Film Adaptations
| SMAD 463: FILM ADAPTATIONS |
| Section 1: Wednesday 4:40pm – 7:40pm, Darcus Johnson G008 |
Course Syllabus Spring 2025
| Instructor: Olivia Booker Office: Harrison Hall, G263 Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday: 1:00pm-3:30pm or by appointment |
| COURSE OVERVIEW: This course offers an introduction to basic principles and practices of film adaptation, focusing on critical questions around intertextuality, medium specificity, and relationships between copy and original texts. The course is organized around a series of case studies, comprising of a film and selected text, that each offer a different critical approach to adaptation, moving across genres, historical periods and geographical spaces. Class periods will include film screenings, lecture, discussion, in-class exercises, and group work. |
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of the course, students should have:
- An understanding of key principles and challenges of adapting source material into a screenplay and creating a film
- An introduction to critical approaches to film adaptations
- Experience analyzing a diverse selection of films and literature through discussion and written analysis
ABOUT THIS COURSE: This will be an active, discussion-based course, where all students are expected to participate and contribute to discussions, as well as essay-based assessments. This requires coming to class prepared, having completed the reading, assignments, and watched any assigned audio-visual material in advance of the class period.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
King, Stephen. “Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption.” Scribner, 1982.
Malm, Andreas. How to Blow up a Pipeline. Verso, 2021.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. Translated by Mattias Ripa, Pantheon Books, 2004. (only first 157 pages PART 1)
Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. Originally published 1868.
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple, 1982.
Whitehead, Colson. The Nickel Boys, New York: Doubleday, 2019.
The Art of Adaptation: Turning Fact and Fiction into Film– Linda Seger
The Art of Watching films– Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie
Additional Weekly readings provided on Canvas by instructor
GRADING AND COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Grading: A brief reminder of what each letter grade means is necessary to avoid any semantic argument about grades.
A=Extremely well done and goes above and beyond the assignment, displaying attention to detail, independent thought and insight into the assignment based on the themes of the course and connecting them to wider ideas, logical and clear writing, and creativity.
B= Displays above average work with clean and precise attention to detail, a thorough response to the assignment and added additional elements above the minimum standards. Showing some original thought and insight, going beyond class discussion and lecture material in places, with a clear understanding of the basic concepts.
C= Meets the assigned goals of the assignment and met the minimum standards. Shows an understanding of themes discussed in class.
D=Missed parts of the assignment or didn’t pay attention to detail, or appropriately respond to the requirements of the assignment
F=Failed to meet any part of the assignment or failed to turn the assignment in.
To achieve a particular grade, you must earn the minimum percentage required for that grade. There is no rounding. Late projects will result in a 10% decrease for every 12 hours, beginning at the deadline. Deadlines will be posted on Canvas. The values for each assignment and grading scale are as follows:
Class participation is based upon your participation in class discussions, attendance, and meeting all deadlines.
Quizzes: There will be 6 quizzes during the course of the semester requiring you to demonstrate familiarity with the readings and films.
Reflections: There will be a reflection due every other week BEFORE class. I will not give letter grades on these, they are for participation and for you to get used to writing about films before the essay based exams.
Grade Scale & Assignments:
| Grade Scale | ||
| Grade components: Quizzes/Reflections………………………………. 15% Mid-term & Final Exams…………………………50% Adaptation Project Proposal……..………….15% Class Participation………………………………..20% Total 100% | A | 94-100 |
| A- | 90-93 | |
| B+ | 87-89 | |
| B | 83-86 | |
| B- | 80-82 | |
| C+ | 77-79 | |
| C | 73-76 | |
| C- | 70-72 | |
| D+ | 67-69 | |
| D | 60-66 | |
| F | 0-59 | |
| Tentative Course Outline |
Note: The schedule is subject to change. Always check the Canvas home page for updates.
| Day | Activity | Assignment |
| Wed, Jan 22 | Course intro and Overview Short film Screening- Powers of Ten and Cosmic View: The Universe in 40 Jumps Bluebird by Charles Bukowski | ‘Bluebird’ by Charles Bukowski |
| Wed, Jan 29 | Fiction to Fiction Screening 1: Shawshank Redemption | By class: Read The Art of Watching Films: Adaptations and The Art of Adaptation Quiz on readings |
| Wed, Feb 5 | Discussion Shawshank Redemption Fundamentals of textual analysis | Due: Reflection on Reading and film Quiz on Shawshank Redemption By class: Read Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption |
| Wed, Feb 12 | Screening 2- Nonfiction to Fiction How to Blow up a Pipeline | |
| Wed, Feb 19 | Discussion | Due: Reflection Quiz 2 |
| Wed, Feb 26 | Screening 3- Nonfiction to nonfiction- Graphic novel- Persepolis | |
| Wed, Mar 5 | Discussion- Graphic novels | Due: Reflection Quiz 3 |
| Wed, Mar 12 | Midterm Test | |
| Wed, Mar 19 | Spring Break – No Class | |
| Wed, Mar 26 | Screening 4- Classics- Little Women | |
| Wed, Apr 2 | Discussion- Little Women and Adapting classical literature | Due: Reflection Quiz 4 |
| Wed, Apr 9 | Screening 5- The Color Purple | |
| Wed, Apr 16 | Discussion- Musicals and The Color Purple | Due: Reflection Quiz 5 |
| Wed, Apr 23 | Screening 6- Nickel Boys | |
| Wed, Apr 30 | Discussion- Nickel Boys | Due: Reflection Quiz 6 |
| Wed, May 7 | Beyond the Page, Adaptation pitches | Due: Pitch Decks and Pitches for group Adaptation project |
Olivia Booker 