#so all I can do is write tumblr rants about stupid execs who don't care enough to put in the time and effort to produce quality adaptations

[whatsagirltoblogabout]

Bad book adaptations aren't a necessary evil, it's a skill issue, and I'm tired of hearing otherwise

okay here's the thing. is it hard to translate a story from a written medium to a visual one? yes, of course, nobody's denying that. there will always be things that get lost in translation, sacrifices that must be made to suit the new format. HOWEVER. The strategy and prioritization when making the choices regarding what to sacrifice, and the creativity in translating a story through unconventional means in order to maintain its heart and soul, is very much within the control of the people doing the translating. And at this point, after all these years of disappointing book to movie adaptations, it's simply a skill issue. The excuses about how hard it is to make a movie that fully encapsulates a book have become stale and unbelievable at this point. Like yeah, we get it, you can't include every single event that takes place within the plot of a 600-page book in a 90-page script. But, armed with a deep understanding of the themes, characterizations, and narrative structure of said book, it is more than possible to consolidate a story into a shorter time frame while still maintaining the plot and emotional through-line, without needing to reinvent the story to supposedly "make it cinematic." Book adaptations don't get greenlit unless the source material has cinematic potential to begin with, so egregious changes in the name of filmmaking are simply a display of arrogance and ignorance - an admission of defeat. Obviously, there are some changes that can be improvements upon the source material as well, but those are changes made with the best interest of the original story in mind. Not changes made out of convenience. I'm just sick and tired of hearing poor adaptations excused under the guise of "necessary changes when going from a written medium to a visual one." No, those changes are not necessary, you're just bad at adaptation. It's a skill issue. Get good and stop ruining great stories.