Adapting Scripts Considerations
When adapting other works into a script, many factors must be taken into account.
Oct 6, 2006
Obviously, characters, plot, and theme will be critical components of your script. And you'll want to ensure those components come out in the way you intended.
It's quite possible that the script that emerges may be very different from the original story. I know that many things I've read seemed like they could make for good scripts -- if they were modified in a rather significant way.
This process actually dates back at least a few hundred years. Classical and Baroque composers frequently created new works based on another composer's piece, calling it something like, "Variations on a Theme by Vivaldi." They thought enough of the original work to create the new work, and also had new ideas to infuse into it.
Similarly, as scriptwriters, when we decide on another work to adapt, it's because we like something about the original, and also have new ideas about how it could play on the stage or screen. Sometimes for me, it's taking a well-known story that people have read and enjoyed for years, and bringing it to life, not only to elate the audiences, but also to give actors chances to play unique and extraordinary characters.
The key is to carefully evaluate what it is about the story that first captures your imagination, know what makes it attractive. Then focus on those items, whether it's the theme, an exciting and interesting storyline, or dynamic, charismatic, or lovable characters.
After those three items, dialogue is the next consideration. I've adapted stories from Mark Twain, Steve Allen, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, and the Bible. Dialogue in stories is meant to be read; so it frequently doesn't sound as wonderful when it's spoken. Run-on sentences, intimate thoughts, and technical explanations don't always play well when coming out of the mouths of actors.
I have frequently had to dumb-down the beautifully crafted written language in order for it to come across clearly when spoken by an actor and heard by an audience. In a book, you can go back a few pages to review; not so with an acting performance. Sure, you could rewind a video, but the point remains. The bulk of the audiences for your script will hear it for the first time, and hear it one time only.
