The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-01


ak on scenarios and scenario writer.
Jr. Woods said;
= Something has been said in the
papers about the Mutual acquiring
from the publishers motion picture
rights in large number of copy
zines. and that some OF the authors
who had sold all rights 10 their
stories TO publishers felt that they
were not being justly treated II
should be understood that there are
but a limited number Of copyrighted
stories suitable for motion picture
production, ard. that once this sup
PLY is exhausted by production in
pictures. the producing companies
will be obliged to depend upon new
or from the authors direct.
The limited number Of available
plots and the large number OF pic
ture productions should make It ap-
parent that the existing plots will be
used up eventually. 1t follows that
the demand for new plots must In
crease their value and add to the
income of fiction writer's.
We feel that by going into the
production of stories BY Writer'S 9,. OF
standing In the motion picture field
and they. in a very short time. viii
feel the benefit OF the demand which
we are creating. Picture stories by
recognized WrlteIs surely diS oi
more value than stories by unknown
writer's.
that in the future the fiction writer
will have in mind the picture pos,
slbilities In arranging his plots. a ana
struction Will become a powerful
factor in literature, The number Of
well known writer's WIG are turning
their attention to picture require
ments iS; already very extensive tsnI sict,o,
writer's IL has been found more salts
factory to buy from them merely the
motion picture rights to their stories
than to have them prepare woTklng
scenarios or, more properly speaking.
writing fiction or even In writing
stage drama does not readily acquire
the motion picture technic. One must
learn to think IN a motion picture
way before he can properly prepare
working script for the motion pic
Is confined to a limited number OF To-
,cations. He must locate his situations
IN a few scenes. The novel writer can
roam over the entire earth in narrat-
ing his story, and much OF this ND
erty Of space and time applies to the
picture story
The evolution OF the motion pic
ture story has been interesting
Originally plots submitted TO the pro
ducers were called suggestions. Ihe
price was So. That was prior 10 isVs.
Then the price went up to $40. slo'
and even so5, and the suggestions
took the form of we'll developed com
positions, which were followed win
more or less raithfulness by the pro-
ducing directors
the Biograph company in 1905. who
first gave the motion picture story its
inward trend. He was the first man
who favored more money for the au-
thor and the foremost man or his
time in giving the picture play def
mite form and standard. Those who
wrote picture plays in the early Gays;
and | was one of them, will not fail
to remember the almost prophetlc
vision with which he foresaw and an.
ticipated virtually every Important
development of the infant ar,
Motion picture plots and plays
now bring their authors fairly re-
nunera tive pay. ranging from go
To hundreds, or even thousands. OF
dollars, depending on the magnitude
OF the subjects and the prominence
of the authors
There are as many styles of mo-
tion picture story compositions
Many writers go into the most
minute detail in setting. down the
action or business" OF the consecu-
tive scenes. Some producing conf
panies prefer scenarios written In
this way. provided proper regard Is
shown for the possibilities or the
camera and of motion picture re-
ouirements. Few writer's are quail
fed to meet these eXacting condi"
lions. and 1t is sheer waste OF uine
for the average writer.
The Vitagraph company employs
a trained staff of writer's to put pic
ture plays in form. and the produe-
ing directors are then required to
follow copy, The Lubin company
has adopted much the same policy.
The Edison company relies more on
the directors. although preferrinG
we'll worked out scenarios from GER
tain writers, The Biograph COM
pany gives much greater latitude TO
directors. ssome OF whom. trained
able to produce finished pictures with
no manuscript Whatever
Mr.. Griffith himself frequently
uses no manuscript. working out the
techuic OF his story in rehearsal.
Mack Seunett, the. leading farce di.
manuscript. He learned the trick
from Griffith, But as a general propo-
sition the producing of motion picture
drama without manuscript is not
safe or satisfactory. Not everybody
is a Griffith.
closely written manuscript however
we'll il may be executed. The bet
ter the director, the less closely he
will follow the script. unless forced
to do so by his employers. for being
a man OF ina sination, his mind leaps
along channels Of its own; II refuses
to be harnessed A good director is
essentially an artist, and no artist can
do his best when serving as a mere
clerk or bookkcepcr. IT Is the differ
ence between the great painter who
and the mere copyist.
The danger lies In the fact that
good directors. real artists, are so
scarce that they arc almost a negli
sible quantity. The vast ma iority of
directors cannot be trusted TO tamper
with good script" This fact has
induced certain companies TO insist
that their directors shall follow copy,
In considering submitted manu-
Ia the synopses OF the stories which
should Iuva aria bly, accompany each
script The synopsis should be
short and TO the point-o hrief out
inc In narrative form Of the plot,
The stronger and bigger the plot.
he fewer the words necessary. every
strong story has. big central idea,
md IL Is this central idea that makes
{ great, IL follows that a person de-
string To sell story 10 "A picture
company need feel under no obiga-
ion 10 submit what he supposcs is a
working script" The working
lrst instance. Tho purchase is made
rom the synopsis.