4.  How Scene-Plots Are Handled by Directors

The scene-plot for the writer’s story, “Without Reward,” just referred to, follows: 

     Exterior of Sheriff’s office, main street of town, 1, 23.

     Dr. Turner’s office, 2.

     Exterior, Freeman and Doctor riding to ranch, 3.

     Bedroom in ranch house, 4, 9, 17, 28, 30.

     Corner of ranch house, looking toward stable, 5, 7, 16, 22,
     27, 31.

     Exterior, supposedly at distance from, but within sight of,
     Ranch, 6.

     Kitchen of ranch house, 8, 10, 32.

     At door of stable, 11.

     Foothill trail, 12.

     Rocky part of hillside, showing entrance to cave in side of
     cliff, 13, 15.

     Interior of cave, 14.

     Exterior, Steve riding to town, 18.

     Road on outskirts of town, 19.

     Same road, farther on, 20.

     Exterior of Dr. Turner’s house, 21.

     Interior of Sheriff’s office, 24, 26.

     Rear of Sheriff’s office, showing corner of building and
     side wall, 25.

     Bust of Jess’s right hand, holding photograph, 29.

Here, it will be seen, there are four interior and thirteen exterior sets, or backgrounds.  Scene 14, the interior of the cave, was counted as an exterior when giving the number of interior and exterior sets following the title in writing the synopsis.  This was because, although in the picture it would appear to be taken inside a rocky cave, the chances are that it would really be made in some recess of a rocky cliff-side, where there would be enough light to make the photography distinct, without allowing the rays of the sun to cast any shadows that would make it seem unnatural, since the cave was supposedly dimly illumined from the daylight outside.  At any rate, it would not be a studio setting—­whether the stage was an indoor or an open-air one—­so it would be classed as an exterior.

After the cameraman had taken Scene 3, which shows Freeman and the Doctor riding to the ranch, he could probably find a suitable background for the scene showing Steve riding toward the town, by merely turning his camera half way around.  Thus Scene 18 might be taken after Scene 3; after which, by again moving the camera only a short distance, a suitable spot might be found in which to take Scene 12.  Scenes 19 and 20 were intended to be taken on a fairly well-kept piece of roadway, supposedly on the outskirts of the town, and it might be necessary to travel some distance to find the desired spot.  So it will be seen that the order in which the scenes are written has nothing to do with the order in which they will be taken.  Scene 29, so called, is really a part of Scene 28, being simply a bust of the girl’s hand holding a photograph.  The words written on the back of this picture have an important bearing