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You probably have lots of ideas for scripts but having struggled to get your break you are now thinking, "What else can I do?" Well, one way to make your projects more attractive to producers, funders and audiences is by basing them on well known material.
Take a look at "Peter And The Wolf". British animator Suzie Templeton has just won the Oscar with her short animation of the Russian folk tale. So, what makes it such a great choice for an adaptation?
1. Most fairy/folk tales have girls and magic involved. This is much more straight forward stuff. It's a mini Adventure movie, boy versus wolf!
2. The short tale allows plenty of scope for expanding on the characters, theme and drama of the original.
3. Prokofiev's much loved score immediately ensures a level of public recognition.
The end result is a beautiful piece of work and with an Oscar win to help publicise it Suzie Templeton's film is now guaranteed to become a favourite of kids, parents and music teachers worldwide.
So what other folk tales, fables or ancient stories are there that you could adapt, update or re-imagine?
Perhaps you should consider researching tales that are little known here but have huge recognition amongst other cultures?
By looking at Shakespeare's plays or the Greek classics you may find themes and situations that mirror the current state of society; the tightening of state control, divided communities, the breakdown of families.
As an aspiring writer you need to ensure you are fully exploring every opportunity available to you in order to improve your craft skills and further your career. So why not draw on the inspiration and imagination of some of the greatest minds and lives in history? That's exactly what professional writers do every day.
This year's Oscars were dominated by adaptations and bio-pics; "Atonement", "No Country for Old Men", "There Will Be Blood", "La Vie en Rose" and many, many more. If you read interviews with the screenwriters behind these projects it quickly becomes apparent they all work quite differently. However, there are certain approaches, techniques and elements they all utilise when adapting material. By studying these you can learn how to approach any adaptation with confidence.
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