C H A P T E R 1 0
ALTERNATIVE STORY
SOURCES
First-rate screenplays are forever in short supply, so here are some other sources.
ADAPTING FROM LITERATURE
There is a constantly growing supply of plays, novels, and short stories that might adapt well to the screen. Good literature can, however, be a quicksand if you assume that the story will make an equally fine film. Effective adaptation may actually be impossible if you can find no cinematic equivalent for the author’s writing style and literary form. A story that relies on a subtly ironic storytelling voice, for instance, might be a bad choice because there is no such thing as ironic photography or recording.
Most of the criteria for judging material for an adaptation remain the same as ...
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