From Page to Screen, Words to Pictures
This course is based on the topic of book adaptations or books that have
been made into movies. We will discuss ethical questions in regards to book
adaptations, and compare and contrast good and not so good adaptations.
Students will try their hand at creating a book (or scene) adaptation.
Creativity and personal expression are keys to success. If you like books and
you like movies - you will love this course!
Books/Movies you will need –
Lemony Snicket – THE BAD BEGINNING
Lemony Snicket – THE REPTILE ROOM
Lemony Snicket - THE WIDE WINDOW
Lemony Snicket Movie
Optional Books and Movies – suggestion list:
Charlottes Web, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Wizard of Oz,
and Tuck Everlasting. Other books and movies may be approved by your
instructor.
Wk 1 -Which is more powerful – books or movies?
Intro:
Welcome to the books into movies class. In this class we will discuss
different issues pertaining to book adaptation and a bit about novelization.
You will read books and view movies to compare and contrast the similarities
and differences. You will also write a script for a scene, then creating an
electronic storyboard of that scene.
Let me stress that all work should be done in a word processing
program, spell/grammar checked and then copied to its final destination.
Please save all your word processed work as a back up copy.
Guiding Question: What was the most powerful movie/book scene you can
remember and why was it so powerful? Or Name a movie character that
changed the way people think about life. Why did that character have that
kind of impact on our culture?
Give an introduction of yourself. Be sure to include what days and
times you are usually online for possible chat times with a peer, explain what
drew you to take this course and what you’re hoping to learn from it. Also –
let us know if you have taken other online courses and what your favorites
were and why. (Read all – Respond to two)
Show What You Know: You need to begin by familiarizing yourself with
some of the Script Terminology that you may need to use. Go to the site
http://www.cybercollege.com/frtv/frtv013.htm and read through the script
terminology. Towards the bottom there are some sample scripts in blue
links. Look at the Simple Video Script and the Dramatic film/video script
format to get a feel for what script look like and how they read. See if you
can picture the movie happening as you read the sample mini scripts. At the
bottom of the page is a quiz. Try the timed quiz! (Click and drag the choices
on the right of the page to the appropriate definition on the left side of the
page!) Have fun with this!
Start a journal page that defines the following script terms:
EXT and INT, VO, POV, OS, SFX, Subjective Shot, Establishing Shot, MCU,
CU, XCU. You will need to know these for future assignments. Go back to
the dramatic film script on the site above (blue link with green square,
towards the bottom of the site) and look specifically at how these terms are
used in those scripts – make sure you understand. Pay attention to use of
spacing and capital letters.
Go to http://filmscriptwriting.com/scriptformatting.html. Look at the links
in blue on this web page for more information on script writing:
Basic script form, Formatting directions, Format character details, Writing
and formatting effective descriptions. Add to your notes if necessary.
Go to http://www.filmscriptwriting.com/storystructure.html Read and
understand the blue link on the bottom “Create a Captivating Scene”.
http://www.scriptologist.com/Magazine/Formatting/formatting.html See
this page for more information on screenwriting and examples.
Show What You Know: Following is the opening scene from Jurassic Park.
Explain what the abbreviations are for, why certain words are capitalized,
why it is spaced this way and any other information you think is important to
note in script writing.
Reading:
Lemony Snicket - book 1 – THE BAD BEGINNING --READ WITH A
PEN - jot down sentence fragments per chapter. Give a quick overview for
each chapter. Pay attention to sequence of events while reading. Note any
details or events you think are important to keep for a film and note any
details or events you think can be discarded from the book when making the
movie. While reading the book – are there any script terms that jump out at
you to be used in a film? What are they and how would you use them?
Document your thoughts or feelings at the end of each chapter – would you
want your film audience to have those same feelings? Would these feelings
need to be intensified? Felt differently?
Wk2—How do you translate emotions from
page to screen?
Intro:
Most of us have seen many movies that are made from books – this is called
book adaptations. Sometimes books are written from movies –this is called
novelizations. This is the least common of the two scenarios and can be done
for marketing tactics. (A director/producer will hire someone to take a
script and whip out a book based on the movie so it hits the store shelves
just before the movie is released. It was also used as a way to “see a film”
again before the era of recorded programming and sale of tapes and DVD’s.)
