Want to read a good book? Go to the movies.
Most really, really great books make lousy movies. It seems that the poetic elegance of great writing has the ability to create images in the 8 inches of imagination between our ears with a vivid, psychic richness that a 100 foot screen and Dolby surround sound simply can’t match.
But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try. It simply means that we should be selective because sometimes the book-to-film journey is worth it.
Two newly posted entries at www.BookExpoCast.com highlight the current state of the intersection between books and films. One looks forward to what will probably become a standard marketing practice, the other to a classic tradition.
The first is a 28 minute film that serves as a promo for Ian McEwan’s Chesil Beach. To me, this is the inevitable future for books in the Internet age – an online video about the book, the author, the making of, etc. I’m not sure that 28 minutes is an optimal length (seems a bit long to me, I would have posted a few smaller chunks) but maybe the audience for the book is a good match for that length of time.
Ian McEwan on Chesil Beach Preview
At BEA, Powell’s Books in partnership with Out of the Book Films, introduced a groundbreaking series of short films about authors. The first in the series, the 28-minute film, “Ian McEwan on Chesil Beach,”was screened on Saturday, June 2. Shot over four days in England and the United States, the film includes interviews with McEwan in London, on-location footage from Chesil Beach, an original soundtrack, commentary from peers and critics, and much more. The film is now showing nationwide. You can find a screening and more info at Out of the Book Film.
You can watch / download this video here.
The other film on our double feature is A Mighty Heart, which is currently in theaters. This is an example of the classic “let’s make a movie based on this book.” It’s an insider’s look at the the process involved and worth a listen if you’re just curious or aspiring to have your book turned into a movie.
A Mighty Heart: From Manuscript to Screen with Mariane Pearl
Presented by Paramount Vantage, this panel discussion offers a behind-the-scenes look at the feature film A Mighty Heart. The movie, starring Angelina Jolie, is based on Mariane Pearl’s memoir, detailing the unforgettable story of her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl’s life and death.
Panelists include: Scribner Vice President and Editor-In-Chief Nan Graham, Sarah Crichton, who co-wrote A Mighty Heart with Pearl, and Dede Gardner, President of Plan B Entertainment. These speakers offer a rare look into the process by which this beloved book was brought from bookshelves to the big screen.
You can download this audio file here.
Gary Ward
Topics: A Mighty Heart, Chesil Beach, Film / Video, Ian McEwan, Mariane Pearl, Marketing, Technology | No Comments »
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.