
sis s5sa.sht cba1seter Sss just had whether sis at
in his hand when he left a GER
tain scene. SO to agree with this
point when he is seen making his
entrance later In the room to which
he is supposed to have gone. these
are things which should not be put
entirely on the shoulders OF a d.
rector. The actor has no one else 70
think of but himself. while the d.
rector has all the characters and
the entire story on his mind: While
most directors are fully Wiling tn
take all the blame for slips. along
with the credit for good, work, this
principle; logically carried out.
ture only one set of brains is being
used-those of the director. Your
good player. who Ia giving his
thoughts entirely to his role. would
resent this conclusion. and nat
urally.
with the preliminary prepara-
tions completed, the directors choice
production. is affected by many
things. I have already told you
that he NAV put certain scenes Off
until he can have the player he
wants for a particular role. The
weather will. OF course. determine
whether or not he will Jump into
exterior or interior work. Then.
again. 1t is my own plan to make
the scenes requiring few characters
and simple sets, first, and SO on
gradually to the bigger scenes. leav-
ing any especially elaborate scenes
TO the end. My reason for doing this
may best be explained by taking
grand ballroom scene is TO be a
feature Now, in the script as
originally written, the story may
only require that this ballroom be
used once. Say that director de-
cided to stage this scene first. His
dozens OF extras are hired. and all
the resources of the property room
ed on this scene. the brief bit Of
action is photographed. and the
stage cleared. Now suppose. in
working out the rest of the pic
ture the director finds that II would
be necessary to change the action
a bit. to modify the relations OF the
characters. or perhaps ne decides
that IT would add strength to the
picture II that. ballroom. scene. were
used more than once. In order to
do so he would have to duplicate
all his original expense on, that
scene, the settings would have to
be put. up again and the extras
hired once more-ail of which means
considerable expense Had this
ector could mold II to suit himsek
in order to strengthen the story
and at the same time IN no wise
Affect the EXPENSE account