American Cinematographer - January 15, 1922 - 17

THE

January 15, 1922

AMERICAN

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Lessons From the Pidures

Making a Moyie

THE pictures teach us, among other things, that:
More painters and sculptors and artists of all kinds
are needed in picture production.

Here Are the Successive Steps in Making a Feature Pitture

The handsome man does not always take home the
bacon. (Bacon as here used meaning the pretty heroine.)
Art titles are not yet potent enough to save a poor
picture from the demnition bow-wows.
Co-operation between the many elements of production is the true spirit of any picture and the picture
stands or falls according to the degree of its perfection.
Sincerity is the rarest but also the greatest element
in picture production. Unless it is put into a picture at
the studio the man out in front will never find it on the
screen and his ticket is a net loss to him.
When the picture-going public begins to storm the
box offices to see uplift pictures more of them will be
made, but not till then.
Lavish expenditures of money will not make a picture reach the heart. The story and its interpretation
does that. As this art-industry grows pictures will be
simpler, better acted, more artistic and they will be made
to address the heart and mind through the eye instead of
merely to mesmerize the vision.
The motion picture
Stick a pin here.

is the universal

peacemaker.

There is a happy ending to every story if we only
look deep enough for it.

FIRST,
the bank roll. It's just like mining. If you
think you need an eighty horsepower boiler, get a
hundred h. p.; so with the bank roll.
The story. Harder to get than the bank roll.
The continuity. Harder to get than the story.
The scene plot. Exteriors and interiors.
Picking directors. Great ones scarce; good ones, few;
mediocre, many.
The cast. Very important and always difficult.
The cameraman. Must be handpicked. Not a large
number of sure-fire ones. Be sure he is branded with
an A. S. C.
Building the sets and picking the locations.
Assembling the materials, the props, cameras, etc.
Beginning to shoot. A happy day for the bosses.
The grief begins. Rain, static, somebody sick, somebody blunders, bad film, somebody miscast" temperamental star or director, delays,re-takes, run-ins and jams.
The extras. Easy to get. Thick as hops.
The bits. Must be good.
Children and animals. Have saved man y a picture.
Necessary as film.
The rushes. Reviewing the film from day to day.
Art titles. More popular now.
Tinting, and toning in the laboratory.
Cutting and assembling, the film.
Finish shooting. Bosses happy.
Editing. the picture.
Final review at studio.
Off for New York.
Get ready to make another.
The bank roll again.
We almost failed to mention the scores of conferences and the many cuss words. The latter are absolutely
necessary in making pictures and driving mules.

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American Cinematographer - January 15, 1922

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