On this module you will have the opportunity to adapt your favorite literary text into a film or television screenplay. Will your adaptation be faithful to the source material? Or will you use dramatic license to reimagine or reinterpret the original? The module will provide the close study of a diverse range of popular screen adaptations, considering how the conventions of dramatic structure and narrative form are modified for serialised TV and film. You will critically engage with adaptation studies by considering medium specifity, drawing out the key differences between literary form and screenwriting by focusing on features such as plot, characterisation, point of view and style. Within your creative practice, you will consider the social, political and cultural contexts of adaptation. In studying the art of dialogue and action through screenplay, you will build your confidence in narratology and forms of storytelling, honing your ability to envision how a literary text can be expanded, condensed or transformed across mediums. Considering thematics, narative treatments and iterations you will learn the craft of adapted screenwriting for industry. This module equips students with the critical insight and creative craft to bridge literature and screen.
Lecture
16
Workshop
16
Independent Study
118
Assessment Preparation
50
Total Hours
200
Portfolio
Portfolio of creative work
3,000 words
Pitch
Presentation plus slides
10 minutes
Demonstrate a critical understanding of adaptation theory and use this to analyse examples of screen adaptations of literary works.
Develop and articulate an original creative vision for an adapted screenplay.
Analyse and evaluate the narrative, stylistic, and thematic shifts that occur in the process of adaptation, with reference to social, historical, cultural, and industrial contexts.
Employ professional screenwriting techniques to communicate complex narrative forms.
Reflect critically on the adaptation process, situating creative decisions within relevant theoretical debates and industry practices.
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