Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-30
BY HARRY o. HOYT
Head NJ The Metre aeesario STAG
MIIIAYH . story and

"T HAVE n story and don't know whore
Ito start H." writes a beginner shalt
I uas fades or visions 10 tell the beginning
Of my picture n want 60 start my action
after number of events have traneplredT'
queries another author. such questions as
there bring up mn interesting point for dis
cupaiOn
N you begin your action with the very
first Incident necessary ~ your story, you
sometimes nnd that the picture drnga the
carly scenes are naturally explanatory, Ihey
introduce your characters and establish
the atmosphere Of your plays What every
author seeks Ia 10 start the story WIN
action, something that Will catch and hold
the attention of the audience.
There are many ways In which this may
ho done, and at the same time give the
introduotions neoessary Sometimes you
have a play that has n Violent death ~ lt
There II not the slightest hint ~ mystery
to II, as the picture could easily run straight
through from start 10 finish without
change The death may he but an Incident
In the picture, vital incident, but not the
punch
" you make mystery ~ this death,
perhaps by starting with the discovory of
tho murdered man you have attracted the
attention of the audience COrOhere
jury can le called, and there you may gel
the events that preceded the murder told
not introduce your characters until tho
jury meets. and even then not until they
Rfs mentioned by the witnoshes there viii
never he any question In the minds OF the
audience the story will ba clear,
Jones may be the murdered man, or he
may have any other name, The audience
IN Interested In the man. and does not need
Ia know the name Then you can get over
the details which plant your story In
more interesting manner
N the audience becomes intcreHted N Will
give close attention 10 the different scenes
white the explanation In being given. II In
human nature We are ali Interested In
things that happen 10 va. but not nh In
tereHted In something even more exciting
that happens 20 Soms one else.
If you can establish II real interest In
one 0f your characters, this interest dOeB
not drop when you start 10 explain, pro-
Vided the explanation does not lag too
much. n the explanations ncceAsRry are
Inclined 10 be tedious, you can get them
over easily and simply In the fashion Just
set forth
By fading out" and into the explanatory
scenes You can avoid many scenes other
wise required 20 give II the proper con
tlnulty For example. we might take the
case cited
Suppose the man killed was a wsll-to-do
spOrtBman who had nm anair with some
woman. Suppose this woman has lover.
another sportsman. Suppose this woman
has husband The man II killed and the
other lover In accused Of the crime lie
In tried and convicted but just before hlR
execution we will imagine that the husband
Ia injured and, realizing that he In dying
ConfesAsH that he did the killing.
We will naturally keep all this n myHtery,
aH We have started this way and on this
account perhaps tho woman viii never he
introduced into the story until the hus-
bands confesBlOn, Now the husband ls
dying. lie says In II spoken leader or sun.
title. Gertrude Il my wife--i introduced
her 20 Jones ."
Fade the scene out Of husband talking
and fade In the scene Of the introduction
Fade this out after planting Jones admrh.
tlon for Gertrude. and fade back into the
confeHsIOn. The husband continues "One
night ! discovered that Brown loved her
Fade thIa out. and fade into n room in
their home Gertrude Is on Browns lap
They are having something 10 drink when
the door opens and the husband enters |
Brown says few words and lenves. Ger
truds laughs at hor hunbani and leaves
him,
The husband In frantic and desperate
Fnds this out and into the confession. The |
husband continues 10 talk. and says, II |
bided my time, determined 10 get them |
both, ."
a scene showing this husband dlsssmblinE |
on meeting the two men and the wife, ana |
from this scene we would go back 10 the |
The husband now says, "One |
night my patience whA rewarded ."
Now viii follow a few scenes showing lew
his patience WAS rewarded and how the |
murder took place and how he contrived tU
throw the blame upon Brown. We have
three fades" up 10 the night NJ the murder,
The night Of the murder scenes can be many
lr few, as the director,
We will have no trouble In holding the
attention Of the audience In these acsneH
Hut prior 70 the night Of the murder. by
means of the subtitle and the fades" We
have explained aii that In necessary In three
scenes To get the same thing over. IN we
rad started the story at this point Instead
n with the dlscOyerey of the murdered man.
Hs would have taken many scenes