Hello! I"m a fresh and lucky screenwriting student and got a job of making a screenplay out of a book. I know there is much to say about the topic but I was wondering of you've got any tip to give or bone to throw, Thanks!
Screenwriting : Script of a Book by Alan Perel
Script of a Book
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Congrats on the job! My suggestion: find the theme, pare down the book to the A story, then layer in the B story, if there is one, as it supoorts, or denies, the theme. You may have to combine or delete characters and stories, and otherwise severely edit the book. It's a puzzle, and can be interesting to solve.
Thanks, you are right it really feels like a puzzle ... Its kind of fun in its way
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It's definitely a puzzle, Alan, and can be fun, and frustrating as well. I did an adaptation some time ago, the script sold, but nothing's happened yet. I spent a long time sorting it out, ended up dropping a lot of characters. Something to notice when distilling the book is the theme in the book may be different from the theme that works in the movie. Once you can narrow it down, the pieces will fall into place, but don't rush it. It might help to go through the book and mark up the connecting pieces. Do a really comprehensive outline. Good luck, and all the best with this exciting project.