And your book has sold by the hundreds (thousands, millions, whatever number you prefer), and that one book has paid for itself many times over by now.

What if you get a phone call/letter/E-mail one day from a filming company called Green Dragon Studios, requesting your permission to turn your book into a movie.

If you agreed, and they asked you if you had any requests related to the movie, what would they be? Specific actors? Music? shooting location? Whatever you want, they will fulfill your wishes.

So what would you request for your book-turned-film?

I would request to be there when they cast the actors so that I can also help choose. And also I would like specific music and setting.

I would maintain all rights to my work and be there overseeing every little step of the film-making process until it drives them bonkers. I'd try to be rational about my reservations though.

I would scream and say OF COURSE NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, maybe I would be nicer... But anywho, I NEVER want my fantasy writings on a screen. It takes away from the imagination, and I would have to risk plot changes and cut characters. I just don't think I could handle it!

You have a point, but remember that some people don't like reading, and a movie would help make them familiar to your work in a different way. And also, if people haven't heard of your book but watch the movie, they would probably want to read the book afterwards. I think I would also like to read the script they make and make sure that no BIG changes are made, and also have my name on the movie poster and commercials.

I'd definitely ask to do my own script, and I'd like a say in who the director is.

Being a director I'd prefer to make a movie adaptation of my own work.

I would be one of those authors who are on site for stuff. I'd want to be present for filming, choosing actors, music score, all of it. I would also ensure that the spirit of my work remained the same. I understand that you have to alter things for a movie. The plot can't be totally the same. However, you can create a movie with the same spirit. And that is what is most important.

I totally agree, Airi! Definitely what I'd want as well.

Another vote for Airianna's tactic!

I would let the people creating the movie do their job, since I know little to nothing about creating a movie, but I would also want to be involved. I would definitely read the script, so that I could make sure they stayed true to the spirit of my book and characters.

As far as casting and such, I wouldn't want to do that much. I figure people involved in that industry would know how to handle that kind of stuff better than me.

As a film maker myself, I would have to say I would not take very kindly to a author breathing down my neck while I made their work into a movie.
But if I was adapting a novel I would definitely make sure the author had lots of involvement with the actual script.

I never said I'd be breathing down their neck. Just because I want to be involved in the creation, does not mean I'm mothering the project. As I said, I understand changes must be made. I'm open to that. I'm not open to the spirit being changed.

I'm a very reasonable person. I love new ideas. However, if you can’t tell me why or explain yourself, I won’t agree with you and I’ll argue a point. If I’m given a good reason why, then I'm usually on board.

I also do not intend to run the production. Even though I understand filmmaking, I know people who are into filmmaking, and have done some myself, that doesn't mean I want to become a filmmaker. I chose to be an author, not go into the filming industry. I recognize that the filmmaker needs room to work and this is their area of expertise. But a filmmaker who would not seek the opinion of the author is shooting himself in the foot. The author knows the story better than anyone. And he will lose a significant part of his audience and his movie will flop if he does not capture the spirit.

I have seen books created into movies where the author or family member was involved, and they were good. I've seen a lot of bad reproductions where the author was not involved.

I totally understand what you're saying. And I know you would never want to make the filmmakers uncomfortable.
But Directors are very artistic people too with their own ideas and most professional filmmakers wouldn't really want to have someone who was not a casting director telling them what actors to use.

I'm not at all saying you would do this, this is just some of the many reasons why filmmakers don't usually give the author as much power as we authors would like.



Like I said this is the big area I wish filmmakers would give the author lots of input. No one understands the story like the author.

*chuckles * I don't intend to pick the actors myself. I am there for council.

No, over here. I'm the neck breather.

My sister and I were daydreaming about this yesterday.
I would definitely want to be involved in the process, mostly because I've always wanted to help make a movie. I would request that I help choose the locations, and that they run everything by me to make sure they were "keeping the spirit of my work". I would want the director and everybody to respect me, and treat me like a team mate.
I would be willing to compromise on an actor's appearance, and let the casting people choose who would act the best. But I want my hypothetical book fans to be happy with the casting. No "She's not supposed to be blonde!!"

*laughs at Jazz *

Honestly, Aemi, that's the only reason I'd want to be part of casting. I hate thinking "She was a brunette, not a blond."

