Adaptive Principles

In a book titled “Principles of Adaptation for Film and Television” by Brady Ben, the author stated certain steps that are very critical to a successful adaptation for both television and film. He noted that apart for some few exceptions, most author rarely adapt their own books into screenplays.
This relationship between books and film are better expressed in the words of Benson Sheila, “Books and films are separate art forms and it's useless to wish that one would perform the other's high-wire act. But when all's right with the heavens, movies that grow from books seem to have an extra layer of subtlety and resonance. When you see one that has, stop for a minute to think about the work of the adaptor, an artist working with respect, compassion, wit, humanity and the sharpest razor this side of Sweeney Todd.
—Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times Film Critic, 1981-1991.

According to Ben’s views, most novels are in form of “narrative portrayal of fictitious characters in a series of scenes, action, and dialogue”. He concluded that a novel's story may be told from the “viewpoint of an observer”, who may or may not be the author, or it may be told in the first person by one of the characters in the story. In either case, the important point is that a story is told to the reader.

Some of the principles he highlighted include the following:

Acquiring Adaptation Rights
It is very crucial to consider the legalities involved before a writer begins the adaptation of any narrative element. According to Ben, “If a story of any kind has been published, the ownership almost certainly rests with either the original author or the publisher by virtue of a copyright, express or implied”. He noted that some material may exist in the public domains, which are free for the public to use, but suggested that this copyright status should not be taken for granted.
Choosing the right Novel
Choosing the right novel could be as challenging as any other aspect of the production of any film. This is because it is fundamental that a good play must have a rich meaning to its targeted audience.

A Viable Drama
Viability of the drama involves the adaptability of a story to the play form; this includes the central character whose emotion is being tried to the story line. The reaction to this situation motivates the dramatic action that is the premise of the play.

The Engine of a Play
The engine of a play is believed to be a problem that is activated by the force of a protagonist under pressure. That is, the protagonist's freedom to function is opposed by the confining influence of the antagonist. If the protagonist were freed of the problem, the play would come to a stop.

The issues of conflict
The issues of conflict falls into one of three categories:
A human force: Person versus Person.
A nonhuman force: Person versus Nature (or a physical obstacle).
An inner force: Person versus Self.

Significant of the Issue of Conflict
Significant of the issue of conflict normally describes the objectives of the play, which often found in these categories: Life or death, Freedom or captivity, Honor or degradation, Health or illness, Faithfulness or unfaithfulness, Success or failure.
The will to struggle

The will to Struggle
The will to struggle describes the level of concern expressed by the character about a problem in a story line. It is believed that the less a character cares about a problem, the less the audience will also care about the problem.
For more information visit: http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/excerpts/exbrapri.html