Page:The Point of Attack, or, How to Start the Photoplay.djvu/18

 "Speed and Suspicion," the only fact of importance that had to be explained was that Clinton's wife was out of town. This prepared the audience for the laughable situation which later arose from her unexpected return. The remainder of the picture was entirely "in the frame," except the bit of information contained in subtitle number six that Clinton had been arrested for speeding before and was therefore liable to a jail sentence.

24. Of course this was a simple one-reel comedy, but the same thing of keeping the picture just as completely within the frame as possible is largely desirable, although in subjects of greater length it is frequently impossible to do so to this extent. The final authority as to the point of attack is the continuity writer who prepares the sequence of scenes for the director. Nevertheless, the author who submits a direct detailed synopsis as explained in the Handbook, should work out the story just as completely as possible and should give just as much thought to the selection of the best point of attack as though he were writing continuity. The detailed synopsis should begin with the first scene that is to appear on the screen just as a continuity does and then proceed directly through to the end, step by step. The only difference is that in the synopsis the story is told in clear, direct narrative rather than in scene sequence.

25. Summing up the whole matter, we arrive at the following conclusion: In setting about to write a photoplay, we are dealing with persons, places and things of which the audience has no previous knowledge. Therefore, right at the start we must introduce our characters to the spectators, familiarize them with the environment in which the story is set, tell them of such past occurrences as have a direct bearing upon the story that is 16