EDU1 bUYJoan (YCa1 laghan

Friday. December 6. 2013

Literature-to-Film AdaptationsA Mini-Unit for Your Classroom

When I began my practicum, my AT was just finishing up working with her Grade 12

CoHege Writers Craft class on how to write movie reviews. She gave me free reign on what

to do with the students next, and I figured a logical assignment to follow would be a

literature-to-film adaptation. I prepared a “mini-unit” that looked first to the history of book

to-movie adaptations and culminated with students preparing their own plans for an

adaptation for Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” for which they also created a

niovie poster and presentation. I spent about a week on this unit and gave students class time

for their adaptation assignment; I think that this could have easily been stretched into a 2-3

week unit with some extra material.

The following is a brief outline of most of what I completed with the students for the

adaptation mini-unit. I tried to scaffold the students by helping them acquire information

through lessons and examples before they attempted to complete their own creative project.

Monday - Introduction to Adaptations.• Minds On: How many adaptations can you think of? With a partner, students

brainstorm for five minutes on their handout, then we write them on the blackboard

as a class. Ask: What is it like to read a book and see a film? Is the book always

better? Have students write own definition of “adaptation” and briefly share with

class.

• Lecture/Handout: What is an adaptation? (info side of handout) How do writers and

directors do it? Why? What kinds of decisions are made by directors? By writers?

Why is this so? [s film or story easier to understand? How are they different?

• Consolidation - Split the class into groups. Each group will write either the pros or

the cons of book-to-movie adaptations on chart paper, to share with the class. They

should consider questions, such as what difficulties would a filnmiaker have trying to

tell the story without the help of narration or description? What might they use

instead? What might they leave out?

Tuesday - Introduction to Shirley Jackson• Minds On: Give background about Shirley Jackson (use handout), see if anyone has

heard of or has read ‘The Lottery.”

• Action: Students take turns reading “The Lottery” out loud. They should all have their

own copies. The story can be found here:http://sites.middlebury.edu/individualandthesociety/files/2O1 O,09/j acksonlottery.pdf

• Consolidation: To check for basic reading comprehension, students will, with a

partner, have ten minutes to fill out a chart with all the main points of “The Lottery’,

including characters, setting, title, etc (see back of handout). We will take up in class,

reiterate that we will he linking this to book-to-film adaptation tomorrow.

EDU1 (OOYJoan O’Callaghan

Friday, December 6, 2013

Wednesday - The Adaptation Assignment• Minds On: Show the students a series of photographs of the various ways that Shirley

Jackson’s ‘The Lottery” has been adapted - this includes photographs of the twoseparate ballets, the [969 short film, the modem TV movie, a cartoon, an opera, and ascreenshot of the time it was mentioned on “The Simpsons” (the kids liked that one!)Ask students why they are viewing these photographs, Answer: because they’re alladaptations and now students will make their own!

• Action: Students, in pairs or alone, will come up with their own adaptation decisionsfor “The Lottery.” Students are given an assignment sheet and a 5 page booklet withspace to choose their own cast, setting, time period, costumes, plot changes,soundtrack, audience demographics, themes, symbols, imagery, title, length, rating,and special effects. The idea is to come up with creative ideas, and write these and thejustification for these choices in the booklet. Class time and homework time areexpected. If you have an ambitious class, the students might want to film or act outtheir adaptations (mine did not!)

Thursday - Introduction to Movie Posters• Minds On: Prior to class beginning, post six movie posters on the chalkboard. The

ones I chose were Jurassic Park, Silence ofthe Lambs, Titanic, Blair Witch Project,E. T., and Cloudy With a Chance ofMeatballs. As students enter the classroom, handout the “Which Movie Poster Is Most Effective” handout (lined paper will also do).Ask students to identify their favourite 2 of the 6 posters, write their reasoning on thesheet, and get out of their seats to make a check mark on the chalkboard beneathwhich posters they voted for. We tally the votes and discuss the wuiners, noting thepurpose of movie posters and the types of things that make movie posters appealing,such as colour, subject, font, etc. (there is an information handout to go with this, andit is very helpful to discuss relevant vocabulary, such as tagline, framing, and mood,all of which are expected on the final copy of the movie poster).

