I'd like to see the idea I'm working on it as a movie, but I'm afraid it might have too many characters and scenes. Furthermore, I don't know If it can be told in a two hours movie without cutting out a lot. What is the best way to determine whether an idea would be better as a book or script? Or is that just personal preference?
Personal preference, really. If it is a very big story, when putting it into movie form, you have to make sure each scene plays multiple roles. People complain about events being cut out in movie versions of books, but what they often do is put the essentials of two scenes into one.
Well its not personel preference, not all the time at least. I'd suggest writing it out in as much detail as possible, but with no dialogue or detail on little things (like the detail you'd see in a novel.) When that is done, if it is more than 14 pages, you've got a novel. Read it aloud to somone. Also movies typically have a beginning, middle, and end. I don't want to get into that to much, but make sure you can easily define those parts of it. Otherwise, if the story is all over the place, you have a novel.
Sorry, what? I don't agree with this at all. Novels have just as much story cohesion as movies. They both have beginnings, middles and endings.
any story can work as either a book or a movie, if the writer is skilled enough... i mentor many aspiring screenwriters, so if you have any specific questions, all you need do is ask... love and hugs, maia
Yes, it is true that movies and books have their similarities, and movies and books can be all Kill Bill like, but seriously, unless you are a phenomenal writer, there are just some ideas that can't be books and movies. The psychological thrillers, memory loss, those are just two concepts. An adaptation of films like Memento or Paranoia Agents, those would be to hard to read, much less right. Additionally, some movies have artistic styles that make them enjoyable. Would 300 have worked as a novel? Hell no.
true, but it was also a comic book, much like V for vendetta. and yes it is personal preference, to start a story from scratch it is totally choice, but to turn a novel into a movie characters and events may have to change, in the harry potter books there is no mention of a moving stair case...but it worked in the movie to cut out an entire fight and flight scene. although you may not be able show 300 the movie version well in a book...there are many stories/novels about that battle. so really you are comparing apples with oranges.
Actually, and don't ask me why I remember this, there is a quick mention of staircases appearing where they weren't before. The director must have extrapolated from that. Though you're right in general.
