The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-03-28
incorporating HUMAN
NATURE IN PHOTo-PLAYS
GEORGE FITzMAuRIcE, PATHE
PRODUCER, REVEALS SECRET
ART OF EFFECTIVE
DIRECTING
AN InFINlTuDE OF DETAIL
Aptitude Must Be Unborn for the Cine
ma Drama Has Its Unique Rules,
Technique and Psychology.

Coming from q director who has
proved his theories by practical appli-
cation and demonstrated 1heir truth
BY record Of a series OF productions
without failure. these ideas Of George
Fitzmaurice. the Paths producer, on
photoplay directing, are well worthy Of
serious consideration. He says:
'Ths right and proper direction Of
q photo-drama Is necessarily as much
Of an art as painting, sculpture or
any Of the other arts. 1t has its rules,
rs technique, It's composition and,
above all. its Psychology, and it is
this latter phase Of the subject that
is given too little attention by the
average director, which Is largely re-
sponsible for the vast quantity of only
mediocre pictures now produced.
"A comprehensive knowledge of
psychology. in all its branches, is
. necessary complement Of good direc-
torship, for motion pictures have
progressed to such a stage that
Psychology Is the base upon which
they are all built The public of to-
day demands something mere than
mere action: It demands well de-
velopsd theme, and when you enter
upon this you enter the realms Of
psychology. TIE incorporate human
nature into q picture you must under
stand tbs science of mental phenomena.
fer It Is this science that is guiding
the guiding hand Of realistic action.
'sTe my mind the action Of d.
rector In producing q picture ID Slargely
saAoonseioue. I can only speak OF my
own Individual method. First, there
II the purely technical work OF de-
sishiAg the sets. ] work out every
detail Of this in advance, even select
Ing the design. and color of the wall
paper. Then I pick out my furniture
ana work out detailed plans Of just
how II will be arranged in the com
plsted sets. even carry out this
initial Supervision 70 far as to accom-
pany the women OF the cast to the
stores whore they purchase their
Gowns, In order to be perfectly sure
befere I start work that everything
is in harmony. During all this time
] am thinking deeply Of the play as a
whole. not IN . conscious detailed man,
ner, but absorbing the theme, the
atmosphere, in a UNCONSCIOUS man
Rer. When It comes to the actual
ac4iEE Of the various scenes the whole
idea ID In my mind. FIRST send my
people through q scene without
iAstruction, for frequsntiy they, in
studying cut the action of the picture,
evolve IDEAS that are valuable. Thea
hy combining the best Of their Initial
work with ny own previously cen
oeivs1 ideas, assive 1T the manner
Ia whioh ~ scene should be played.
sComposttioa 10 O subject that
betAers many directors. Personally,
never bother about 1t, except to notice
lwhen II h wrong. The Ability 10 Judge
,oomposiHon n something that La more
or less born In one. One does not
necessarily group his characters in
certain dsAnite positions, but SHOULD
they group themselves I'm q manner
that offends the rules Of good COM
position the fault 10 at once noticeable
to ne good director"
DIR. Fitzmaurice, II Is interesting to
note. 10 the man who produced 'via
Wireless" AT Bay" and New York"
for the Pathe Geid Rooster program,-
three pictures that are considered
among the best Of the last twelve
months. He 10 now finishing big Jim
0arrity'' for the same concern.