Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-08
BY HARRY o. HOYT
Hand of the Metro Scenario STAFF

ToNTINUITY as pointed out yesterday,
" is the string which we thread the
pearls of the story. The closer you weave
your plot the easier it is to obtain con-
tnuity, as continuity is, after all. but
relative term.
If you have lapses OF time in your storl'
you are bound TO have difficulty In mechan
ical continuity. You must have leaders, O.
subtitles to get past or over the holes suo'
expressions as, Later" Two years later
The next day" etc, are not used as much
as formerly We now try to get away
from hackneyed expressions and use some
thing different. We try TO avoid giving the
impression of such abrupt transitions unless
necessary to the action of the story.
II we show that plot is to culminate
on the morning of a certain day we might
say, "The next morning II instead we
use a leader such as "A summers dawn
we get away from the stereotyped leader
or IL we are to show an abduction at
tempted, we might say shadows on SUM-
mer's dawn"
In this way we keep in the spirit of the
action to follow without giving the action
away If the hero oYercomes- dltncultles
| in darkest Africa and returns to New YORK
to his sweetheart, the easiest way OUT
| would be to show him leaving Africa ana
| then use a leader, Two months later.
| Then we WOuiu SHOW LIlSHl iSNhitSt 80
| New York Suppose instead, we say. "At
| the end of a perfect day" The audience
| will realize that time has elapsed SUM-
| cent TO get him back to America. We see
| the girl waiting, and he walks into the
room.
| Quotations from poems are frequently
| used because they are beautiful They lend
atmosphere to your story. We use them
| also when the plot of the story IL compil'
Gated and too large to develop properly III
| Ave reels
| Instead of 90 scenes to develop situa-
| tion convincingly, we can use two or three
with something poetic in leaders TO carry
| out the idea. Usually this occurs In the
| counterplot. We develop the principal
| characters carefully, but have not the space
| to develop characters in the counterplot.
Suppose that something vital TO the plot
| requires, that certain character in the
| counterplot take strong stand Tor prln-
| ciples or convictions which he holds. We
| have not time to show in action why he
| has such convictions or principles. Yet
we must make this character consistent.
We use a poetic subtitle or leads once
or twice. and the character of the man Is
| planted.
In a recent picture this was illustrated.
The picture had to get over the fact that
| man, while grasping and cruel in many
| respects, had a warm heart for little chill
| dren. He was not one OF the principal
| characters In the play, but at certain mo-
| menL lHlb OHe Wcdhile6S iot NAA'NA NA'
stroyed the plans of one OF the principal
| characters,
II would be difficult to imagine a man
| who brooked no Interference in his plans
weakening in such moment unless we
| had planted firmly the other side OF ms
character. This would require several
scenes to work II up convincingly.
When the man was introduced. there
appeared the following leader In man
| sion of gold. a soul cried out for peace
| nd of child
to still the ache Of the lonely years
The title can be improved upon. but the
| audience knew what this hard listed old
man was like They knew hls heart.
scene or two with children came later, and
i the audience looked for the tenderness and
TO get back TO continuity once more.
The leader or subtitle will tie your story
up. but even so, a story may be 'jumpy.
1t will not do TO make too many passages
OF time or you will never get action In the
story. The audience is always waiting for
something to happen, and II Il takes you 70
the middle OF the last reel to establish
your characters and your premises the
audience is but mildly interested In your
action or your dramatic scenes
They are tired OF the long-wlnded pre-
lude to your story. 1t is the same as
| though YOU were about to tell story and
prefaced your remarks by saying, In order
10 understand this story you must know
that Blank is a banker and Bunk Is a
lawyer and Mrs Blank is society woman
| and Mrs Bunk would be society woman
ana Mrs. Blanks maid came from France
where Mr.. and Mrs. Blank met her al
cannes etc. etc. Your auditor would
| probably get tired trying to keep the ehar-
acters straight, and the point would bs
lost In the maze of explanations.
When you come to the climax OF ths
story. YOU use the '.cut-back" or Hash
pack 10 keep your continuity perfect. II
YOU use leaders here you destroy the illu
sion. The audience is forced TO read some
thing when they want 70 see the action.
the villain has the girl locked IN room
beside . keg OF powder, with lighted fuss
attached, the audience doesn't want to reae
| about the hero. having finished his wori
In the city. starting to call on his sweet
heart.
Get ali the explanations Of this KIND gu
! of the way before the fuse ls lighted. FlasE
10 The hero coming and -eut-pack 70 him
setting nearer As ths fuse gets shorter
IRE old Hiograph pictures usea tns nasn
: baeks more than We DO today. Our stories
Particularly tha larse feature pictures ~