Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-24

ing John and Mary in the distance, have
MIN show his jealousy, and get 1t all over
without a subtitle.
We would know by the picture that the
tai, light-haired young man was in love
with the girl, and the dark, heavy-set man
was also in love with her This will only
serve its purpose for the moment, however.
Inc time Will come with the development
or the action of the picture when it is es.
sential to know who your characters are.
Hence, while it may be unnecessary to
| introduce John and Richard and Mary In
subtitle. it is probably much better to
do so at the very beginning of your story,
so that the people witnessing the picture
Will feel at ease and never be troubled and
| no questions will ever arise in their minds
as to who your people are.
Perhaps John is the eastern representa-
tive of a mining company. The develop
ment of your story Is to be around n mine
depicting Richards attempt to get control
of 1t and win the girl Perhaps your min
Ing incident will not become prominent until
your story Is half finished.
Perhaps the first half of your story deals
with the intrigue in the East. There will
be no necessity for any mention of the mine
or Johns connection with ii. but because
the mine plays an important part in the
last part of your story, 1t is highly essen
tial that his connection with the mine, be
placed early In the story.
In other words, the introduction of your
character must in way forecast the rela-
ton of the character, not only to the other
characters. but also to the occupation, sta
tion In life, the locale of the story, etc. 1t
may be perfectly obvious that John is the
owner of the Bunk" mine, owing to the
name on the door of his office, but without
a good subtitle you can't be certain that
1t is not some other man in Johns office.
This sounds absurd, and have purposely
carried It to the point of absurdity TO H.
lustrate the fact that clarity is one of the
principal elements of the well-wrought
photoplay. The author gets wrapped up in
his own story and the characters to him are
perfectly clear
When the audience sees a character
seated at a desk. however II is not at all
obvious that this is John that he is the
owner of the Bunk mine. You must
make your story so clear with the use OF
proper subtltles that no one can make q
mistake.
A cry has gone up that pictures are over
subtitled, but 1t is far better to have
more subtitles than are really necessary
than to have too few. People say that
audiences are too intelligent to need any
great amount of explanation and their i'm
agination will fill in the blanks
1t is probably very true that the average
intelligence of the audience today is greater
than 1t was a few years ago. People have
been educated to the motion pictures. They
are becoming critical, even hypercriticaL
But too much should not be left for them
TO I'LL in.
You must remember that the business
man. when he comes home at night and
takes his wife and family to the theatre.
does not want to work out a jigsaw puzzle
He can do this>on his parlor table at home
People come TO be entertained, and they
can't be entertained unless the story is
clear
If there is any one rule to be made on
the subject, 1t is this: Introduce your
characters early with appropriate subtitles
Give your subtitIes thought
In a previous lesson 1t was suggested
that characters be introduced in their
nroper atmosphere, hence 1t would be inn
nroner to say, John. young mine owner"
and show John making love TO Mary on
ths rustic bench. There are times when
II Is very difficult to introduce a character
IN it's proper atmosphere. Many times they
ara far removed from their normal sur
roundinEs For. example, we may snow
| ,Toedro. a young coffee merchant OF Brazil"
vet we want our story laid entirely In New
York.
Unless the coffee plays some important
mart in the story there is no necessity for
Mentioning II when he is introduced, sim
DIV say, Pedro. a South American planter.
n vou focus the attention Of your audience
| mon the fact that he is coffee merchant,
tbav will expect, and rightly SO, that your
| story will deal with coffee.
II you simply say planter II Is at once
Continued PAGE Two.