Screenplay help

[broadway86]

Posted: 11/1/04 at 9:44pm

Hey guys.

Here's the deal: For my screenwriting class, we're supposed to take the first chapter from a novel and adapt it into a scene. I've looked through most of my collection, but so far:

a) They've already been made into a film

or

b) They just don't work on screen.

Are there any good novels (preferably modern) that would work as a movie? Thanks a lot. Updated On: 11/1/04 at 09:44 PM

[musicalmjk]

Posted: 11/1/04 at 11:32pm

the screenwriter's job is to make the impossible story work on screen. look at battleship earth or the chronicales of riddick or any movie really. then again the movie is never as good as the book. so you could have it introducing characters and stuff like that. look at really good books and then their movie counterparts Harry Potter, LotR, Etc. you could use those books and envision a different version of the opening. Movies get remade remember that. thats my thoughts

sorry if this doesnt help you out at all.

Updated On: 11/1/04 at 11:32 PM

[Matt_G]

Posted: 11/2/04 at 12:24am

There are a million and one good books out there. If one that you're looking through doesn't seem like it would translate into film, stop and ask yourself why. Is it moving too slow, are the characters boring? What would you do to change that? How would you improve it? Film versions of novels are hardly ever exactly like the book. Characters are changed, combined or even deleted. Locations change, plot changes etc. Using that, turn that chapter into something you would like to see on screen.

Hope that helps a little.

Updated On: 11/2/04 at 12:24 AM