CS Weekly Archive > Happenings > 8/12/05

Adaptation and Faithful Infidelity:
The Writers Guild Foundation's
"Based On" Master Screenwriting Workshop

By ginny defrank

Adaptation is never as easy as it looks (or one wishes it were), and is full of its own rewards and obstacles. The Writers Guild Foundation hosted some of today's top screenwriters talking about the hows, whys and what-to-avoids when working with pre-existing material.

This summer's movie screens were full of familiar faces, or at least familiar characters, as Hollywood churned out 11 adaptations, remakes or remodels for consumers to enjoy a (minimum) second time around. So it came as no surprise that "Based On," this year's installment of the Writers Guild Foundation's Master Screenwriting Workshop, was filled to capacity on Saturday, July 30. The all-day workshop held at the Writers Guild America/ west featured heavy hitters from film and television whose adaptation sources included film, television, literature, comics, and video games.

As the writers themselves claimed in diverse panels throughout the day, the keys to writing a great adaptation are the same as those for writing a great original: creating a story with which viewers connect and characters for which viewers are concerned.

The day began with a panel discussion introducing the issues unique to writing a screenplay based on previously written material. Writers who had adapted works ranging from novels aimed at adolescents, to historical pieces, to films using characters from television answered questions asked by moderator and Vice President of Programs for the Writers Guild Foundation Board of Trustees, John Furia. As Ron Bass (Rain Man; above) said succinctly, "Print is about what goes on within people. Film is about what goes on between people."

The introductory session was followed by two sessions comprised of four separate workshops that addressed specific topics such as "Creating Narrative Stories from Factual Material" and "Dramatizing the Internal," as well as case studies using specific examples of adaptations. Participants had the opportunity to select one workshop or case study to attend per session, and then reconvened for the final panel of the day, which dealt with the rules of the game for adaptations, and the sticky situations writers must avoid when involved with pre-existing works. Entertainment attorney Michael Donaldson explained the purpose of obtaining rights to a story saying, "You have the life story rights not to obtain facts, but to obtain the person's cooperation, sometimes to obtain access to certain information, and mostly…there's a waiver that they won't sue you for what you put in your movie." Also covered was the handy phrase for writers and lawyers, "the deader the better" -- referring to the fact that an individual's personal rights are gone once the person dies.

Though each panel had a different thematic focus, and each writer a unique perspective on adaptations from his or her own experience, themes began to emerge from the discussions between writers and guests. These common topics from writers of dissimilar works made very clear the case that adaptation brings its own special set of challenges. As questions about research, culling material, relationships with authors of originals, and even moral obligations arose, writers answered candidly to let up-and-coming adaptators know the path that lies ahead.

Finding the Essence
Several writers noted that before beginning to write a movie based on pre-existing material, you have to know the core of the story. Nicholas Meyer (The Human Stain) observed that "In order to make a film that is successful -- I don't just mean commercially, I mean aesthetically -- it has to stand on its own. You have to be able to come in and see the movie and not be familiar with any of the underlying material and be able to understand what's so exciting about it. The movie exists in an organic way. Certainly one of the yardsticks that you have to bear in mind is, "Okay, I'm going to adapt this, but whatever I do, at the end of the day has to be so much a movie that concerns about its origins are moot.'"

Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction) and David Goyer (Batman Begins; middle, on the right of Darryl Nickels) had similar thoughts in the panel dealing with comic books, video games, and graphic novels. "You must remain true to the spirit of the material," Avary said. "The original will always remain in its form, but what you say you must stay true to in the disassembly and destruction of it, is the spirit." Goyer followed relating the comments specifically to comic book adaptations, because comic book characters are already so omni-present in the American consciousness in other forms: "Batman is incredibly well known, aside from fanboys. We knew the franchise had been so besmirched and ruined that we had to be mindful of that. What is its essence? Why has it endured for 70 years? What's the entry point into the movie? Bruce Wayne is the loneliest boy in the world…Once you get the key piece, everything falls into place."

Relating to the Original Author and Characters
Questions arose as to whether it's helpful to contact or work with the adapted works' originator. While Bass described a satisfying writing relationship he had with Amy Tan (author of The Joy Luck Club), Nicholas Meyer felt differently. "Artists are people who put messages in bottles, throw them into the ocean, and lose all proprietary rights. I'm not interested in meeting the novelist. I must interpret the work the best I can. It won't simply be what it was to begin with." Marianne Moloney (Mr. Wonderful) felt differently: "When adapting a novel, I'm in communication with the novelist. It's sleuth work to get to the same page as the novelist. You're doing something with an absent person."

