Salt Lake Telegram | 1936-07-25 | Page 7 | Staring at Walls One Method of Starting to Write Scenario

HOLLYWOOD 0 oo Staring at Walls O Oti l Method Metho t Of Starting to Write Scenario i. i By ROBERT Guest for lor Sheilah Graham on How flow to w Write ae a Scenario 1 HOLLYWOOD There Thee There are no set rules for writing a scenario Cn ri I Each person works differently My own wn method is IS to begin by staring star star- ing ng at the he wa walls for a considerable time ime Then I sharpen my y pencils and and again stare at the walls The usual length of or a scenario is 13 00 pages The first I wrote was 20 pages long with 50 OO scenes It was vas thrown out It is necessary to have two o othree or three characters in mind with pos- pos three climaxes for each act The rest usually writes Itself Each sack Has Climax Every scene must have a a. begInning beginning begin begIn- ning fling middle and end no matter how smalL mail Each little scene has a climax climax cli cU- max of its own to build up to the important climax which may be at athe atthe atthe the he end of at the first act This in inurn turn turn urn builds up to the end of ot the ilm film in cumulative fashion In all 1 a picture should have about ten small mall climaxes each one completed ed by a laugh a tear o oc or any other emotional period perio Background in any other writing writing- field either as a reporter playwright playwright playwright play play- wright or novelist is an open sesame to scenario writing Inexperienced writers writer with scenario see see- nario ambitions should work in iii Hollywood Holywood Hol- Hol lywood it is Ii easier to sell to studios person n-person than via the mails Manuscripts Manuscripts Manuscripts Manu Manu- scripts arriving by mall mail are never read But I 1 dont don't advise beginners to o come without a contract Mr himself was contract contract- less ess he came here five years ago determined determined de de- de- de not to write for tor the movies Lack jack of funds and persuasion of Producer Eddie Small then the an I agent made him accept a So week week-to- week job with with- Columbia He is now rated the most successful scenario writer in Hollywood Wider VIder Scope for tor Story Most playwrights imported to Hollywood find photography raphy a a. bandi handicap ban ban- han ban di ap to screen writing They are accustomed to the confined space between een two proscenium arches But the camera is actually a So great help The story should be visualized as something that moves and there i is naturally a a much wider more imaginative scope than on the stage or between the covers of ot a a. novel There are two distinct methods for Tor adapting an original story for forthe forthe the screen and in writing an original for or someone someone else to ad adapt pt Originals written by Mr include American Madness and Ann Carvers Carver's Profession He is isnow isnow isnow now evolving a j tory story story for Grace Moore For the Grace Moore foore picture I started with the star In mind writing writ writ- ing lug the story so that it w would uld be po possible to weave seven or eight songs into it without disrupting continuity When changing a a. story into a a. screen pla play however I usually do donot not write with any actor or actress I in itt mind unless the part is suitable for Tor only pue particular person as I 1 happened to be the case ase with Mr 9 f Deeds Deeda Goes to Town I wrote it hoping loping Gary Cooper would play n the e leadin leading role Neither Liked Role It II Happened On On Ni Night ht is b Another another another an An- other exception and was written for Robert Montgomery Montgomery was not available and the studio sent ent us Clark Gable Gabe in his stead It ItIs Itis Its Is s Interesting to note in view of the pictures picture's success that neither Gable nor Claudette Colbert was enthusiastic enthusiastic antic over the picture The general custom when adapting adapt adapt- int ing ng an original is b to use as little of ot the book as possible and ancl in no noway noway noway way to consult the author When I Lost Horizon which I consi consider er the ho the best scenario rye Ive writt written n t to date the author James Janus Hilton li- li Hap Happened P 1 I to be in Hollywood and the studio asked him to read my script and pass p opinion H He H. was gratify gratify- pleased i I used more mon of the I original material for tor this picture than for any other Lost Horizon was Wu ly Jy y exciting subject and anti completely different from everything else I Ilave have lave written The story fluctuates up and down emotionally instead o of c continuing n upwards until reK e ri one big climax If tt it Is a e ll l lyou you you can cancel everything Ive I've said ld I above on how to Scenario A