The Washington times., 1916-01-13
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLA YERS
By GARDNER MACK.
One Thol~dnd Miles
of PhotopldyS Is
the Output OF
Los Angeles
By GARDNER MACK.


piles lot OF statistics that reiaJe
to the progress OF the motion p;c-
ture business which are intenseiy
interesting to motion picture patrons.
They are not only interesting pc
cause OF the bit OF Endorsement they
give to the vanity OF the motion
picture patron who stoutly main
tains the greatness OF mis- favor:.e
art, but also because they increase
in totals in so rapid a manner that
zone IL led to believe an adding ms
chine must be worked overtime pu,-
ting down the figures and then ne
out of date before a total can be
cast.
Figuratively, this Is a fact with
motion picture statistics. The in
crease in all branches OF the busi-
nens has been so rapid that each SET
Of statistics published II behind the
actual conditions by the time insy
are completed.
In a special edition OF the Los
Angeles Times the newest statistlcs
of the industry, so. far as It relates
to Los Angeles. are given. And It is
'lntereetinS TO scan some of the flg-
ures so as to get new idea OF Just
how TAR forward the business has
gone.
Moro than 80 per cent of the Aims
are produced in southern California
One thousand miles of negatives are
annually developed In the Los An
seles studios. from which 1000 miles
OF positive are made. The people OF
the. United States paid $2s7, 100000
during the past year to see these
pictures. Twenty producing COM
panies spend over a million dollars
a month in Los Angeles, They en-
ploy 1900 people regularly. The an
nual cost of maintenance OF the
three largest producing organiza-
lions In the world which operate
here exclusively-the Thomas II.
ince studio. the d. W. Griffith
studio. and the Universal City-ag-
gregates S2,750,O0O. Fourteen thou
sand people applied for work as Eek
tras' at one OF these studios during
the past year.
The. fascination which picture
work" has for the population is at
tested by the records kept by the
employment bureau of single con-
Germ, which show on the file cards
some Of the following occupations
previously followed by the applicants,
Sign artist. chauffeur aeroplane
pilot. deep-sea diver. railroad work
or, criminal detective. animal train
err. school teacher, preacher, stem
ographer,. clerk, trained nurse, real
estate salesman. author, musician,
sIeGtrlcai engineer, hairdresser. wig
maker. elevator starter architect.
photographer, soldier, housewife
etc.
Two studios own 2,OOJ acres OF
land each. surrounding their respec-
i've plants. In order to insure them
selves every variety Of location
close at hand. At Universal CITY.
where twenty-four stock companies
are constantly at work. 81 900 feet of
MIN is used each week. Signals to
photographers and directors are
nashed from tall mast erected on
I. an emt9snce. When conditions are
favorable white flag flies from the
mast mast "hen conditions are unfavor-
aole flag IL substituted which
pears The command In immense let
tiers: Don't shoot" Camera lenses
to the value Of tl2 200 are locked in
the vaults OF this concern every
Universal City is known as the
ilLlon-uollar plant. II consists OF
immense stages. a LARGE ZOO ana
quarters for the cGwbovs and general
employees. Col. William SeliE also
mas million dollars invested in his
large park. zoo. and motion picture
plant almost in the heart OF Los
The, melville plant has $4,000 in
vested In 1t, exclusive OF the land
owned which amounts to 5000
acres. The Fine Arts Films Studio
has concern valued at $4,000. with
several acres of land. The Lasky
q million dollars. David Horsiev
has S25o.ooo invested in his zoo and
motion picture concern In the heart
OF Los Angeles city. The Vitaeraph
mas also purchased a big tract in
sFt st HOLLYWOOD. cnmposed nt some
Morosco Photoulay COMPANY has
&oo,OOo invested in a big studio in the
city. The keystone Company's prop
erty in Glendale is valued at $3.50. 900.
Inc average one and two-reeI pic
lures cost somewhere around 81 900
pictures Will run from 5000 per week
10. Upon this basis YOU will find
mat sixty directors on regular re-
Ieases would expend $50. 900 A week.
anu sixty directors on features would
.eApend $i2OOO0 week. making a
,VbiiSl or Flooo Der week. Multiply
$4,000
The following figures show certain
detailed items OF expenditure:
InceXlhe has an average weekly
payroll Of $4,000. exclusive OF the
NU'oiN VI SUITS Win overhead eX-
penses between $4,000 and 500 oOS a
week. There are eleven directors. in
Guiding Thomas Ince himself One
hundred and fifty actors are regu-
larry employed. with between 1000
and 5000 extra people used on occa-
sion. The commissary department
costs 800 Der day. this amount cover
lnH the amount expended by the
feEular actors, The comnSnv owns
twenty-five automobiles and as many
Leading people own their own ma
chimes.
The Fine Arts Film Studio. with its
Ten directors. has a poyroil OF about
$4,000 to $4,000 per week. 1t owns a
dozen automobiles. and has employed
as many as 1000 extra people on q
picture. The Selig Company has q
payroll of about $4,000 per week
with lO people employed. and nine
directors. Universal City costs 5000
DAY Tor running expenses. 1t has
twenty directors and a salary list ner
week OF between 500 900 and S95 OOo w