Translation of text and information
- Moving image media, such as TV, are the business of translation
- I.e. converting thought, feeling, information and stories into moving pictures
- This process is more complex and layered than it might first appear
- Images and sounds communicate in a different way to the written word
News facts and fiction texts
- Both news journalism and fiction adaptors must negotiate and interpret information which they acquire
Differences in storytelling page -> screen
- Truncated storytelling is often a consequence of telling a news story or adapting a text to the screen
- Also can be an efficiency afford by presenting
One vision one text
In contrast to the written word, film and television are the result of a collaborative process which involves a cast and crew of many:
- Costume, makeup, set and props
- Actors, reporters, presenters
- Director
- Producer
- Writers
- Camera and sound
- Financiers and distributors/tv networks
This difference is a vital component in understanding the different processes involved in realising each vision:
- On paper and on screen there are considerations and influences which are not necessarily better or worse than each other, but are simply inherently different.
Interpretation
- Filmmakers need to look to the source material or text for clues which can assist the visualisation process
- However, in keeping an audience interested, there is tension between accuracy and the demands of 'good storytelling' - e.g. impose dramatic tension on something
Think about all of the above when answering 'adaptation' question.
Practical considerations
- Whether it is the challenge of visiting different parts of the world, re-creating a long since gone period of history or allowing someone to experience a situation which would not normally be accessible, filmmakers can find themselves to accurately and efficiently achieve what is necessary to 'honour' and re-tell the story
- Furthermore, commercial pressure can mean that contentious subject - matters less likely to be commissioned - nervous of the negative publicity or lawsuits
- Consequently - filmmakers can end up watering - down the content to something deemed more palatable in order to gain the funding necessary
What is fiction adaptation?
- A written text to the screen, big or small, is one of adaptation
- Adaptations of literary works are a cornerstone of television drama output in the UK and throughout the world
What are the implications of this????
Using a text - clues
- Novels themselves contain written denotations of visual filmmaking techniques
Who's the author?
- Some instances novelists become intrinsically involved in the adaptive process by taking on the roll of script writer or producer or another production role on the project
- Actor or director may dominate in other situations
What is an unfaithful adaptation
- Somehow the original text - if not sufficiently 'honoured' - lacks what was 'most appreciated' in the original
- Significant 'salient features' need recognition in the adaptation to satisfy the 'fans'
- When described as 'unfaithful' it lacks "the fundamental narrative, thematic and aesthetic features of its literary source...our feeling when we have loved a book that an adaptation has not be worth of that love" - Stam, R. 2004:54
Is fidelity really desirable?
- It has been argued that fidelity is something which can limit the filmic potential
- Restricted and unachievable?
- Films are intrinsically collaborative and evolutionary
- It is worth considering that fidelity is not merely applicable to the source text but also to the legions of die-hard fans for whom the text is thing of love and even obsession
Why choose a 'classic'?
- Popularity - many classic novels are part of our collective consciousness
- Taught in school
- Adapted for TV
- Used for inspiration for parodies
- Familiarity
Adapter 's ideology
- Inevitably adaptation involves the adaptors personal take on, not only the story its self but its wider implications and even the prevailing ideology of the time e.g. shakespeare - adapted from play & book - TV - film - radio
Performances influence
- Certain actors may bring with them such celebrity that in itself colour their performance
Why change the era?
- Audience - improving the relevance to 'me' - broadening the audience
- Use of contemporary music
- Storytelling - new potential
CONSIDER:
- What makes a faithful adaptation
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