The process of adapting a novel into a film script?

Question

What is the best way to adapt a book into a film without sacrificing important details, as well as some minor details that bring out the importance of the story?

This is my first attempt at a film adaptation- I've done only original work in the past, but thought about turning my favorite book into a film.

I just realized I forgot one more aspect of my question: use the exact dialogue from the book, make it fit, or create my own by paraphrasing the original dialogue?

Answer 1

Well, Psycho, the first thing you have to remember is that film is all about telling a story visually. Moving pictures, right? Next thing to remember is that you've got two hours to tell the story, broken up into scenes. You've got characters & a plot already, thanks to the book..
Now---start your process by breaking the book down into scenes. Do an outline, or just list them. Why are they in the book, What does each scene accomplish? How important are they? Now, think about what they would look like in a movie--your movie. Do they need to be there?
Simply, what you're doing is trimming down your book into its essence. What tells your story the best way, the most visual way, the most effective way?
Once you've discovered what makes your book work, then you can begin to recreate that experience into screen terms. It's a great exercise, for adaptations, as well as youir own story ideas.

Answer 2

you'll ought to at least a million) contact the author or his agent/representative 2) get permission... you'll likely ought to pay him for the rights, besides the undeniable fact that. And sure, there can should be legal specialists and contracts, etc. 3) write it, format it good, make it ideal 4) approach brokers and manufacturers to confirm if someone is fascinated. in order that that you recognize... it truly is quite quite quite puzzling to promote your first screenplay. maximum human beings fail. it truly is now to not be discouraging... the human beings who ultimately be triumphant are the human beings who save attempting. also, in case you haven't got unique action picture rights, he can provide permission to some different person that procedures him. many times it truly is the production corporation that procedures the author, will pay for the rights and then hires a screenplay author. it truly is no longer stupid, it truly is only a puzzling corporation. you quite ought to study it and also you quite ought to save attempting in case you opt for to achieve fulfillment... might want to opt for to start with sorting out all the books you'll discover about growing a screenplay author and formatting screenplays and adapting novels into screenplays, etc., because it truly is no longer quite as common because it looks to translate some thing from e book to movie.

Answer 3

I find that if you have an underedeveloped source material, it works better for you.

You have to decide what is and what is not important.

I mean, Peter Jackson and crew had to, in effect, rewrite the LOTR books to get it to the screen