Either way, there is something magical about characters being brought to
life on the big screen. Some meanings and parts of a book get lost when
translated to a script for the movie screen; other parts are gained and
expanded on. But not every movie is as good as the book, nor is every book
as good as the movie. . . . people have different preferences as to which
should be read/viewed first and why. That is the dilemma for today’s forum.
Guiding Question: Have you ever cried when reading a book? What about
watching a movie? When with your friends, have you ever quoted a book?
What about a movie? Which moves you more, text on a page or images on a
screen?
Choose one of the following two statements to respond to and expand
upon. Interview/question family, friends and teachers to help with
supporting information along with personal experience.
A) Watching a movie before reading a book helps in getting to know the essence
of a work quickly and enjoyably, bringing the characters and words to life,
therefore movies should be seen before reading the book.
B) Transforming words into pictures means a loss of deeper meaning originally
intended by the author, and a lack of imagination by the reader, therefore
books should be read before seeing the movie.
Show What you Know: Skim through one or more of the scripts at
http://www.scriptologist.com/Directory/Filmmaking/Screenplays/screenplay
s.html. (ensure that they are appropriate scripts for your age level!) Choose
2 “emotional” lines from the script. How did you know that they were
supposed to be emotional? What character traits (like tension) or literary
techniques (like personification), did the author use to express this emotion?
Choose one of the lines and create an image which depicts the scene and
expresses the emotion you have interpreted.
Examples of literary techniques: Personification, Back-Story, Flashback,
Foreshadowing, Framing device, Irony, Juxtaposition, Hyperbole, Oxymoron,
Parody, Symbolism, Figurative Language, . . . See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_literary_terms for definitions of
literary terms and other literary terms.
Reading:
Lemony Snicket – Book 2 – THE REPTILE ROOM
Continue to journal by chapter as in book one.
Wk 3- What does a critic know
anyway?
Intro:
Some people spend their days writing scripts for
movies, from books that they have read, in hopes
of getting their script picked for a movie
production. Other people write book reviews or movie reviews for a living.
Ever hear of Siskel and Ebert? They are two well known movie critiques
known for their ‘not always agreed-upon’ movie opinions and their rating
scale. How about a few years ago when the TV script writers went on strike
and we all watched re-runs for weeks? Read today’s forum to explore this
topic more.
Guiding Question: What do you know about book reviews, movie reviews and
script writing? Do you ever read these items? Would reading a review or
script motivate you to read a book or see a movie? How do you personally
review a book or movie?
How important/useful are rating scales (ex. 4 star system) to books
and movies? Do you think they are accurate? Do you think verbal comment
reviews are as accurate, better or worse than other rating systems? Do you
have a personal rating system and what would that be? (Read all – respond
to 2+)
Reading
Lemony Snicket - Book 3 – THE WIDE WINDOW
Continue to journal by chapter as in book one.
Show What You Know: 1. View the movie- for evaluation and analysis.
Follow your book notes as you watch the movie (Keep the remote near! Pause
the movie as needed.) You may want to watch the movie twice.
Document/describe any differences in sequence, plot or characters.
Document your immediate reaction to those differences. Think about the
following questions after you view the movie – make notes. Why do you think
the screenwriter made these changes? Would you have done the same thing?
Look at your script suggestions - did the movie make the same choices?
Were there script suggestions that you made, that you really felt should
have been in the movie? How about your feelings as you read the book. . .did
the movie encourage the same feelings? Intensify them? Diminish them?
Were there differences that surprised you? How did the “visual-ness” of
the movie enhance the text or did it distract from your imagination of the
written words?
2. Film Critique:
Write a well written film critique on the book adaptation of
Lemony Snicket. Spelling and grammar are important as well as depth of
writing. 12 pt font – one page that spills over on to the second page is the
minimum.
A good film critique begins by giving the reader a basic idea of what the film
is about, a basic summary or sketch of the plot and characters.
Once the summary is done – get down to the job of convincing the reader
that you have something interesting to say about the film. Give a critical
assessment of the success/failure or effectiveness/ineffectiveness of the
film by using supporting evidence from the film. The critique is an
opportunity to demonstrate an awareness of the elements of the film.