• Action: Give students the assignment sheet that has an outline and rubric for creatingtheir own movie poster, 8.5 x 14 blank paper, and other supplies. The goal is forstudents to make a movie poster, complete with unique title and tagline, to match theadaptation booklet of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” paying close attention tocolour, tone, etc. The movie poster should match up to the adaptation the studentshave created.

Friday-Work Day• Students use this day to work on their adaptation booklets and/or movie posters. If

they finish then, they should present the poster and their “The Lottery” filmadaptation idea to the class, explaining the reasoning for their choices for both theadaptation and the poster. These presentations can also be pushed to Monday to allowfor weekend work-time.

• Consolidation: My students enjoyed this - if you have time, you can also showstudents the radio adaptation of “The Lottery,” found here:http ://www.youtube. com!watch?v=mOBV3 7FsgYE

EWC4CName:Date:

Literature-to-Film Adaptations:“Can’t We Just Watch the Movie?”

How many films can you think of that are based on novels or short stories?

List them below:

In your own words, what is an adaptation? Why do we adapt literature into film?

EWC4C Name:Date:

Literature-to-Film Adaptations:Just The Facts

Adaptation is defined as transferring written media, such as novels, short

stories, or children’s stories, into film or other media. Adaptations of literary texts may

span a range of forms, such as radio shows, television shows, video games, and

websites, but for the purposes of our lesson, we will focus on adaptations of literature

into movies.

Adaptation by the Numbers

What do you think is the missing

percent in each of the statements?

•

_____

percent of all AcademyAward-winning Best Pictures areadaptations.

•

______

percent of all television

movies-of-the-week areadaptations, yet 70 percent of all

Emmy Award winners come from

these films.•

_____

percent of all miniseries are adaptations, but 95 percent of Emmy Award

winners are drawn from these films.

Source: Linda Seger’s The Art of Adaptation: Turning Fact and Fiction into Film (xi)

How Do They Do It?The process involves numerous individuals providing their input into the film. The

story or novel, though usually written by one person, will be considered by teams of film

makers, directors, and more, who will look to make changes to the literature for

dramatjc or logistical purposes.

Some common types of changes include:

• Point of View - The narrative voice of the story will be lost, and so must be

replaced by a lens, with visuals, effects, and setting, playing a much more

important role.• Plot Structure - In film versions of novels, events may be rearranged, combined,

added or removed from the initial plot structure of the novel.

• Character Development - Characters may be added or removed, or their

physical characteristics, including age and gender, may be modified in the movie

version of the story.

These differences can be both positive and negative depending on the purpose of the

change and the original intent of the author.

• //

S

- •.•• •-•.....•.- •• — -—

EWC4C Name:Date:

The LotteryBy Shirley Jackson

‘‘The Lottery” takes the classic theme of man’s inhumanity to man and gives it anadditional twist: the randomness inherent in brutality. It anticipates the way we would

come to understand the twentieth century’s unique lessons about the capacity ofordinary citizens to do evil... In 1948, with the fresh horrors of the Second World War

barely receding into memory and the Red Scare just beginning, it is no wonder that thestorys first readers reacted so vehemently to this ugly glimpse of their own faces in the

mirror, even if they did not realize exactly what they were looking at.”

-- Ruth Franklin, “The Lottery Letters,” The New Yorker, June 26, 2013

Some Facts about HThe Lottery’

• First published in 1948 in The New Yorker, it became the most

controversial short story in the paper’s history

• Written by Shirley Jackson, a 31-year old 1’ HI L 0 7?f R Vmother and wife from Vermont

• Jackson wrote the story, which is just over3000 words long, in just two hours.

• The reaction of readers was immediate.Many wrote letters to The New Yorkerdemanding that the story be censored.Other readers, however, wrote to Jacksonasking where they could view a lottery forthemselves.

• To promote the story, Jackson’s publisherspread rumours that Jackson had usedvoodoo to break the leg of a publishingrival. While this was obviously false,Jackson did dabble in the occult, andcollected books about witchcraft.

• “The Lottery” has been adapted for livetelevision, a radio show, a 1953 ballet, a 1969 short film, a TV movie, an

opera, and a play. It is also widely used in middle and high schoolsthroughout North America.

