The story, then, comes first—­in more than one sense.  It is the bait you hold out to the editor of the photoplay company.  If he can be interested in your story, the script is half sold.  This being true, it follows that your synopsis must be clear, interesting, and as brief as you can possibly make it, while still giving all the important points of the story.  He must grasp your plot, if not in a nutshell, at least in just as few words as it can be compressed into in order to make its development perfectly clear.  You must therefore outline it, so that he may be able to see plainly the possibilities of the story as it would work itself out in picture form.

1.  The Synopsis

The story must be briefly put, therefore it is necessarily only an outline, a synopsis—­and that is the accepted technical term—­forming the first subdivision of your script.  Each of these subdivisions is merely touched upon here, and reserved for separate chapter-treatment later on.

In the synopsis, of course, your various characters are mentioned by name, but it is also necessary to add a separate section to your script, containing

2.  The Cast of Characters

Almost all motion picture producers are now showing the cast of characters on their films, and it is only a matter of time when every manufacturer will follow their lead, for this is a natural step toward the effect of reality.  For this reason, as well as because it has been accepted as following the proper form of photoplay script preparation, your cast of characters should immediately follow the synopsis, and be distinct therefrom.

3.  The Scenario or Continuity of Scenes

Then comes the scenario—­the third and last essential part of the complete photoplay script.  In this your story is not told in words but is worked out in action.  That is, instead of being told by description, dialogue, and all the devices of fiction writing, the story is described as a series of actions, divided into the required number of interior and exterior scenes, together with the necessary inserts in the way of leaders or sub-titles, letters, telegrams, newspaper items, advertisements, and the like.

4.  The Scene-Plot

In this preliminary consideration of the several parts of the complete script, it must be remembered that the various producing companies differ as to what they expect a manuscript to contain.  One thing, however, is certain:  it is far better to include more detail than is required, than too little.  Therefore, on the whole, it is advisable to send a scene-plot (discussed fully in Chapter XI), as this part of the script will show the producer at a glance exactly what different sets are required to stage the picture, and how many scenes are “done” in each set.  It is simply a little help extended to a busy man; for in particular it enables the editor to understand on first looking over your script how the scenes follow up and fit in with the action as described in the synopsis.  At the same time, it is really a supplement to the manuscript, and our experience has been that it is more appreciated if written upon a separate sheet, and included with the manuscript proper.  Naturally, the scene-plot is not to be included in scripts sent to companies that ask for “synopsis only.”