The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11

w TRITING for the movies is be.
\A/ coming more and more diff
cult every day. says Jeanne
Macpherson. the Famous Players
Lasky scenarioist and author of many
popular Paramount and Aircraft pic
lures.
Every day new screen symbols are
being created TO take the place OF in
volved action or explanatory SUBJ
titles" said Miss Macpherson re-
Gently. "As the art progresses. so
does the public's understanding, and
the methods we used two years ago
10 explain certain things are now
archaic. For example. not SO long
ago when we wanted to show a man
thinking of his sweetheart we had him
sitting with his head in his hands.
casually gazing into fire. and fade
in vision Of his sweetheart on the
scene over his head. Now we get the
effect by simply having him bring out
her handkerchief, glove or some
thing which shows the same thing.
Recently in Cecil B. De Miles pic
ture, The Whispering Chorus a scene
showing the execution OF a man was
put over without actually showing the
gruesome scene. He was seen sitting
down into the chair holding a rose,
then a closeup OF the hand claspinS
the rose portrayed the rest of the ac-
ton. The hand frightened over the
rose and crushed It. and then a close
up OF the floor was shown with pet
ties dropping on 1t. thus putting over
the idea that the man was executed
without actually showing It, The au-
dience understands continuity and OBJ
vious symbols are no longer a neces-
sity."
Miss MACPHERSON says that illus
trating subtitles by means of moving
pictures is also passed mo longer
do we have to describe a scene of a
subtitle and then act out the scene.
Noe a subtitle is being dropped
wherever possible and everything told
in Terms OF action. If a woman is
going down town to buy a new hat
because her old one is worn out we
no longer have to have our actors
make lot of gestures and use two
or three spoken titles. 1t is Simply
necessary for them to show the worn.
torn ribbon Of the hat, with Of course
the necessary expression to show what
Is 10 be conveyed. To show a tele-
phone conversation 1t is no longer
necessary to show both parties hang
ing up the phone. If one hangs up
the phone we know the conversation
is discontinued. We no longer have
TO show letter inserted more than
once or twice When the audience
reads the letter they know that it is
IN the PERSONS possession and they
can follow it. 1t isn't necessary to
show it from time to time.
We have found out il isn't neces-
Sary for photodrama to have only
one dramatic scene. but each scene
must he drama in itself. The whole
picture must be made up of a series
of small dramas. This makes the
completed drama a mosaic of little
ones. Scenes that have no dramatic
value in them, or say nothing, must
he eliminated. So the scenario writer
must bear in mind at all times not
what he can put into a picture but
what he can leave out. If each scene
Aas why and wherefore and an ex-
cuse FOR being, then you get a perfect
continuity
'H'li 1 SPEAK OF ELIMINATING scenes
J do not mean that scenes must be
cut down TO threadbare. straight plot.
md in great many pictures that
N" writer's deviate from their main
'heme-that they have two or three
themes wandering through the story,
which necessarily makes 1t compli-
Gated and hard to follow. II the
writer will take a simple, single
meme, then work up the detail, dec
crate it with embroidery and lace,
every little bit different from the last.
nut have each bit of trimming pertain
directly to the main theme. he will
nave much better story. Instead OF
that writer's branch Off with a counter
plot or subplot which is upsetting and
makes the story hard to follow"
Negotiations are now in progress for
The showing OF the Educational Films
Corporations film "Your Fighting
Navy at Work and at Play" on the
transports carrying United States
troops abroad and behind the fighting
mes in France and Italy. The first
person to see the first positive print
OF Your Fighting Navy" upon its
completion and issuance from the
laboratory last Tuesday was a repre-
sentative of the Community Motion
Picture Bureau. the official distributor
or Soldier pictures" for the Y. NJ. c.
A. Tho matter Is now being discussed