Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-18
Synopsis Versus Scenario
As An Expert Sees Them
Triansles Mr. Ellis Tells the Movie Struck Writers
Whats What in Making Sure of Check
From photoplay Concerns
Nv CARLISLE ELLIS

: tho elimination Of the episodes involves
| and all expressed visually.
The perfect synopss would contain Al
! these elements though all OF them might
not bo specifically stated.
To write an adequate synopsis Il ia evts
| dent that the drama must hrst be houEhs
| out In detail: tho scenes mentally visuelizeo
| and arranged In sound and effective con-
| tinulty, the theme clearly held In mind
characters so well developed that they are
| actually living in the authors Imagination,
| and all soen.
Then, whether the synopsis Is In 1000
| words or 5000, II will automatically register
| the vlsualised drama and in It's reading
will awaken to the eye OF the reader pic-
ture story rather than n spoken one.
The writing OF continuity from Huoh .
synopsis with the stan mans knowledge OF
his studios methods. limitations and per
sonalities, will become comparatively
simple task and may closely reflect the
plan and intent OF the author.
IL is stlll true, however, that highly in-
divdualized creative product to be really
great must complete Itself In tho mind OF
Its author, An oneratc composer may not
conduct his own performance, but he would
not dream of turning over the orchestration
of his score to another man. The coming
genluses OF tho film will think out their
pictures to the minutest detail. and oven
though they do not actually direct the maxi
ing OF the picture their thought and vision
Tho army of scenario writer's, following
the lead OF the current product with but
little practical training In building either
In pictures or In dialogue, rather daEed by
the momentum OF the new art yet limited
by tho necessary Standardization OF q
product made to sell widely and uniformly
tho army OF scenario writer's is feeling ita
way rather bllndly,
But the big and fatal error of the ana
teurs Is the belief that any story in any
form, 80 long ns II contains certain stock
cNternals. will make picture: and that
since they are asked only for synopse5,
| they do not have to put constructive thought
and labor into their product They have
| been told ut is Ideas that count" and
| they imagine an Idea to consist merely of
the framework Of nn epIsode-something
| that may come to one while wiping tho
| breakfast dishes and be jotted down while
| the potatoes are boiling.
Not one scenario synopsls in one hundred.
| except those written by men who have
| worked on studio STATS. shows thinking
! out of the drama in terms of consecutive
| pictures. and II is for this one hundredth
| that tho editors are looking Given that
attribute the matter of continuity IL
| secondary.
As to subject. the present demand 10
| for contemporary dramas of American life.
| The real meaning of this demand Is that
| picture patrons seem to want 70 see stories
that are convinclngly actual excerpts from
u
| lives in externals as we'll m in theme
| Characters In costume plays. for example.
cannot quite be believed in as real people.
| Therefore costume plays, according to ex-
| hibitors, are anathema Symbolic plays
with an element of fantasy pure imaginA-
| ton Couldn't be true" Therefore they do
not say anything to n great mass of Pic
| ture patrons. Therefore they have failed
| almost invariably, since there is 30 far no
specialization of motion picture audiences.
| When that comes. there will bO = demand
| for new sort of picture. that sets inner
| truth above realism, and q new picture
| vision will be born.
Triangle finds. however, that. given Q
| solid and literal realism. It's patrons are
moro and moro responsive to the newer
| elements in the shadow drama. These ele-
| ments and this tendency arc plain enough.
| The drama of merely external happenings
| to mere lay figures, the play OF lights and
| chases and daring deeds and nothing else.
Is giving place TO the drama OF the human
| consciousness. Not only must the chArao-
| ters OF todny's photoplay be living people
with souls and moods and minds OF various
sorts, but these characters. going through
| the fires of dramatic conflict. must change
and grow. Character development-thinRs
going on inside of folks-is tho big and
vital element OF the big. vital plcture-dranA
that is ahead OF u.s. as II Is of all real
drama, of all real art.
This almost predicates that plays must
have theme. The story must be not only
about people and things It must be about
something bigger than individuals, and vital
TO all or many OF them,
These are the elements that Triangle IL
looking for In the scenarios that come In
to II. And II they are not at least indicated
In the synopsis the search is seldom carried
farther. one would not look in the
architects specifications TO the contractor
to find out whether he was building an
Italian Renaissance postofico or a Spanish
bungalow.
So we believe that It Is the synopsis which
viii become the recognized medium OF trans
ferring photoplay ideas and plans. but q
rebuilt and illuminated synopsis as much
a literary product as a good short story.
but quite different from short staTy. a
slSillful and well-packed compendium Of
eolorful fact. carefully constructed to carry
continuity OF interest and indicate the entire
structure and plan of the drama