Hi All,

I know this is an awful way to enter the community, but I really was a filmmaker in a previous life (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6XG3EJmIaQ)

But this month, I need someone to reformat a novel into a screenplay. However, this isn’t an adaptation - this is more of a transcribing/administration job rather than an adaptation gig.  

To explain: I'm fairly swamped, I run Chicago Art Magazine - chicagoartmagazine.com, and in the middle of running that, I got two book deals. It was somewhat unexpected (as one book deal with a university press got me introduced to an editor at the publishing house, who is now editing the novel). As an FYI, along with the other sites, I plan on launching a DIY film site about the Chicago scene as well.

The point of all this is that I want to start working with a screenplay adaptation of the novel in parallel to the book being published, so I’m trying to save a little time by not having to put it all into a standard script format
(http://www.simplyscripts.com/WR_format.html). You would receive an electronic copy, so cut and pasting will save some time.



Once someone else does the basic formatting above, then, with the help of my friend who's a fairly seasoned screenwriter, (but also swamped) then we can start cutting it down and really editing it into an adaption of the novel for the screen. This will just save us some time, hopefully.


If you’re interested, please write and let me know a little about your background, be ready to send a couple pages of a screenplay you’ve written, and I’ll send you an except so you can try it out. It’s considered the genre of literary fiction, it’s quirky, a little bit like “A Handmaid’s Tale”.
  

I'd like to get this done in the next month, so I'm not opposed to having 2 people work on it.

I can pay via pay pal on a daily basis, so there's no risk of working and not getting compensated. I know it's not normal protocol, I know it’s not the right way to do it -- but it's a little bit of cash in hand for someone who knows the screenplay format like the back of their hand. I'm thinking about a dollar a page, the book is 185 pp.



Warm Regards,

Kathryn

So wait.

You want someone to take your novel and turn every page into a screenplay.

Wow. Just wow.

How much does this break down to... On a day to day basis?  I mean, turning a novel, every page, into a screenplay, given the length of it, can be pretty time consuming.  Generally when someone wants to adapt a novel they read the book... Theorize and summarize the gist of the story and the characters and the events.  They toss those into a storm called creativity and then unleash it.

I think, if the pay is even good, you might still have trouble getting the okay from someone.

Hi Kathryn,

Would a dollar per page be per script page or per novel page?  Depending on how much dialogue there is in the novel, the script will most likely have a lot more pages than the novel.

To further clarify -- would you like every single word and sentence of the novel turned into script format, with nothing added or taken away by the screenwriter/transcriber?

That's what it sounds like but I can't see every page being filmed. A lot of what happens in most novels can't be filmed unless they want a voice over narration, which would take up a whole lot more pages than necessary.

AB

"That's what it sounds like but I can't see every page being filmed. A lot of what happens in most novels can't be filmed unless they want a voice over narration, which would take up a whole lot more pages than necessary."

Quoted from kathryn71 Once someone else does the basic formatting above, then, with the help of my friend who's a fairly seasoned screenwriter, (but also swamped) then we can start cutting it down and really editing it into an adaption of the novel for the screen. This will just save us some time, hopefully.

Yes, but she means, as you can see above, that someone (fairly seasoned screenwriter) is going to take it over once the initial conversion is completed and edit it down to something resembling a filmable script. It does seem like a roundabout way of doing it but if anyone does take her up on the offer, they'll get more money since she is paying per page.

I despise internet connections. Especially crap ones. But not as much as I hate Vista.

I'm looking for you Mr. Vista. And when I find you it's not gonna be pretty. You utter barstard.

Now. Where am I? Ah yes. I'm here again. And I know Stevie and Balt are thinking... "Oh look at this tosser. I bet he still hasn't done it yet." And you'd be right lads. But I'll fix that soon. I hope.

Now now. Which pages are you paying for K71? Novel or screenplay ones.

Excepts? Excerpts. shurely shome thaipo. Eazzy dun.

I've adapted some novels. But I think this would be better handled by someone other than me. It ain't easy. Even just 'as straight as possible' conversion will take a lot of time. I figure at 185 dollars the actual rate per hour will be quite low for someone to do a good job with.

I'm not trying to ruin your chances K71. I'm just voicing (or thai ping) my opinion. And we're all entitled to have them. At least we were the last time I checked.

Now then now. I hope there are still no zombies in Headlong. There had better not be. Overran with beatles and woodlice obviously. My house, not his script.

Back to work.

R

Quoted from kathryn71 Hi All, I know this is an awful way to enter the community, but I really was a filmmaker in a previous life (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6XG3EJmIaQ) But this month, I need someone to reformat a novel into a screenplay. However, this isn’t an adaptation - this is more of a transcribing/administration job rather than an adaptation gig.   To explain: I'm fairly swamped, I run Chicago Art Magazine - chicagoartmagazine.com, and in the middle of running that, I got two book deals. It was somewhat unexpected (as one book deal with a university press got me introduced to an editor at the publishing house, who is now editing the novel). As an FYI, along with the other sites, I plan on launching a DIY film site about the Chicago scene as well. The point of all this is that I want to start working with a screenplay adaptation of the novel in parallel to the book being published, so I’m trying to save a little time by not having to put it all into a standard script format (http://www.simplyscripts.com/WR_format.html). You would receive an electronic copy, so cut and pasting will save some time. Once someone else does the basic formatting above, then, with the help of my friend who's a fairly seasoned screenwriter, (but also swamped) then we can start cutting it down and really editing it into an adaption of the novel for the screen. This will just save us some time, hopefully. If you’re interested, please write and let me know a little about your background, be ready to send a couple pages of a screenplay you’ve written, and I’ll send you an except so you can try it out. It’s considered the genre of literary fiction, it’s quirky, a little bit like “A Handmaid’s Tale”.    I'd like to get this done in the next month, so I'm not opposed to having 2 people work on it. I can pay via pay pal on a daily basis, so there's no risk of working and not getting compensated. I know it's not normal protocol, I know it’s not the right way to do it -- but it's a little bit of cash in hand for someone who knows the screenplay format like the back of their hand. I'm thinking about a dollar a page, the book is 185 pp. Warm Regards, Kathryn

Wow, I just quoted your whole post! How's that for cutting ability?  ;D

I don't know format like the back of my hand, but I've learned a hell of a lot in the last couple weeks. Two  ;D ;D

Seriously, a dollar a page is well and good, but my interest is in the craft and not money.

If you want to, send me "something" "anything" that stands out for you in this book-- just send it to me. Your own words. And I'll put it into movie time without my  usual and plentiful asides.

If we feel ourselves meshing, then maybe we can work together with several others as well, since I see this as being more than a two person job.

Sandra

Meshing? I did that with some wire once when I had to concrete this patch. Hot day, that. Barstard hot.

Is a dollar a page good? I'm seriously asking, rather than being a sarky prick as usual. Nice to see you about, Sandra.

Not too ashy up there these days. My house is covered in ash. But then again, I really should just empty my ashtrays in a bin like other human beings.

The end of the garden is fecking miles away tho. And I still don't know where my shoes are. If that fecker of a dog buried them again I may have to take steps. In my bare feet. The hairy brown little bitch. You erd. You did bury them, didn't you? Stop wagging your tail, you tosser.

R