Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-04
WHAT MAKES A
REAL SUCCESS IN
PHOTOPLAYDOM?
The Views of a Prominent Di-
rector of Photoplays on the
Real Secret Of Popularity
BY CECIL B. DE MILE

Director General Of the JesBe l.. Lasky
Feature Play Company.
The moton-pIcture producer spends
from six to ten weeks in producing a
Feature picture. He has done his best
work toward making the picture n sue
cess and when the film is delivered to
the distributing company his, work is over.
although but so per cent. of the success
OF the picture Is accomplished.
After the picture is delivered. It rests
entirely with the releasing company, the
exchanges and the exhibitors as to what
the success OF the picture will be. The
releasing company and the exchanges put
their best efforts toward advertising the
photodrama and bringing II before the
public until 1t goes to the exhibitor. with
him rests the great success of the picture.
Careless projection or wrong music may
ruin 1t as much as II the producer had run
broad, black pencil mark through each
foot of film. Music and the atmosphere
are as essential to the photodrama as they
arc to the spoken drama.
Many theatres are abolishing the stage
entirely and blending their screen into the
scheme of the house. / think this is "a
good plan, as the stage is essentially for
nal and more intimate feeling can be
established between the audience and the
screen by the absence of the cold barrier
of platform.
the motion picture theatres to create the
Impression in the minds of an observer
that they were watching silent the.
atrical performance. But now the photo.
drama has taken such strides that think
1t better that the public be impressed with
the fact that they are watching an actual
chain of events, something occurring in
the lives of certain people to which they
are a privileged observer Rather the
impression that they are sitting at a
window observing incidents in the street
outside than sitting in a theatre watching
actors interpret emotions.
There Is great deal of psychology
necessary in the proper presentation of
photodrama. Atmosphere must be Gre
ated so that the audience may be car
ried along with the story of the picture.
This can be done in many ways. A scenic
film run prior to the presentation of n
feature has great deal of effect toward
putting the audience In the proper frame
of mind. For n simple, quiet production.
scenes Of country life and views of cities
are necessary. For dramatic pictures,
scenes showing cities in action. life, rush
ing waters, anything in which there is
action, to carry the audience into the
spirit of the production they are about
to witness.
Many exhibitors go to great lengths to
create this so essential atmosphere. For
Japanese pictures they will decorate their
stage and theatre with Japanese settings.
For Spanish pictures they will give their
theatre Spanish tone, so that the audi.
ence is carried Immediately into the atmos.
phere of the production. No details
should be overlooked to create this atmos.
phere, as It is as essential to the successful
production as our work in the studio.
Then there is the music, which should
be given the greatest consideration. The
wrong musical note will jar an audience
as much as If one of the actors stepped
completely out of the character. Music
should be studied with a great deal of
care.
One OF the greatest faults I have no.
tced Is running n film off In a hurry in
order TO squeeze in another performance.
The director has timed each movement for
the proper expression during the taking
of the picture, and when the artists are
made to run through their performance by
an industrious operator 1t not only hurts
the producer, but the exhibitor.