The Washington times., 1916-01-25
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
BY GARDNER MACK
Light the Creates t
Factor in Making
Artistic Motion
Picture Scenes
BY GARDNER MACK.

Casual photoplay patrons-that IL,
patrons of the photoplay who are
enthusiastic. but who simply accept
the photoDlay as ii is given them
seldom realize what a big part light
PLAYS in the making of pictures and
how much there is yet TO be done
in the management of light in i'm
proving pictures. 1t is interesting
to know that since the making Of
Dotion pictures commenced lighting
IN general has undergone a revolu-
ton.
The use of masses of the most
powerful electric lights to take the
place of the sun on cloudy days and
to supply light for the studios in
picture making. has caused the in
Tention of many new forms of light
and use of these lights has been
made in n number of industries and
In the lighting of homes and public
places. In fact. the coming of mo-
tion pictures into such prominence
mas many improvements in indus
Tries in no way related to them or in
no way concerned with them.
The MANAGEMENT of light Is a tre-
mendous factor in the production of
startling picture effects and i'm get
tinG Just the proper tone to q photo
play. Cecil b. DeMille. the director
general Of the LasNy forces. has
made an intomate OF ligntin- with
The idea OF utIizlng it for the i'm
DroNemcnt of pictures.
Nhen l ms. cnll,Cd the photo
dramatic field" sad Mr.. IcMilic.
Il was greatly intllr..l! 81 80 called
artistic photography, %. Was not
sure that it coulu DC api'ilCu to mo-
tion picture WorK. j. wa uJssibe
10 secure certain ,iIects on Il hiSnly
sensitive plate, ali conditiJn3 beng
favorable, but l was very much in
doubt IL the same result could be
OBTAINED on the inlInitrsimal nega-
tINc OF the 1notIOn picture camera.
l began experimenting, howavcr.
My desire was TO create certain
psychological impressions by the use
OF what L now call artistic photog-
raphy. l felt that it must be possible
10 photograph an adtistic back
ground with the background moving
instead of motionless. Finally. | pro-
duced The Rose of the Rancho
using the Impressionistic School of
Art in many of the scenes.
II made this production with much
mlsgiVing, because | knew that an
erect gone wrong was worse than
no effect at all When the negatives
OF this production reached the COM
mercial firm that did our printing
they were at a loss what to do. They
were accustomed to printing so that
every detail would show, and when
they saw only half a mans face they
did not know how to set their lights
10 get the proper effects. and conse-
quently, some of the prints were
quite a mess.
nifty Gordon, stage star and one
or the newest recruits to the film.
has insured her famous back in the
sum of $4,000. Miss Gordon declares
that her back is her principal asset.
and that as pianists insure their
acng faces. it is perfectly proper Tor
her to insure her back. Miss Gordon
Is shortly to appear in the World
Film production of "As In a Looking
Glass"
Roy Clements has just completed
a one-reel comedy entitled "Afford-
Ing Ford. which has some OF the
best comedy punches of recent re-
leases. Victor Potel and Eileen
Sedgwick appear in the leading
roles.
Al r. Christie is at work on the
production of another of his onc-reel
Nestor comedies entitled "Her
Friend. the Doctor Christie himself
Is the author OF the play and i'm :rs
production Lee Moran. Eddie Lyons.
Petty Compson and Ethel Lynn np-
pear in the leading roles.
Lloyd Carleton. producer Of BOs-
worth features. this week began the
production of another fve-rccl fea-
fure, starring Hobart Bosworth. The
story was written by Agnes IIaycs
under the title. ''Dr. Samson"
G. NJ.