The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-07-24

ings in ancient Syracuse were a.
The Rosary" an entire Irish village WIN
dwellings churches, public and business oullu-
ings of early nineteenth century type were DuiI'
and for almost every play speclal Dulluihss ~
erected. In some instances these have cost as
much as $4,000 or more, and were useu only III
one or two hundred feet of film.
The scenes of a photoplay are not taken !"
sequence, but according to convenience.
Al the studios from one to ten, or even n1teeh'
companies may be making scenes tor ulHeren'
subjects all at one time, according to size OF the
stage and the size of settings in use. At the
largest producing plant in the world, twenty 10
twenty-four companies of players are constantly
at work.
The raw film is made in strips four hundred
feet In length, wound on spools. After being ex-
posed they are sent to laboratories, where they
are developed.
The negative film is next threaded into a print
ing machine and an unexposed positive film is
placed next to it but on the opposite side from
an electric lamp. This machine operates auto
matically and prints" the positive from the
negative at the rate of several thousand rect per
hour.
A motion picture studio is a veritable curiosity
shop. In the wardrobe are to be found costumes
of all ages and sizes, representing a great in
vestment.
The property room contains almost any
thing that can be thought of.
The pay rolls of the manufacturing companies
range from 1000 to $25, 900 weekly where twenty
or more companies are busy, the amounts vary
ing according to number of producing companies.
the class of professionals employed and quality
of subjects made. In addition 20 this great ex-
penditure totaling more than a quarter of a bill
lion dollars a year for all companies in the United
States, must be added cost of film, studio equip
ment and a hundred and one little items of ex-
pense that come up in the making of every pic
ture. This vast amount constitutes the lions
share of production costs for motion pictures OF
the world or 65 per cent.
The industry of the United States is centered
at Los Angeles. Producers have found there are
more sunshiny picture-making days in this vi
cinity than in any other part of the world, and.
furthermore, any kind Of scenery can be found
within a radius of fifty miles of this southern Cal
ifornia city. Mountains, sea, desert, tropical and
frigid zones, metropolitan, village or country
scenes are to be had by a short tomobil ride.
In addition to the pictures made at studios
there are hundreds of camera men employed or
working independently travelling In all parts of
the world securing travelogues or scenic pictures,
and topical scenes of incidents that are used to
make up what are termed "Weeklies." 1t is es-
tlmated that there are more than one hundred
now with the various armies of the nations at
war In Europe and scarcely a week passes that
some travelling film makers do not market pic
lures depicting life and conditions in some re-
mote part Of the globe.
The principal educators OF today have come to
realize the importance Of the motion picture for
use in schools and colleges, and the time is not
far distant when a projecting machine will be an
important part Of the equipment of our schools,
the universities and many schools of the larger
cities now having adopted this means OF teach
ing.
Motion pictures, fifteen years ago a novelty,
ten years ago a feature added to vaudeville pro-
grams and termed "chasers" by the theater man.
ayers because they constituted the last number
Of the entertainment, usually causing people to
leave, now serve as amusement to the greatest
number of people. They have replaced, and the
better subjects now command as high admission
prices as comedy, drama and musical shows Of
the speaking stage in a majority of the best thea.
tiers of the large cities, and by their universal
popularity have become known as the American
amusement