While there was no consensus on involving the original author, some panelists (across different panels) reached agreement on how to create a character. "Every character you write comes out of you," Bass asserted. "You have to identify [with that character] or you're not writing them. You're everybody you write." In a different panel, Roger Avary concurred: "I'm a firm believer that you can never find the truth of anyone else. You need to find their truth within you."

Research: Friend or Foe?
Because writers penning adaptations usually conduct extensive research to prepare for writing the script, many questioned when it was time to stop and assume enough was done, and how to sift through research facts to know what to include in the story. Bass warned writers to "Never fall in love with your research. It's death. And it can happen." Meyer echoed a variation on the theme: "The fact that it is true doesn't necessarily make it fit, and you can overload. It's very hard to let go of." Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can; bottom) suggested thorough research is an absolute must, but can become a hindrance. "If you can keep an eye on the prize, which is a movie, then it's harmless and do as much research as you can. The only danger is yourself. You have to be disciplined enough to walk away from stuff you don't need."

Once the Research Is Done, Keeping Track of It All
Perhaps as a trade-off for using a story that already exists in fiction or non-fiction, writers working to adapt previously existing works have to be able to substantiate the scenes they write as fact. Everyone agreed to the practical necessity of annotating every source used -- "I used 30 different sources [to write Warm Springs], and I had to back up everything for HBO," Margaret Nagle explained -- and Nathanson stressed another necessity: keep track of what you know about your subject matter. "You better do your homework and research," he said, "and know your material better than anyone out there, because you're not going to make a movie without [the studio's legal department] putting the pressure on you."David Rintels (Andersonville) concurred, "When you write based on real people and real events, you're very smart to annotate as you go. The lawyer and insurance guys go through everything. It's a process at some stage you'll go through. If you collect ten sources, list ten sources."

Adaptations on Spec: Is It Worth It, Even Without the Rights?
Because the speakers were industry professionals with first-hand knowledge of studio workings, they were able to explain why adaptations have an edge in the marketplace, as well as share thoughts on whether writing a script without the rights to a work is a waste of time. "In adaptation, you have the story in front of you," said Bass pragmatically. "The most practical difference is level of communication with the buyer. When they know already what they're getting, executives are plugged in."

Meanwhile, Goyer dispersed doubt about the marketplace viability of comic book movies. "These genres are definitely here to stay, because they've made billions of dollars. [And] Studios are more comfortable knowing it already worked in another form." But Goyer was in the minority when he said that a spec of a property you don't have the rights to would serve as a good writing sample, and might even get someone a writing job. "Only a fool would start to write something before they have the rights…and I'm never going to do that again," joked Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams).

Write and Wrong
While fidelity to the original work was declared something that should only be considered insofar as it helps the original in telling the story on screen, faithfully depicting real people was a separate issue. How much influence should moral responsibility have on shaping a character if the person is or was real? Although no final answer seems to exist, writers agreed that a sense of moral responsibility affects how a story is told. "Writers pride themselves on trying to manipulate people. Presenting audiences with a certain point of view is unavoidable, but writers have to take some responsibility for what they write," said VP of Programs Furia. In a separate panel, Rintels joked about the subjectivity of defining terms. "There's an old saying: "Steal from one and it's plagiarism. Steal from many, it's research.' But there should be a writer's oath: first, do no harm. When dealing with real people, the needs of the drama aren't the only thing."

The "Based On" Masters Screenwriting Workshop provided writers with an opportunity to learn from those who've already successfully adapted works into screenplays, but more than that, it afforded writers a chance to hear first-hand accounts of the hard work needed to create a great adaptation. The workshop reminded aspiring writers that even successful writers had to struggle to achieve in the industry, and to craft a compelling film from a pre-existing entity. The writers did offer an optimistic view for aspiring adaptation writers by reminding them that inspiration can be found everywhere, and many stories are waiting to be told. "Inspiration could come from anywhere -- from a fortune cookie or a flyer in the mailbox, it doesn't have to be War and Peace to inspire you," advised Jeff Nathanson. Now if only those fortune cookies came stuffed with commencement checks…

Ginny DeFrank is a writer living in Los Angeles. An ACC basketball enthusiast, she is currently involved in several hair-brained schemes and uninteresting subplots.

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