Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-22
BY HARRY o. HoYT
Head Of the Metro Scenario star

TN line with our discussion Of the short
i length subject yesterday. there is another
point that needs emphasis. How much
story do you need for a single reel subiect2
We learn most easily by comparison, and
by properly analyzlnE a single reel scenario
many questions can be answered. The ex-
ample I am using is an old picture, one,
perhaps. that many will recall, produced,
believe by the old Majestic company.
The author was Geoge Hennessy, the most
prolific of the earlier scenario writer's He
had the knack, or trick, of taking COM
monplace situation and giving II an unusual
twist, as may be witnessed in many of his
early Bograph pictures.
II is this sudden surprise that brings
suspense and raises the picture out of the
commonplace. In the following example,
this is quite noticeable.
Tom Is In love with Mary, farmers
daughter. Farmer Jones objects to Tom,
and, finding the young man persistent,
threatens to shoot him II he ever comes
around again. Mary is alarmed at the chol-
eric temper of her father and fears that
he will indeed carry out his threat. She
removes the shells from his shotgun to
prevent trouble
Tom meets Mary and they plan an elope-
ment Some painters are painting the
house. The ladder used by the painters
is left conveniently near Mary's window.
They plan to use this
That night two tramps see the ladder
and plan TO rob the house Mary hears
the tramps and thinks that II is Tom.
She throws out the suitcase and comes down
the ladder, where she is seized by the rob-
bers. Jones hears the commotion and grabs
his shotgun but the shells have been re-
moved Tom arrives in time to save the
situation and receives Jones' consent to the
wedding as his reward.
The story is simple. II relies entirely
upon n situation created when Mary re.
moved the shells from the gun. The sus-
pense was worked up by flashing TO Tom
driving his machine to the farmhouse for
the elopement. and the punch came when
he arrived just in time to capture both
tramps when they were about TO make
away with the stolen goods.
The surprise lies in the useless gun.
Mary removed the shells for one purpose
and the gun is brought into use for very
different reason. The very fact that she
tried to save her lovers life by removing
the shells nearly cost her her own life.
To write this story requires about 80
scenes, possibly 35. It is single situa.
ton You introduce your characters early
and plant the enmity OF the father for
Tom The natural result is a contemplated
elopement and with a short lapse of time
you arrive Immediately at the climax of
your picture.
You have all the elements of a feature
photoplay here, because the tramps may
be considered the counterpot, They come
to steal and have no interest in the love
element. 1t is, after all, but single situa-
tion and this is what the single reel photo
play should be. Compare your own ideas
with this play and gauge the length OF
your story.
In looking back at these early short
length subjects, 1t seems simple matter
to write one, but 1t is quite difficult, as
you will discover If you attempt to write
anything new. On the other hand the
trained writer knows that he can take al |
most any incident and make play out of 1t |
If he has sufficient Imagination.
A scrap Of conversation on the street |
car, n small item in the newspaper an |
incident related by friend, all provide |
plots for the single reel story. They pro- |
vide plots for the multiple reel scenario |
we'll, but they require elaboration.
Take the incident related by some friend |
and imagine that it turned out differently, |