Book Lovers Day; How to Adapt a Book for Film
Many of our most-loved films are adaptations of the book versions (Harry Potter, anyone?). Book Lovers Day is fast approaching on August 9th, and it’s a great time to get thinking about how exactly to translate a story from the page to the screen. We’ve got some top tips on what to do and what to avoid…
Show don’t tell
An easy trap to fall into is over-explaining things. What a character’s feeling at a certain moment, for example, might be explicitly written out in a book. In film, you can save time and dialogue by showing the audience through that character’s actions, expressions or tone of voice. It doesn’t need to be spelt out in as much detail when you have visual and audio cues to aid your storytelling.
Reconsider voiceovers
On a similar note, using voiceovers is not always the best option. They can be helpful for providing a bit of context, but narrating a train of thought isn’t really necessary when the audience can track what’s happening visually. Voiceovers can also be a little stifling creatively - they don’t leave as much room for your actors to shine. A stellar example of good voiceover use is in The Handmaid’s Tale - an excellent place to start when mapping out a book-to-screen adaptation.
Find your narrative arc
Books by their nature contain a lot more detail than you can fit into a film. There are often a lot of subplots you could choose to include, and each one would slightly change the narrative of your particular piece. Make sure you’re clear on which key moments will make up your story. Rather than trying to squeeze everything in, focusing on fewer, more important plot points will make for a more interesting end product.
Be brave
Using a book as inspiration means you’re not starting with a completely blank slate. While this can be helpful, it could also make you scared about straying too far from the source material. But, an adaptation should be an original piece in itself. The way a book unfolds might not suit the big screen so don’t be afraid to rework the story. They are two different mediums, so the products are going to differ and that’s not a bad thing. Have confidence in making the changes you need to.
Don’t be afraid to cut
Inevitably, you’re not going to be able to fit every single thing from the book into less than 2 hours. Try to take a step back from your plan and really assess what the most crucial parts are in order to tell the story without getting too off-track. The ‘less is more’ approach is definitely worth bearing in mind.
Legals
Of course, you can’t just go adapting novels as you please. You need permission from the copyright owner of the original book to use their material, for one thing. This permission might only extend for a certain period of time, limiting how long you have to get your screenplay written, shot and produced. There are lots of other legal issues to consider, so it’s essential to have a lawyer on board for the process.
Get adapting
Have a great idea for a book-to-screen adaptation? We’d love to hear your plan, whatever stage it’s at! Start developing your ideas using the SMASH pitch builder, then make sure your pitch really stands out by using some high-resolution footage from Getty Images.
You bring the talent, and SMASH Media can pair you with the industry decision-makers. We’ll get you well on your way to becoming a clued-up content creator. Ready to begin? Start your pitch today!
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