I chose certain features for a purpose.

Although, I’m sure no one would argue Latharian’s mint green hair, and so forth.

*Is a big Latharian fan*

I hate that in films. If I enjoy a book a lot, it's hard to watch the film sometimes because the characters never fit your imagination of them.

Right. I want to ensure that the actors at least match my characters' general descriptions---and ages.

The appearance of the actors wouldn't bother me too much; as long as it wasn't way off, I would be fine.

Ages, though, do matter. In the Percy Jackson series, Percy starts out as 12, but they portray him as 16 in the movie... and the actor was even older. Especially considering the part Percy's 16th birthday plays in the series, that's a big problem. On top of that, if they want to continue to make movies for the series, they could end up with a 30-something year old actor playing a teenager. I definitely wouldn't want something like that to happen with one of my stories.

Joe speaketh true. That's why I'd want to have a say in who directed, because the director's artistic view is key to the story. If it was directed by someone I trusted, I know he'd do a good job. If you don't trust the director, you'll just end up arguing and that would be... bad.

That's what the Casting director is for.

Katie makes a good point. If you ever have a studio approach you for your book, make sure you have a very good contract.

Christopher Nolan.

He's one of the few directors I'd trust with my story, and my first choice.

And I would want to be somewhat involved with the filming, of course. As well as having a cameo...I love it when the author has a cameo appearance in the movie. One I saw, the best actor by far in the whole cast was the author (it was Frank Peretti in The Hangman's Curse.)

Haha, I loved that cameo... He was so good in that role.

Yeah. I loved the book, the movie was lame, except for him. He was SO hilarious.

*goes back to what she was saying earlier* Personally I agree with C.S. Lewis, he didn't let the film makers get a hold of his books while he was alive. I want people to imagine their on Lea'Noire, their own Jarrak/Meera/Ryder (my MCs), or in C.S. Lewis's case, their own Aslan. Now I agree that people who don't like to read likely won't read my book, especially if its not a movie, but thats not why I'm writing.

@Luke: That and the fact that they actually played a Toby Mac song in a movie are the only things that made it any good. The book is great though. Nerds rule the world! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. More on topic... Yes, I'd really want a random cameo. But not quite the way Clive Cussler always did it...

I would want Molly Quinn in my movie. I get to co-write the script, I get to choose the music and my sister and I are on set everyday! I would be flattered if they wanted to turn my book into a movie!

That's right, it would be extremely flattering. And sooo fun to help make a movie!

A cameo could be fun. Since I've done acting work (stage, not film) I wouldn't be opposed to it, but there are some authors who should not be in their films.

One could always play a crowd extra.

Do you have any examples?

Well, if an author has no ability to act then it seems to me you wouldn't want to play a cameo role in your film. I mean, you could be someone in the crowd, but some people just don't do well in front of a camera.

That was my point. I love cameos, but I hate bad acting. So bad acting would cancel out the cameo shot being cool to me.

A cameo doesn't have to involve acting. It can just be a random person, with few or no lines. A small part, sometimes even specifically written in for the person making an appearance. You don't have to be an actor to make a cameo. Alfred Hitchcock is a good example. I'm told he made a cameo in all of his films, but it's not a main part. He's not credited or anything. It's actually a game... see if you can find him...

Yes, I know some cameos are done without any lines. My point is, some authors wouldn't do well in a cameo. Also, some authors are very introverted and wouldn't want everyone to see them in the film.

Like I said, I like cameos. I think it would be cool to do. But I understand why lots of people do not.

I'd want a Peter Jackson style cameo, not a Stan Lee cameo. I'm okay with people not even knowing that it's me. Although I'm not a good actor so I'd probably just have to be one of those people who's supposed to just be sitting somewhere.

Yeah! Peter Jackson was in it just not very much. He basically got shot.

But he got to do three of them. One in each film.

I like cameo's although I can't stand really obvious cameo's where they make sure you know that this is a cameo.

I like Stan lee's one liners they work well in superhero movies. Probably not so well in a fantasy.

Depending on how good an actor and how well they fit physically in there own story would determine what kind of cameo I would give an author.

Haha! You know what? If I was in Lord of the Rings at all I would gladly take the part of the one being shot! <3 LOTR