• Hear the radio adaptation here:http:/Jwww. youtube. com/watch?v= mOBV37 FsciYE

Facts from: http://www.neatorama.com/2O11/04/1 4)the-Iottery-by-shirley-jackson/#’nwIiK

EWC4C Name;Date:

The LotteryBy Shwley Jackson

Fill out the chart below with the important components of Shirley Jackson’s shortstory “The Lottery.’ These categories will be some of the same ones you will useto create the cast, setting, and other elements of your film adaptation of the story.

Name of Author, Story, andYear of Publication

Characters: Who are the mainor significant characters?

Plot: What are the mainevents of the story?

Setting: When and wheredoes the story take place?

Symbols: Are there anyobjects, colours, or othermeaningful elements in thestory?

Themes: What are the mainthemes, or the moral of thestory?

Audience: How do you thinkreaders reacted to this story?How did you react to readingit?

EWC4C Name:Date:

You are the Film-Maker!

Now that you are very famihar with the vocabulary and purpose of moviereviews, we are going to examine the process of literature-to-film adaptations.Adaptation, or transferring media such as literature into films, is at the root ofmany of the most popular movies, with roughly 85 percent of Academy AwardWinning Best Pictures based on novels or short stories.

Our examination of the process of adaptation will be week-long, with a series ofmini-tasks that culminate with a presentation of your own film adaptation ideas.This is your chance to be creative as possible - these tasks are meant to be fun!

Due Date: Monday, November 11, 2013, we will have our presentations duringthe first half of class.

For this mini-project, you may work in pairs or on your own.

Please note the following tasks that must be accomplished, and handed in formarking after the presentation on Monday:

1. ‘The Lottery” By Shirley Jackson - Adaptation ideas, written in adaptationbooklet. Be creative! The highest marks will be given to adaptations thatare very creative - adaptations whose settings, characters, or plot haschanged or been adapted in an entirely unique way. Class time will beprovided for the entirety of Wednesday November 6, 2013 for this task.

2. “The Lottery” By Shirley Jackson - Chart paper write-up of your ideas.Once you have finalized your ideas and completed your booklet, you willwrite your main ideas on chart paper so that they are legible for yourpresentation. It would be a great idea to add pictures as well. Class timewill be provided for the entirety of Wednesday November 6, 2013, for thistask.

3. Movie Poster for your adaptation - You will be responsible for creating amovie poster to go along with your film adaptation. More information aboutthis task will be provided on Thursday, November 7, 2013, and you will begiven the entirety of Friday, November 8, 2013 to complete thisassignment.

4. On Monday, November 11, 2013, you will present your chart paper withyour adaptation ideas, as well as your movie poster, to the class.

On Monday, November11, you will hand in your adaptation ideas booklet,movie poster, and chart paper, to be marked.

Please see the back of this handout for the marking rubric.

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EWC4CName:Date:

You are the Film-Maker!

Now that you have read the 1948 short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, it is your

job to create a plan for a potential film adaptation of the narrative. You will consider

many elements of film adaptations, including cast, setting, audience demographics, and

important themes, and write your choices, along with your rationale for these choices, in

the chart below.

Be creative as you can - you have complete control over how you want your film to look

and sound. You can decide to add or eliminate characters, change the time period the

story is set, add humour or suspense, add modem or old-fashioned music, or change

the location completely. There are no wrong answers!

Cast

Choose five characters to focus on. Include physical descriptions of the

characters, including ages, gender, and appearances, and then list which actors

or actresses you would cast in these roles.

Setting/Time Period

Will your film be set in the past? In medieval times? In the future? During an

apocalypse? Where will your film be set? Canada? China? A space station? Will

it become a story about a neighbourhood in a city? Will it stay in a rural setting?

EWC4C Name:Date:

CostumesWhat kinds of costumes will your actors wear? Think about setting and time

period, and list appropriate costumes.

PlotWhat events from the story will you keep? Will you eliminate some events? Addevents? Change the order of the story i.e. start with the ending and tell the film in

flashbacks?

EWC4C Name:Date:

SoundtrackWhat kinds of background music will your film have? Will it be instrumental?

Modern?

Audience DemographicsWhat kind of audience will your movie appeal to? Will families enjoy it, or will it be

for more mature audiences?

Themes/SymbolsllmageryWhat is the moral of your movie? What are important symbols, colours, sounds,

or objects in your film?

