, 1922-12-21

hlcnafu A. itOWland, FIRST National
Pictures. in the New York Tribune.
The promising thing about 1t all is that what all
these thousands of individuals are trying to do is
not to pour water into the ocean, but to meet a
need that really does exist. There is, unquestion-
AMY, a 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 con-
tracted for before they appear in print. 1t is said
that such, at first sight, unlikely material as 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 or
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 1t
is foolhardy to go ahead. Stories replete with
dramatic situations and human appeal are what the
movie producers are hunting for. high, low and all
the time.
The situation is unique. On the one hand n
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 one amateur writer
who succeeds, a thousand fan. Wherein lies the
trouble? What Is the remedy?
OF the multitude of people aiming at screen
story success a big percentage have the desire, but
lack the proper mental equipment to further Il.
Still, there must be thousands of others who hive
that OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, education and lei
sure, and some others of the necessary ~uuaIifca-
lions. Ut these, some are early discouraged nv
the difficulties of the task. and so fan by the way.
while others persevere and yet fail to sell their
scripts.
This failure may be laid to one Of two mnIn
causes. Either behind that perseverance lies in
sufficient talent, or perseverance is not accom-
panied by such adaptubillty to art as eventualk
to ferry the author across the line which divides
the amateur from the skilled writer. For after all.
as one producer points out, what reason Is there
why the raw amateur should succeed MS an anna.
|purf ENpppt for an OppnSfpnof instance of r,tt,,
genius, II only after the amateur has proctIced
and practiced and actually progressed beyond the
amnteur stage that success can come. which Is
true of practically all lines Of endeavor. not mere
ly 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 n
story TO an editor. Had he been possessed Of less
perseverance the world might never have heard OF
him as a writer.
Except In an occasional case. the days when
OF moments Of leisure could bring quick success
are gone by. Scenario writing Is a business reuuir-
Ing as much attention ms any other business II you
are to achieve success. But do not misunderstood
me. II you cannot sell stories wrought out I'm side
line time, that does not mean You cannot practice
In that time. BUT don't expect TO sell until practice
and study have finally equipped you to cross the
amateur line.
One great shortcoming. ms I see #. In amateur
writer's FOR the screen Is a general tendency to
overlook the necessity for constant action OF n d.
rect or symbolic nature. They send their chnrac-
tiers on long Journeys while they describe minute
details OF preparation and Incidents en- route which
do nothing To further the movement or help build
toward the climax. The result of such material
In picture form would be extremely draggy and
undressing.
Frequently. again. they have hut n single sItua.
ton, hut seize upon II 10 build what Is Intended
10 form five or six reels NJ picture material. Tint
situation Is perhaps unusual. or II may NJ least
possess some slight element Of novelty. But that
" not enough.
In the great majority ~ scripts by Amateurs
the characters e overdrawn, and consequently
nre grotesque or inconsistent with the typically
human instincts and with the things that motivnte
md actuate the average person. In other words.
they fail OF being llfeike, and so fall OF conviction.