Explore "A-B-C of Motion Pictures" by Robert E. Welsh on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
For the purpose of making clear the strictly technical aspects of photoplay-writing it has been decided best to provide a model "scenario," as the manuscript form of the photoplay is called. Explanatory notations are made on the different points in construction developed. From the model given here the beginner will understand the manner in which he must develop his story, scene by scene, telling of each move made by the characters.
"How many scenes are there in one reel? " is a question often asked by beginners, when a little thought should show them that the number will vary, depending on the length of the individual scenes. The average is between thirty-five and forty. It will be seen that the model runs over forty, but many of the scenes are the briefest of flashes. Remember, "a scene is the action that can be photographed without stopping the camera. " No matter how short your scene seems, if you feel that the camera-man would have to stop grinding, and move his camera to take in the next action, then you know that the next action must be numbered as another scene. The form for photoplays of more than one reel is similar to that given here. The author may suit his own convenience in deciding whether to number his scenes from beginning to end of the story or to number each reel separately.