The Bottineau courant., 1922-12-28

FlcHarQ a. sROWanu, tHSt Nbtlotut
Pictures, In the New York Tribune. y
The promising thing about 1t all IS that what all
these thousands of individuals trying to do Is
not to pour water into the ocean, but to meet q
need that really does exist. There Is, unquestion.
ably, dearth Of suitable material for screen use.
The professional writer's cannot keep pace with the
demand, nor can they go on writing forever. Nov.
els, some of them later successful and others that
are not, are bought up for the screen while still
In proof-sheet FORM Magazine stories are
tracted for before they appear in print 1t is said
that SUCH at first sight, unlikely material Wells
@'' The Outline Of History" is to be used for the
screen, and It has even, somewhat jocularly, been
suggested that either the telephone directory
who's Who Is next in line for perturbation. Ger.
tain 1t Is that the first basic need of every motion
picture producer is good stories Without that ii
is foolhardy to go ahead Stories replete with
dramatic situations and human appeal are what the
movie producers hunting for, high, low and all
the time.
= = The situation is unique. On the one hand a
vast number OF people eagerly trying to write for
the screen, and on the other hand scores of pro.
ducers falling over each other In their anxiety to
find good material. Yet for amateur writer
who succeeds. thousand fail. Wherein lies the
trouble? What is the remedy? .e.t~.t
or the multitude of people aiming at screen
story success big percentage have the desire but
8. lack the proper mental equipment to further It,
Still, there must be thousands of others who have
sure, and some others of the necessary quallfca-
tions. OF these some are early discouraged by
the difficulties of the task and fall by the way,
while Others persevere and yet fall to sell their
scripts -5 ~ 49, ,,4<& @@~ ..~sF r. H..
This failure may be laid to one of two main
causes. Either behind that perseverance lies In
sufficient talent, or perseverance is not accom-
panied by such adaptability to art as eventually
to ferry the author across the line which divides
the amateur from the skilled writer For after ALL
MS one producer points out, what reason is there
why the raw amateur should succeed as ain ANA
teur? Except for an occasional instance OF native
genius, II is only after the amateur has practiced
and practiced and actually progressed beyond the
amateur stage that success can come which Ia
true OF practically all lines OF endeavor, not mere
~ Of screen writing. Rupert Hughes. highly sue
cessful author and now prominent In screen writ
ing Is reported to have collected hundreds Of print
ed rejection slips before he succeeded In selling
story to an editor. Had he been possessed OF less
perseverance the world might never have heard OF
him as writer. s.ss%=
Except in an occasional case. the days when
of moments OF leisure could bring quick success
gone by Scenario writing Is business rear,ir-
ing as much attention as other business IL you
are to achieve success But do not mfsunderstand
me- r. you cannot sell stories wrought out in side
line time, that does not mean you cannot practice
In that time But don't expect to sell untI nractice
and study have finally equipped you 10 cross the
amateur line sS5sS
One great shortcoming. as 4 see il III amateur
I writers for the screen Is general tendency to
overlook the necessity for constant action OF q d
rect or symbolic. nature. They send their #charac.
ters on long Journeys while they describe minute
details of preparation and incidents route which
do nothing to further the movement or help buifd
toward the climax The result of such material
N picture form would be extremely draggy and
uninteresting ss3..ss sf $ess4s @
Frequently again, they have hut q. single situa.
ton. but seize upon It to build what is intended
80 form five or six reels Of picture material That
situation is perhaps unusual, or II may 1T least
possess some slight element Of novelty. sBut that
Is not enough. ss zs ssszE @7 e sE ss
q u the great majority OF scripts By amateurs
l the characters are overdrawn and consequently
are grotesque or Inconsistent with the typlcally
human Instincts and with the things TINT motiyate
and actuate the average person. IN other words.
they fall Of being lelike and % fall of conviction