(Consider the acting, visual effects, production design, sound . . .) It also
describes the pleasure/ frustrations that the film offers the viewer.
Your closing paragraph should summarize your opinion, give an overall quality
rating of the movie and recommend / not recommend the movie to the
reader (and why).
Keep your review in the present tense. Avoid generic words such as “great”
and “excellent”. Provide examples (specific moments) from the book/movie
to support your statements.
The questions below (and the questions above in the directions on viewing
the movie) are meant to stimulate thought about the film. You may want to
address some of these areas in your critique.
1) Since the film is a book adaptation – does it follow the original and
neglect the cinematic opportunities of the story? Or does it sacrifice the
original work for unnecessary cinematic devices? Did director show
responsibilities to the author? How so? Was the movie true to the author’s
original story?
2) Are the characters believable? Do they deviate from the characters in
the book? Are the actors appropriately cast?
3) What is the theme of the film? Do the plot, acting and other elements in
the film successfully impart the theme to the viewer?
4) Is the setting appropriate and effective? How close is it to the book?
5) Is the cinematography effective? Does the film make good use of the
color, texture, lighting. . . .to enhance the theme, mood and setting?
6) Is the sound appropriate and functional – or is it inappropriate and
obtrusive?
7) Are the camera angles used effectively? Do they help to create certain
effects that are memorable?
8) Are there special effects in the film? Are they essential to the plot?
Are they handled skillfully? Do they serve a necessary function or does the
film sacrifice plot or characterization for the effects themselves?
9) Are there any major deviations from the book in the movie? How does
this affect the film? Are there any extra scenes added to the movie that
aren’t in the book and what is that effect on the plot or is it for
entertainment? How different/similar was the style of the movie from the
style of the book? What significant things remained the same or changed?
10) If changes were made, why do you think it was done? What are your
reactions to the changes? Would author approve these changes? Would the
changes hurt the author’s career/reputation? Why/why not? Did director
promote/hurt his career by making changes? Why/why not?
11) Discuss your reactions, ratings, thoughts and feelings when comparing
the books to the movie. Discuss things you would have done differently in
the movie. Discuss if the similarities and differences in the movie are what
you envisioned when reading the books. Discuss if you would have watched
the movie first and then read the books – would you have had a different
experience? How so and why?
Check out these two critiques as a sample of what your critique may
resemble.
http://www.film-critiques.com/FreakyFri1R.html
http://www.film-critiques.com/Schoolofrock1R.html
Due end of week 4
WK 4: What is the difference between a
director and a writer?
Intro:
Ok – so the author writes the book and the director directs
the script that the script writer wrote. That’s it? Are they truly two
separate jobs that never interact with each other? Or should there be
some sort of communication between the two when it pertains to book
adaptations and novelizations? Is there not a moral or value issue needed in
these cases or is it a free for all in their own separate worlds? Today’s
forum discusses these issues.
Guiding Question: Should an author have a say or “rights” in how a movie is
produced or is the creation of a movie from a book fair game for the
producer him/herself? If an author is to be included in production, how
much say or “rights” should the author have? If a director has fair game in
directing the movie, should he have any responsibilities to the author when
creating his movie?
Create a thoughtful response to the guiding questions. Read all – respond to
two.
Reading: Choose a book (from the choice list or get approval from me if
outside the choice list) with an appropriately rated movie. Preferably a
book/movie that you haven’t seen – otherwise ensure that you have only
seen/read one of the formats – not both. Choose to see the movie first or
read the book first – be prepared to defend your choice. Take notes on
both the book and the movie as previously done in week one through three.
Be sure to add your thoughts/comments in the margins.
Show What You Know:
Choose a short scene from your book and create a script for it.
Then create a story flow chart for it. For examples check out
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/authoring/studio/guidebook/storyboard_
example.html AND
http://accad.osu.edu/womenandtech/Storyboard%20Resource/. Choose one
of the storyboard examples for your story flow chart.
Then think through how the two processes differed. In a short paragraph
explain which role, the director or the writer, seems to fit you best.
