Lights! Camera! Adaptation!

Designing Your Own Movie Adaptation

Directions:
Throughout this unit, we’ve been looking at the adaptational choices others (like famous directors
and authors) make, but we haven’t much chance of doing it ourselves. Now is your chance to take
a book we’ve read in this unit (or another book previously approved by me!) and create it in your
own image.
You and your team are the sole artistic directors of this adaptation. You will be drafting a proposal
and producing a movie trailer to present to the class and to the panel of judges to determine if
your adaptation will be a blockbuster hit. In the proposal, you will explain the choices you made
during the trailer, such as why you focused on a single character or why it is in black and white.
This proposal will be submitted to the judges upon viewing, and it will help determine if your
adaptation will be the next blockbuster hit!
The trailer will exhibit your analytical skills as well as your artistic license (you won’t be graded
on how artistic you are). Your trailer must be within 1:45 – 2:30 minutes long and show that you
have put the necessary time and effort in given to you in class. If you do not finish in the class
time given, you may be asked to complete a portion of this assignment out of class. (That being
said, I am here to work with you, if we need more class days, we will work something out.)
You must turn in your proposal with the trailer, or you will not be graded on this assignment.

Step One:
You will need to work with your team to choose a book to adapt and create a storyboard that
outlines frame by frame what you will be filming.
(tip! The more detailed your storyboard is, the easier your proposal/justification will be!)

Step Two:
Conference with me to go over your storyboard and plan of action for filming the trailer. Decide
what props you need and where you want to film it. We will discuss why you are making the
decisions and changes in the adaptation. We will also draft a timeline in what you will be filming
and editing. In this timeline, we will assign roles to each team member, actors, directors, editors.
You may have more than one role; you are not required to be on screen. This is also where you
get to ask as many questions as you need.
I will give you multiple days to film in class, and you will have full access to my prop closet.
However, if you and your team wish, you may film outside of class and use any appropriate home
props, but this is not required.
Step Three:
Draft your proposal! In this proposal, you will be justifying items such as film angles, focal
points, costumes, props, music used, and changes from original text. You must identify closely
what you changed and cite page numbers.
Though this is a group project, you each will be drafting your own proposal. You may work
together, but I expect each group member to turn in their own original piece of writing.
In this step, complete a self-reflection about how you feel you and your team have worked
together, and how you think you’ve done so far in the writing of the proposal. (Keep in mind,
we’re not filming yet, this is just about the written proposal).

Step Four:
Peer review another team’s proposal. Answer questions like this: What do you want to see in their
adaptation? Could they be clearer in their writing and examples? What doesn’t make sense? What
do you love?
(tip! Try to give feedback like you were getting the feedback; be constructive, not mean.)
After you receive your peer feedback, talk with each other. We often learn more from talking
than from writing. Ask about some feedback; if you don’t agree with it, try to further justify why
you made that decision.
Turn in the peer feedback, then you will receive my feedback.

Step Five:
Film your adaptation! The moment we’ve been waiting for, you are now filming your adaptation.
All your ideas, work, justifications are ready to be recorded.
This will take about 3-5 class days; I expect you to be on task during these days. If you and your
team decided to film outside of class, take this time to edit the material or further revise your
proposals.
Complete another self-reflection at the end of this week to tell me what you had trouble with, what
you had fun with, and any questions you have.
In addition, I will be expecting notes at the end of every day to tell me what you got done.

Step Six:
You will be given 1-2 class days to edit your material. If you are not the editor, continue working
on revising the proposal or filming any scenes you want to reshoot. Work as a team on any
problems you run into.
(tip! Problems pop up in many places during a project, remember to communicate what you are
feeling clearly, and express your ideas without attacking your teammates.)

Step Seven:
Turn in your masterpiece! We will present your adaptations to the class and judges in class.

I’m excited to see what you all have come up with! 😊

Checklist:
Complete these items before premiering your adaptation to the audience and judges.
1. ___ Storyboard
2. ___ Conference with me
3. ___ Timeline for project
4. ___ 1st Draft of Proposal (Not the Peer Reviewed One!)
5. ___ Self-Reflection on the Proposal
6. ___ Peer Reviewed copy of Proposal
7. ___ Daily mini reflections
8. ___ Self-Reflection for filming
9. ___ Final, peer-reviewed proposal

Turn in:

 Storyboard
 Self-Reflection for Proposal
 Self-Reflection for filming
 Final Proposal

With your trailer to present your trailer to the audience and judges.

Trailer Checklist:

1. ___ Trailer has a soundtrack

2. ___ Trailer centralizes on a specific storyline
3. ___ Trailer has editing
4. ___ Trailer shows teamwork
5. ___ Trailer is between 1 ¾ - 2 ½ minutes long
6. ___ Trailer has different camera angles with purpose
Movie Trailer & Justification
Criteria 1 – Independent Film!
Adaptation of Text Student changes the original
text, and with help of peer
feedback, expands on why they
made the choices they did.
Video Student reflects on the trailer in
Quality Assessment the justification, explaining the
storyline throughout the video,
and highlighting some of the
effects discussed in class
(including score, central
characters, and/or plot devices).
Student overarchingly explains
the video as a whole. Student
states that they believe their
adaptation to be a next
blockbuster hit using some
evidence to back their
statement.
Proposal / Student(s) present a paper with
Justification with their trailer. It highlights the
Movie Trailer changes made to the original
with a few reasons with
connections with the original
text.
2 3 – Blockbuster Hit! 4
Student takes the original text, and with
purpose adapts it into their own personal
vision for the text. If keeping it generally
the same, the student reason that in their
justification. Student took peer feedback
and used it to highlight the decisions they
made.
Student reflects on their trailer in the
justification that easily explains the
identifiable storyline throughout the video,
highlighting on effects discussed in class
such as audio quality, score, central
characters, and plot devices. The student
uses these specific examples to tie the video
together as a whole. Student defends their
adaptation quality to be the next blockbuster
using the previous reflection as evidence for
their assertion.
Student(s) present a well-thought paper with
the premier of the trailer. It uses terms
learned in the unit to justify what choices
they made in the trailer, such as camera
angles, score, and changes to the original
story. It makes connections to the original
text with just reasoning for the changes.