If you write a story, should you not let a famous company to "adapt" it?

[HorsesandMOARGaloar 300]

On one hand, you will become famous or infamous. On the other hand, they will ruin your interpretation of your story. If this is not worse enough, they can take your franchise away and ruin it, like how Disney did to Star Wars.

 

What do you think?

[sweetie bloom 44]

Man I hate disney. They only thing I like about it is draft punk. But Anyway onto the topic, no I wouldn't give it to a company because as pat said aboot my book the iner machinations of the mind are an enigma

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

I would definitely be very picky about what company would handle my work. Many of the big players today engage in dubious business practices that screw over artists and consumers. Thankfully, the structure of the Internet allows for more creative freedom and limits the intervention of the middleman.

 

Once upon a time, there were companies run by people with creative vision. These days, the entertainment industry has become so over-commercialized that its decisions are dominated by committees and market research rather than honest creative effort. That's why you see the same stories over and over again of fanbases in uproar after their favorite franchise has sold out and has been exploited for money at the sacrifice of quality.

 

My days on the Internet have really sowed in me a mistrust in Big Media. You really have to know how to play your cards right to succeed here. That's why I do a lot of research first.

[-Nobody- 519]

But what if they actually make it better?

[Invincible 2,091]

It really depends. I think that using a company which would publish it for you would expose your story to a greater audience, but in turn you sell out your ideas and inspiration. There are some good brands of companies there, and some which are... less than that.

[Everleaf 541]

Depends how well written it is I guess...

[SFyr 1,982]

I think you stand more to gain than more to lose, in a number of cases; but, it depends on what you value.

If you value uncompromising integrity of the universe/lore, then a movie may screw you over. You're better off lesser known and under appreciated.

If you value having your story reach many people, or being recognized/known, the movie is very likely to help even if it isn't the best.

 

Either way... I kinda see it as one of those cases where any publicity can be taken in a good way--to a point. If the movie doesn't live up to the book, you can at least propagate the idea of "the book was better," whereas if there was no movie, far too many wouldn't even know of the book.

 

 

 

Regardless, I kinda want to point out some people may be over zealous in preventing their beautiful story from being "ruined", so much so that they may forget that outside criticism/suggested alterations often have a foundation, and movies by nature have to be setup differently than books, present themselves differently, and often must simplify their content to match the limitations of their medium (and audience-expectations relatedly). Everything from pacing to how the medium conveys the story, the atmosphere, and the characters' emotions to the audience is different than in written works--basically what I'm trying to say is where someone may think some big bad company abused a good book and failed the source material, they may have just reformatted said book and altered it to fit to something more fast-paced and visual because otherwise it would not have worked as well as they may think.   Yes, some stuff may fall short, or could have been better, but they have different, if not greater limitations to deal with.

Not only that, movies are a huge investment compared to books, and for almost anything to be made without being low-budget, it has to be guaranteed (or projected) to be successful enough to be worth making (and able to earn back the costs of production). This alone usually means some sacrifices need to be made, or tried-and-familiar formulas need to be worked into the movie to ensure its success and related release.

 

The day good special effects, experienced actors, effective writers, authentic stage equipment, and all that becomes cheap and easy to come by is the day artistic freedom trumps realistic provisions and any trace of commercialization.   Until then, commercialization is helping bring creative ideas to the public in my eyes, just after potentially watering them down--it still kinda beats the alternative though, as we do still get lesser things, and said stories in their original form are still being made regardless of whether or not they get a movie.

 

 

 

Also, to answer the original prompt: Yes, I would definitely have my story made into a movie. I doubt I would likely ever be good enough to earn that, but it would be a massive gift to have a famous company (note they're likely famous for a reason) to breath some more long-lived life into a creation of my own than I could've provided myself.

My creation may not be totally my own anymore, but in a way it may be something bigger and better, and something I could feel accomplished about even if it didn't turn out as well as I hoped.

Edited July 19, 2014 by SFyr

[Rainboom Dash 1,056]

I'd be happy for a story by myself to be adapted into a movie, though I'd like to write the screenplay myself. A lot of book-turned-movies tend to change various parts of the story, and I'd take on that. Heck, my screenplay might turn out to be better than my original story.

[Washougal_Otaku 1,020]

...I think that I have no idea what you're saying.

[HorsesandMOARGaloar 300]

@Wahougal Otaku

 

"Is it right if you don't give your works to a company, for them to make a movie based on your works?"

[The Taxman 274]

Well, I'll have to make sure that I'm one of the screenwriters and/or supervisors so that they don't screw it up. I will allow a few minor details in my story to be changed, since it could actually turn out good-JK Rowling herself has stated that she liked some parts of Prisoner of Azkaban better than her book and thought that the studio was being really creative. 

Also, no canon Star Wars material has been even released yet, so we don't really even know if they ruined it. And Disney just bought the rights to Lucas Film. That means they can distribute it, but they have nothing to do with the film itself (or very little to do with it). 

[SparklingSquirrels 21,341]

I have to agree with RainboomDash; if my story was being turned into a movie, then I would want to write the screenplay. Still, I'd allow a few things to be changed, as long as I had final say over them.

[DubWolf 17,263]

I guess it depends on why I would have written the book; to get rich, or to become a famous writer. I don't have much interest in writing, but if it turns out somebody wants to mass produce it and pay me well for it, I wouldn't mind seeing many edits, so long as it was made clear that /they/ were responsible for editing (and I'd probably publish the original somewhere easily available).

[HorsesandMOARGaloar 300]

Well, I posted it because of those people who scream out angry things at movie directors for even one edit away from the original story in any movie adaption, in case if there are any.

 

Would you also consider such super-fans?

[Hive King 2,001]

I don't give a damn and think that the people who bitch about differences in the books are being whiny children

[lightning-spark 34]

howdy, i am actually an author and a DJ and in both industries i have the same thinking. never let anyone change what you do. for example if you become a DJ, you are most lickely doing it because you enjoy doing it same with writing, you should not let anyone change what you enjoy. a DJ i know got hired by a club and they kicked him out half way through a set because they didnt like the music he was playing. he had been playing this kind of music for years and it was the style that they had hired him for, well so we thought, they actually hired him for his name. this is the same for writing. never let anyone change it, help and pointers yes, changing major points in the book never. 

[Espurr 449]

YES OF COURSE I WOULD! As  long as Disney doesn't make the movie. They can help, they can't be the main guys doing it.