FILM STORIES

Evening Star, Issue 20612, 11 October 1930, Page 9

FILM STORIES

ADVICE TO WRITERS THE "TEN" COMMANDMENTS. Thousands of novels, short stories, and plays, hundreds of original scripts - and thousands of works in foreign languages reach the principal fifra studios every year, and have to be read by largo special staffs. Finding suitable material for the screen is so highly competitive that ono big com- • pany has attempted to reduce the work of its readers to a formula. This is referred to as "The Ten Commandments lor Studio Readers," and might ■ not be uninteresting to that vast number if individuals who are wrltting or are planning to write for the screen.-' These " commandmejits " are as follows :—■, 1. "A our most important duty is to find great ideas. You'll find them buried under tons of mediocre suggestions. One story with the sweep of a 4 Big Parade' is worth ten peppermint drop romances." 2. '' Head at least two newspapers daily. Photoglays sell best 'which are based on timely topics. A great hit may lurk in a two-iueli press despatch.'' 3. " Analyse all material on tho basis. : . of .the players who aro working for us.";""* 4. "Kemember yor are dealing with } a pictorial medium. Don't pet too excited about drab stories with all the '_ action 'set in a single room. The motion picture requires an even balance of movement and colour to be success- ? ful." ' ; ; : ; -• - 5. "Make a close notation_ of all '" books you see the public reading, on ~ street cars, in the libraries, etc. Make it a point to ask your personal friends as to their literary favourites at the moment. If a story yon personally don't like is making a hit with the public, that last fact is more important than your own opinion." 6. "See at least .two full-length .- motion pictures each week, on© from '•<" this company, one from a competitor. Note the reactions, of the audiences and analyse reasons why the story was popular 6r disliked." -/;■ 7. "Everything else is. secondary iii your work to the finding of a strong 'dramatic-situation. A story can be badly written and almost illiterate if the author only creates ail' interesting clash between his principal characters. - Don't worry about lack of literary qualities, descriptions of georgeous Hawaiian sunsets, etc. Those details can be added in the final photoplay. Yom main lob, is to find novel • and dynamic central situations."

8. “Prove your ability to recognise creative material by. writing and submitting to us stories of your own.” 9. “Be proficient in one language besides your own. The competition for good stories has become so keen that the supply written in English was long ago insufficient.” 10. “ Above all, < train yourself to recognise sincerity in a story.; Talking pictures, particularly, have made the public very sensitive to false notes in plots. Analyse all stories to determine whether an author is merely putting ~ down just so many words or really delving deep into the human heart.”