From paper to screen: A framework for adaptation of literary texts to audiovisual narrative

Abstract

What does 'adapting' mean? Where are the limits between adapting and creating something new? Adapting a novel to a movie is a long and delicate process, particularly if the novel is considered a great piece of literature. However, two different medium have different resources and limitations and both authors need to deal with them when creating their piece of work. To be able to analyze the process, the reasons and the results we need to understand what each medium has to offer, their scope. We also need to understand that an author and a filmmaker are two separate entities and, therefore, they have different views. The aim of this paper is to provide a framework for the adaptation of literary texts toaudiovisual narrative. In order to offer a general scope, the paper uses a comparative approach where several literary adaptations and cinematographic productions are mentioned.