EWC4C Name:Date:

TitleWhat will the title of your film be? Try to think of something other than “The

Lottery”

LengthHow long will your film be? Will it be a short film or a full length film?

MPAA RatingWhat will your film be rated? (G, PG, PG-13, R, etc.)

Special EffectsWhat kinds of sound effects will your film include? Voiceover? Animation?

Transitions? Specific camera angles? Refer to your film vocabulary handouts ifyou are stuck.

EWC4C Name:Date:

Briefly describe your movie the way it would appear on the back of a DVD or asadvertised in a newspaper or magazine.

Briefly explain why you made the creative choices that you did for youradaptation. For example, if you chose to set your adaptation in the future and youcast George Clooney for the male lead, why did you do so? What elements of theshort story inspired these choices?

EWC4CName:

Date:

Which Movie Poster is Most Effective?

Pick the two posters you think are most effective in drawing in an audience, with

close attention paid to the components of effective posters we have mentioned in

class, including attention, iconography, tone, framing, style, lasting appeal,

and recognizability.

1. Your choice:

Why?

2. Your choice:

Why?

When you’re done, please add your votes to the posters.

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EWC4C Name:Date:

You are the Illustrator!

Now that you are familiar with the components of successful movieadaptations, it is your turn to create a movie poster that will draw audiences toyour unique movie adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.” You will createa poster on 8.5 x 14 inch paper, paying close attention to the elements ofeffective movie posters, such as colour, font, and subject. Your poster should bemeaningful to the plot of your movie in some way, and it should draw a viewer’seye easily.

Questions to Consider As You Complete Your Poster1. Is the movie title prominently featured? Is the text easy to read?2. Are the main actors shown? If you choose not to include actor pictures,

are the main actors’ names included somewhere on the poster?3. If you choose to feature an object or symbol on the movie poster instead

of an actor, is the symbol featured prominently, with appropriate use ofcolour and framing?

4. What is the design of the movie poster? Does it accurately reflect themood and tone of the film?

5. What text is shown on the poster? Is there a catchy slogan or tagline?

Components of an Effective Movie Poster Checklist

I Title - make sure your title is visible, in bold font, located somewherecentral on the poster

• Tagline - include a slogan or phrase that relates to the plot of the movie

I Main actors or special symbol or object - include the main actors, oran object or symbol that is highly significant to the plot of the film. Makesure to pay attention to the size and colour of these images.

• Names of Actors/Directors - Include the names of the main actorsand/or director, somewhere on the poster in bold font

• Tone/Mood/Colour Pay attention to colour and font choice whendetermining what kind of mood or tone you want to invoke on your poster.A serious film might use darIe colours, while humorous film might relyon light colours.

• Framing - The positioning of objects, actors, and text within the frame ofa poster to achieve a particular effect. For example, an action film mightshow a main adtor in an action pose in the direct centre of the poster tomake him seem strong and invincible.

EWC4CName:Date:

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

You see them everywhere. Movie posters are

prominently displayed on billboards, in the lobby

of your local movie theatre, in magazines, on the

Internet, and even on the sides of buses. Movie

posters that are especially well-done can even

become iconic works of art. But how often do

you stop and think about the effects movie

posters have on you?

The key thing to remember is that movie posters

are advertisements. As such, the goal of a

poster is to “sell” the movie to prospective

audiences - to make you want to see it.

How do movie posters do that?

Components of an Effective Movie

Poster

Title• The title of the movie appears on the poster, near the centre or across the top or

bottom of the poster, in big and bold font

Visuals• Images of the movie’s attractive actors are usually featured

• Some movies, especially horror or drama movies, might instead show an

important symbol or object from the movie

Actors• Even if pictures of the actor aren’t present, the actors’, and sometimes director’s,

names are featured on the poster in bold, legible font

Colour• Posters use specific colours to be visually eye-catching as well as to help set the

tone of the movie. For example, a horror movie often uses dark colours, or bold

reds and oranges.

Tagline• Most posters have a catchy sentenceor slogan that piques your interest and

makes the plot seem intriguing.

The best movie posters are those that make you anticipate the movie. The worst posters

have little effect on the viewer at all. By creating your own posters for your adaptation

assignment, you can gain a better understanding of the elements that effectively grab

the attention of movie-goers and sell the movie’s story, even before viewers see it for

themselves.

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