On Fridays we have been having lectures regarding an essay for the fiction adaptation unit. We had to choose from three possible questions which differed slightly but all came under the same subject, making the lectures easy to relate to any of them. In order to adapt something onto screen, there must be an original text or literary material to work from. We have been looking at classics and why they are so widely adapted for the big screen, and have been re-done over and over again. I am planning to look at the works of Charles Dickens who wrote several classics that have been adapted many times on tv and film.
Why do people choose classics?
Classics were usually written quite some time ago making them copyright free. They are widely recognised and taught in schools so every one grows up knowing their stories. An adaptation involves the adaptors personal take on not only the classic story, but its wider implications and the prevailing ideology of the time itself. Lots of people can influence an adaptation including the director who will have their own personal vision for how to tell the story. Each performer in the piece will play their character how they want to and bring their own interpretation to the role which will also affect the piece. Other more modern aspects including music and effects will make the story new and bring a more present day feel to it. Classics are interesting to write about because they have so many interpretations where people have taken an original story and come up with a whole new vision for that story.
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