Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-13
Advice to Would-Bc Scribes
by Frederic j. Haskln


New York, Oct. t2.--''Don't waste
your time and energy writing for the
moyiesl They don't appreciate it'
This In the advice Of Professor Wal
ter -. pltkin OF the School Of Journal
ism at Columbia University here. who
has recently made q study OF the de-
mandH Of American moving picture
companies for story material. lie finds
that one thing they do not want In
the one thing they have been recasy-
ing In such enormous volume for the
past five years--namely, The amateur
scenario. written by novice who has
never marketed copy In any form.
The movies are not in the feld Tor
raw material. They prefer the finished.
polished product after II has appeared
In print.
| II Is estimated that the combined
output OF moving picture producers
in this country is limited to 50 new
subjects per week. while the average
weekly output Of the scenario-writ-
/ Ing multitude is 5000. One large pro-
ducing company alone receives more
than 500 unsolicited scenarios every
week. The great majority Of these are
read by reading clerks who are paid
anywhere from SIS 10 s25 n week, and
are promptly returned or thrown into
the wastebasket. This In principally
because they are incredibly bad, but
also because the movies. while care
less and extravagant in many ways
are too cautious to take chances IN
producing original scenarios when
they have az their disposal large mum
bers OF short stories and novels who's
success has already been demonstrated
by the sales OF publishers.
This is not written with an idea 81
discouraging the amateur scenari,
kriter--that would be impossible. Blu
IL be really has a knack 70 rploti
and the energy 10 set them down, VIII
not try another writing form? Nam
disappointed scenarioists have alread,
found solace in poetry, and nov
Professor Pitkln has another hopefu
suggestion. He advocates the shor
story. Thousands Of earnest men ant
women today are wasting preclou
time trying 10 break into pictures b,
writing for them" he says. The.
are trying to break through a locke
door. Another door stands open q
them just around the corner. but the
fail 10 see II.
Writing synopses or scenarios di
rectiy for the moving pictures is 8
the long run d waste OF time and %
, three reasons:
First: To sell your stories 20 n
. movies you must show fully the
dramatic or pictorial possibilities. tn
, cannot be done in a skeletonlzcd out
= line. IL you hear any one denying thi
you may be sure that he knows nothin
> abourstory writing. A story idea mul
be written out 70 show it's full value
2 Second: II is 80 easy 70 dash o
9 the incomplete idea Of a movie plot
!. few hundred words that thousan,
n OF inexperienced writer's are alwal
d doing IL. Movie editors receive tho'
9 sands OF such contributions evel
g week. 1t is thus impossible for the
d editors 20 read all these manuscript
much less 20 Judge them CAREFUL
J. Not more than one In a hundr,
n ever receives serious attention. This
j. not anybody's fault. The whole syste
v Ia ridiculous.
: "Third; 10 IL commercially wastef
= to submit scenarios to the movies. Al
d story idea good enough for the bett
n movies Is good enough for the sho
4 story, and, as a story, can general
n oe sold TO a magazine for more than
a movie will give. Once sold to a mag
Il zine. II stands a much better cham
= being sold TO the movies. The II
4 story shows its dramatic values and
sale TO the movies means double pa
Furthermore, story sent TO a mag
I zine is almost certain TO be read Al
considered.
THE only exception 10 these J
marks is the professional sosnal
writer's employed by the motion p
tuFe companies. The existence of tbs
highly trained experts within the 81
dios is natural result Of the evo
au ton Of the movies. Ii is their dt
TO take stories, novels or plays whi
the companies have purchased a
pick out the episodes that can be pE
tegraphed, write explanatory tit
and generally arrange the material
screen production.
When story writsrz attempt tn
arrangements or continuity as 1t
called, they compete with tn
iu' specialists. IL Is not worth doing. 4
the expert continuity writer's in z,
az eral find that II is a waste of IN
time to try 70 invent plots or vi
stories. For one thing. they are
busy, and their mastery Of contiDuit,
no guarantee of their knowing al
Ss' tning at all about creative writing.
Let the story writer by all me;
stick to his craft. II his work poss
ses motion picture possibilities,
movies viii find him out. He can z
his idea a real run for the money 0
in story form"
One scenario editor of a large n
g York producing company says q
the amateurs first effort is usually
, best. embodying in ali likelihood so
personal experience of dramatic va
IA his own life. Ii the utter lack
art in dramatic composition does
an completely obscure the dramatic '
ne ues Of the "~o-is'" it may be acce
Forthwith. the writer decides t
ne must pe se44lus, and no amo
-, OF future disbursement can mi
III him doubt il. He reflects that ID
was middle-aged before he ACHE
fame, that Noltaire was over 50 bef
he produced his best work. Perh
II he, too is destined to win recognit
only in his deelinig years. So he Ike
on scenaTlelzing.