On adaptation adaptations can do more than just be faithful

1. On Adaptation: “
Adaptations can do more than just be faithful or unfaithful to
literary sources. Adaptations can criticize aspects of those
sources, debate their themes, and translate them into different
cultures and times in ways which alter their meanings and
effects, among other relational possibilities. What’s important
in comparing a source and an adaptation is not just its fidelity
but the ways in which it interprets the source and uses it to
create a new work of art.”
From
The Literature/Film Reader: Issues of Adaptation
by James Michael Welsh
Assignment:
Taking into consideration the quote above from James Michael
Welsh, design a production concept/treatment for a film
adaptation of any of the plays from this semester:
A Doll’s House, Fleabag, Angels in America, Hamlet, Twilight
Los Angeles, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
or
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Structure and Format:
You are required to use
Aristotle’s Six Elements of Drama
to structure your p***r. Suggested format:
1. Write a brief introduction (1 page).
2. Divide your p***r into six sections, one for each element (6
pages).

2. Some sections will be longer than others. For example, you may
choose to keep the dialogue exactly as written and change none
of the language. In that case, you won’t have much to write
about dialogue. On the other hand, you may have many ideas to
articulate about each of the main characters. Therefore, your
“Dialogue” section might be two sentences, while your
“Characters” section is three pages. Regardless, each of the Six
Elements must be included, for a total of 6-7 written pages
overall.
3. Include a page of images/moodboard after each element’s
written section. (6 pages).
These will be taken from online sources. For the purpose of this
assignment (which will not be published but created only in
class) you need not worry about image licensing. You are not
required to cite your sources for the images. Were you to
publish this assignment in any form, you would of course have
to follow guidelines regarding both source and citation.
Unacceptable images: anything drawn, sketched, photographed,
or otherwise created by you; any inappropriate or offensive
images (we could endlessly debate what we mean by “offensive”
when it comes to art, but for the sake of the assignment, please
just use your common sense: nothing racist, homophobic,
misogynist, pornographic, graphically violent, etc. If the
thought “I wonder if this image is acceptable?” occurs to you,
it’s probably wise not to choose it).
4. Write a brief summation/conclusion (1 page).
If you follow the guidelines above, your project should total
14-15 pages.
Aristotle’s Six Elements – the following questions are only
suggestions:

3. Plot:
will you change the story? The ending? The narrative
structure?
Characters:
will you change the characters? Their gender? Their race or
ethnicity? Will you eliminate anyone? You may want to include
a “dream cast” of real actors for your film. Casting requires in-
depth knowledge of the characters in order to understand which
actor would be most appropriate, so create your ideal cast.
Ideas:
what is/are the main idea(s) of the play you chose? How will
you convey that meaning to your audience through your film
adaptation?
Dialogue:
will you retain the same language as the original play, or do you
imagine the characters speaking differently?
Song/Sound:
how do you imagine the sound effects in your film? What about
music? Is there a style of music or specific songs you think will
enhance your film? Will the music/sounds be diegetic or
nondiegetic? At what points will sound effects/songs/score be
most effectively used?
Spectacle/Visuals:
Describe your film’s
mise en scène. Mise en scène
is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play.
Translated from French, it means "setting the stage" but, in film
analysis, the term
mise en scène
refers to everything in front of the camera, including the set

4. design, lighting, and actors. Include how you imagine the
costumes, lighting, and settings. What special effects might be
included? Will you film on location? Where, specifically? What
geographical location suits your interpretation? Or, maybe you
focus on a specific kind of building. Will you film in an
abandoned warehouse? A prison? A school? A particular
neighborhood?
Justify all of your choices
. There is no sense in setting
Hamlet
in New York City in the 1980s, unless you draw specific
parallels to the setting and plot of the original play. Make sure
your concept makes sense.
You need not have any experience with film production.
This is a not a detailed plan for the
implementation
of your ideas. You are the director. You are not assuming the
role of cinematographer, editor, location scout, art director, or
technician. In other words, you don’t need to include in your
p***r
how
you would execute your ideas, only
what
those creative ideas are. Say you want to change the dialogue in
Hamlet
, for example. Describe
how
(Shakespeare’s verse will be changed to the contemporary
vernacular of Boston in 2020) and
why
(updated dialogue will better allow for a contemporary
audience’s identification, and the Boston accent will accurately
reflect the adaptation’s location and period);
don’t re- write the play

5. . You are describing a concept, you are not writing an adapted
screenplay.
Technical Details:
Approximately 15 pages:
1 page introduction.
6 pages of typed, double-spaced written description of your
adaptation, according to each of Aristotle’s 6 elements of
Drama.
6 pages of images, 1 page for each element.
No outside sources are required, just the play, the images, and
Aristotle’s six elements.