WK 5 –How important is the main
character in books/films?
Intro:
The main characters of your script can make or break
your book/film. Characters need to be developing
throughout the movie as a person develops in life. Protagonist (main
character) is usually the driving force behind the plot. He or she will usually
face an opponent (antagonist) and undergo an important change.
In classical and later theater the protagonist is the character undergoing a
dramatic change (peripeteia), both of his own character and external
circumstances, with the plot either going from order to chaos, as in a
tragedy, with a reversal of fortune bringing about the downfall of the
protagonist, usually an exceptional individual, as a result of a tragic flaw
(hamartia) in his personality; or from chaos to order, as in a comedy, with
the protagonist going from misfortune to prosperity and from obscurity to
prominence. (Wikipedia.com)
Guiding Question: Think about some of your favorite main characters from
a book or a movie. What is it about them that you love about them? What
makes you remember them? What is it about them that you look up to?
Describe in as much detail as possible your most favorite character. Be sure
to tell us what book or movie we can find the character in, and why you chose
this character. Respond to 2+
Reading
Continue with your book and movie choice
Show What You Know:
Go to http://filmscriptwriting.com/characterdevelopment.html. Explore the
links carefully on the page. Take notes in your journal. Once you have read
through the links, go back to the “initial character creation” link. Start
building a character using the character sheet found in that link. Give your
character a name (“naming your characters” link) and create a “character
concept” (found in the initial character creation link). Choose two of the
following to add to the development of your character:
Character psychology, character relationship, unique voice, memorable
character, character adversity, or character background.
Write a short scene script in which your character can be seen in action.
Wk 6: How does technology impact the
stories we tell/ see?
Intro:
As you know, HD is soon to take over our TV viewing
system. Films have been using digital systems since the late ‘80’s. 3-D
movies are on the horizon. Virtual Reality films have been spoken about.
People watch movies from their phones and Internet sources. New
technologies are constantly developing. Today’s forum gets you thinking
about the future of book adaptations.
Guiding Question: Respond to the thoughts expressed in the following
paragraph. Where do you see the future of movies and books? What should
remain the same, what should change? What about this paragraph concerns
you – what is exciting to you and why? Do you think reading will ever be
eliminated by future technologies? Do you agree or disagree?
“Consider this: the technological age has meant an increase in hours
of work and a reduction in the time to set aside for reading; it is the age of
the “quick fix”, the superficial fain, fast-fiction fulfillment. An age where
computer games are as likely to be adapted as literature: where In the not
too distant future movies might be considered as static as the written page;
where virtual reality becomes the norm and to sit inert through even two
hours of entertainment is considered too un-involving. And through it all,
many novelists will sacrifice artistic vision for commercial gain, writing
novels for profit not pleasure. Adapt or die will be the catchword.
(Read all and respond to 2+)
Reading: Continue from Week 5
Show What You Know: START FINAL PROJECT – DUE THE LAST FACE 2
FACE MEETING FOR PRESENTATION.
Choose a scene from the current book/movie that you are reading and do it
differently.
Create a rationale why the scene should be re-shot. What did/didn’t you
like? How should it change? What would you add?
Create a work plan – what are the steps to completing this project and its
parts, and what are your time frames for completing the steps to ensure the
project is done on time for presentation.
SEND THIS TO ME FOR APPROVAL – ASAP before going any further.
Then create a script for your scene using the script writing suggestions we
have studied.
SEND ME A COPY before going to the next step.
Create a storyboard using one of the layouts from
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/authoring/studio/guidebook/storyboard_
example.html
SEND ME A COPY before going to the next step.
Create the film. Use PowerPoint (create slides and speed up the viewing
time to make it look more like a movie) or Movie Maker (take digital pictures
or get pictures from the Internet to use)
Ensure you look at character development, is there enough conflict, what is
the mood of the scene, does the dialogue move the scene forward, are there
any special camera shots, sounds, lighting techniques that need to be
specified?
Show your work to at least one other person and receive their feedback.
Finally write up a self critique discussing how the project went, problems you
had along the way, changes you would still make if time allowed, what was the
feedback from whomever you showed your project to, and the impact this
project had on you or your reactions to it. (Turn this in to me at the last
F2F with your final project).
