wing only the snake and the woman's
moccasined feet, the reptile struck with startling swiftness and
savageness. The whole effect was thrilling in the extreme--and we do
not doubt that more than one young writer was tempted to write a story
with a similar scene. But how often would a producer be able to obtain
such an effect? It seems obvious that the scene was in stock and the
play built around it, but the truth is that the scene was specially
made. The snake was caught, and its poison extracted, and then the
scenes were taken. In the close-up scene the snake was inside an
enclosure stretched on the ground. The first close-up showed the
snake, coiled. In the second, the girl was in the enclosure with the
snake. But the close-up did not show the enclosure, of course. And
rattlesnakes are not readily obtainable "props"!

[Footnote 25: The synopsis of this photoplay is given in Chapter
VIII.]

_4. Animal Actors_

Another mistake frequently made by the beginner is in writing stories
that require the assistance of trick animals. We know one
motion-picture actor who, at the time when he was on the extra list of
a well-known Chicago company, wrote to a New York producer that he
would furnish the working scenarios for two or three plays in which
his trick dog could work provided that he himself were allowed to
direct the scenes in which the animal took part. He was told to go
on, and carried out his part of the contract as offered. The result
was several very exceptional pictures in which his dog's clever work
was featured. But how many writers are prepared not only to write the
script but also to furnish the dog and direct its acting? It is better
to leave the writing of such stories to some member of the company
owning the trick animal.

The Selig Company maintains a large menagerie, as does also the
Universal Company; and a script in which caged animals are used might
be accepted by them. Even a story requiring animals that were
unconfined might "get by;" but it would be advisable, in either case,
first to try to find out whether the director who would take such a
picture considered the story worth while writing. That is, we think
the photoplaywright would do well--although no such suggestion has
been offered by either company--to send a _short_ synopsis of the
story he intends to write, showing just how the animals would be made
use of. We have no doubt that the editor would let you know if he
considered the idea a