3.  The Number of Characters

The “legitimate” dramatist, especially the untried dramatist, must be very careful to use only as many characters in his play as are absolutely necessary.  Every theatrical manager knows that he is taking a chance, and a big chance, when producing the work of a new writer.  The writer, also knowing this, and realizing that every additional character means an addition to the salary list—­and therefore to the manager’s risk—­wisely uses no more characters in the unfolding of his plot than he can help.  Even when an actor “doubles” two parts, he expects a proportionately larger salary for so doing.

In the moving picture studios, on the other hand, the players are paid by the week, to work, as it were, by the day.  The photoplay actor plays as many different parts as the director finds it necessary to cast him for.  If necessary, in a big production, a director can draw on any or all of the players making up the stock company, provided he does not prevent them from playing the parts in another picture then in course of production, for which they have been previously cast.  So that, so far as salary is concerned, unless certain “types,” either men or women, are specially engaged for a production, the film manufacturer does not need to worry about how many “principals” are needed to take part in a picture.  He has, of course, to consider the salaries of the “extra people,” or supernumeraries, when a picture calls for their employment.  But the principal reason for keeping the photoplay cast as small as possible is that the fewer the principal characters the more easily understood is the story.  In this respect, better twenty extras and five principals than twenty principals and two extras.

Remember, then, to use as few principal characters as possible in developing your plot.  This does not mean that you may be prodigal in your use of extras; quite the contrary.  But, since extras who are posing as cowboys, soldiers, guests at a ball, bystanders in a street scene, or saloon loungers, are easily distinguished from the principals, it is a matter of small importance how many are used so long as the scene is full enough to harmonize with the idea.  It would be silly, of course, actually to specify the number of “travellers and bystanders” used in a scene at a railroad station at train time.  The director will employ as many as he thinks necessary.

4.  How the Director Assigns the Cast

It frequently happens that members of the regular stock company are used to fill in in certain scenes, although they may not be cast in the picture at all.  When, for example, the scene is laid in a ballroom, or when boxes and orchestra chairs in a theatre are shown, the director uses as many of the regular company as are available—­knowing that they may be relied upon to sustain the necessary action, and feeling sure that they will “dress” the scene suitably.  Extras are then drawn upon for as many more people as he may require.