Wk 7: Can there be too much drama?
How do you find the right pace?
Intro:
Conflict moves people. It gets them excited. It helps to develop characters.
Without conflict in books and movies – we would be bored. Human lives are
filled with conflict – that is what makes like interesting and different day to
day. As you write your scripts for your project – think about the conflict.
Do you need more? Should it be dramatized? Is there too much conflict?
What type of conflict are you using?
As you write your scripts for your project think about the following
questions: Should movies be expected to add more tension amongst
characters, more drama, conflict, comical misunderstandings just for the
sake of entertainment? Are there times when it is necessary to keep the
entertainment value of the movie flowing? Is the movies first priority to
entertain or to be true to the book? Should movies and books be compared
to one another or should they be separate entities and enjoyed for their own
values and uniqueness?
Guiding Questions:
Should movies be expected to add more tension amongst characters, more
drama, conflict, comical misunderstandings just for the sake of
entertainment? Are there times when it is necessary to keep the
entertainment value of the movie flowing? Is the movies first priority to
entertain or to be true to the book? Should movies and books be compared
to one another or should they be separate entities and enjoyed for their own
values and uniqueness? Go to
http://www.filmscriptwriting.com/conflictinscriptwriting.html. Visit this web
site for some background reading on conflict. Respond to 2+
Reading: Go to
http://www.scriptologist.com/Directory/Filmmaking/Screenplays/Screenpla
ysB/screenplaysb.html Find a movie that is appropriate and one that you are
very familiar with. Open the script and read through at least the first 1520 min of the movie. Pay attention to the abbreviations, the layout of the
script, all the script writing procedures. Think about how your script will be
similar to this. What techniques can you apply from the script you are
reading to the script you are writing?
Show What You Know: Give an overview of your project. What techniques
are you incorporating to create the pace you are looking for? Express
concerns and questions you have. Express what you feel confident about.
Explain how things are going. You should be finishing up with your
storyboard for this week. Post all “creative work” at this point – view others
and respond to at least 2 with constructive criticism.
Wk 8: How’s it going?
Use this week to seriously work on your projects. Submit
a post that explains how things are going and where your
at in the process. If you have questions or want
feedback on anything – this is the time to ask for
help/comments/suggestions from your peers. Respond to 2+
Wk 9: Is the screen business for you?
Intro:
You have spent the past weeks being a book/movie critic
and will be trying your hand at script writing. Have you
thought about any of these as a career position or what a career may be like
in these positions? Today’s forum looks at questions related to this topic.
Guiding Question:
Book/movie review writers, Screen writers,
Directors. . . which can you relate more closely to? Why? Could you make a
career at any of these or would you like to try your hand at them? What do
you think are the pros/cons of each? Difficulties/Challenges? What
rewards do you see in these positions? Respond to 2+
Show What You Know:
This is your final week... you have put in a lot of time and
effort discussing book adaptation issues. You should
have a better understanding of the topic and hopefully
had some fun experimenting with critique/script
writing. Good Job! See you at the final Face 2 Face
meeting with your final project. Complete your script,
storyboard and your presentation. Show it to at least one other person and
receive their constructive criticism. Assess your work against the rubric.
Be prepared to present your work to the class. Can’t wait to see them!!
Benchmarks:
72. Almost all of the responses were thoughtful, reflective and/or
insightful and clearly communicated with the intended audience. This
student made it a point to respond to others. FORUM RESPONSES
74. Students’ responses and assignments followed directions and met set
deadlines. SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW
18. The student envisioned items, sounds, places or events in his/her mind,
which helped him/her to add detail and quality to his/her end product.
CHARACTER CREATION
27. The student judged his or her own creations and also enlisted critiques
from others. FILM PROJECT
28. The student revised original/traditional formats or work to produce
new concepts, art and/or products FILM PROJECT
37. The student defined and persuasively articulated his/her own
perspective on key topics, which led to a more personalized writing voice and
/or artistic style. FORUM RESPONSES
78. Through highly effective questioning, this curious student developed
well thought-out ideas, which demonstrated an understanding of alternative
viewpoints from their own. FORUM RESPONSES