Ask the Screenplay Doctor: Adaptation

Many successful novels have been adapted for the screen and made into equally popular and often award-winning movies, including The Silence of the Lambs, Apocalypse Now, No Country for Old Men, The Shining and The Harry Potter and The Lord of the Ring series. Adapting novels into screenplays is a challenging venture that requires learning and mastering this artful craft. There are many good resources on this subject, which you can find online and at bookstores.

Here are three basic tips to keep in mind:

1. Screenplays are generally 120 pages or less, and many novels are often double or triple that length -- or more. The rule of thumb is that one script page equals one minute of screen time. This means that you must focus on the basic plot points of the novel, which in turn often results in cutting subplots and characters.
2. Determine who the protagonist is, his or her goals, why the audience should care for this protagonist to succeed. Determine who the antagonist is, and why he or she is an opposing force, trying to prevent the protagonist from succeeding.
3. A screenplay is a visual medium. Unlike a novel, you don’t have the luxury to get inside your characters’ minds with pages and pages of internal thoughts. Your characters’ motivations, agendas, goals, and so on, must be revealed in dialogue and through visually storytelling.

Dear Screenplay Doctor,

Uriah

Uriah,

Let me preface my response with a reminder that I am not a lawyer and it’s always best to contact entertainment attorneys for specifics on how this entire process works. Remember my mantra: Always get a contract!

In order to acquire permission to adapt a novel, you must seek the rights and permission from the owner of the copyright. The first step is to contact the publisher of the book to determine if they own the film rights and if the rights are available. If the publisher does not own the rights, then the next step is to contact the book’s author or his or her agent. You will then discuss and negotiate with the author and/or his or her agent for the rights to adapt the book.

Once you have the rights to the book and complete the script, my past columns for newenglandfilm.com and my book, The Savvy Screenwriter: How to Sell Your Screenplay (and Yourself) Without Selling Out! -- address your question regarding what to do next with your script in more detail.