Drama Screenplay Problem

I don't know if this goes into the creativity corner or here, but i thought here would be better.

Oh, god... I told my theater teachers an idea i had for next year's school's production... I suggested, like a Conversion of Shakespeare's Hamlet into godfatherish-like, kind of mafia hamlet, except now i have to write the screenplay and i don't know if i should rewrite the lines, or... i don't know! I'm in over my head...

It's due next February and I'm already freaking out!

I don't know what to do!

mate just relax you have several months, which is way more time than i had lol (please note i had to write a complete movie lol)

just study the Hamlet, & the Godfather

then combine the 2 when writing it ^_^

I think you need to think visually, write down how each scene will play out without rewriting the play.

If a scene can't work THEN rewrite lines until it does work.

But.. should i leave it sounding like shakespeare with his de-dum-de-dum-de-dum rhythm (i think that was it) Or should I Ignore that and just base the story on the play?

Shakesphere had a particular way of writing writing, I hope you have studied up on it or else it might not be as poetic DX

I HIGHLY recommend that you watch this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...meo_%2B_Juliet

It's a modernized Romeo and Juliet.

I watched that in English class a few years back.
The director kept everything, except for the scenario, it was ok.

study& visualize are the easiest way to do it mate.

when my teacher made me write a whole movie to be put on stage & i had to write it in 2weeks i was freaking literally running in circles going "wat am i gonna do,wat am i gonna do,wat am i gonna do!"

but then i calmed down sat there watched tons of movies that where put into stage productions& vise versa, while taking notes.

eventually i got it half way,but i actually got an A+ (im a D student btw)

Well that is probably you want to study up on and possibly use as a reference besides the Godfather movies.

Alright... i'll see if there are any shakespearian and mafia movies at the Lagoa Video tomorrow, and i'll see what i get.
BTW Didn't like much The Godfather 2, The Godfather 1 was good, i didn't think there was need for a second

Like folks are saying, watch lots of Mafia movies, read Mafia books, etc. Get an idea for how the tone of those work and everything.

Then you need to decide if you want to keep the Shakespearean language or adapt it. Like Scoria pointed out with Baz Lurman's adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, you can update the context without changing the setting.

I'll also point out that Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play. A lot of the time when it is performed or adapted, the director or producer or whoever trims it down some. I advise picking up a cheap or used copy of the play, and sitting down with a pencil and start editing it down, cutting out lines or sections of the text to get it to a reasonable length.

I've done snippets of screenplay adaptations for Romeo and Juliet and The Odyssey before, and it can be pretty tough, but it can be done and it is a lot of fun.

Alright, so to do list:
-Watch a lot of Mafia movies
-Read a lot of mafia novels
-read shakespeare
-Start cutting small bits and pieces off Hamlet that don't matter
-decide to keep or replace Shakespearian language

Originally Posted by Carge

Alright, so to do list:
-Watch a lot of Mafia movies
-Read a lot of mafia novels
-read shakespeare
-Start cutting small bits and pieces off Hamlet that don't matter
-decide to keep or replace Shakespearian language

-add your own unique style to it
&
-have fun lol

then youll make a fontastic play! ^_^

Originally Posted by Carge

I don't know if this goes into the creativity corner or here, but i thought here would be better.

Oh, god... I told my theater teachers an idea i had for next year's school's production... I suggested, like a Conversion of Shakespeare's Hamlet into godfatherish-like, kind of mafia hamlet, except now i have to write the screenplay and i don't know if i should rewrite the lines, or... i don't know! I'm in over my head...

It's due next February and I'm already freaking out!

I don't know what to do!

Okay, I have some suggestions-

Don't do Hamlet. Do Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet. And rewrite most of the lines, but keep some. That's what my teacher and I did for a modern Romeo and Juliet in seventh grade. To capture the audience's attention, have lots of gunplay and such, and use some fake blood.
The audience will know the outcomes of those plays better than Hamlet, and a mafia Hamlet could confuse them. You'll be able to do it, dude. Once, my school did a modern production of Macbeth in which Macbeth was a pimp and Lady Macbeth a prostitute. You can do whatever you want, but don't let it become too confusing.

Originally Posted by Carge

Oh, god... I told my theater teachers an idea i had for next year's school's production... I suggested, like a Conversion of Shakespeare's Hamlet into godfatherish-like, kind of mafia hamlet, except now i have to write the screenplay and i don't know if i should rewrite the lines, or... i don't know! I'm in over my head...

It's due next February and I'm already freaking out!

I don't know what to do!

"I went too far too soon. I didn't know what I was gettin' into, Ted. I didn't know you had to follow a good idea with loads more little good ideas. I'm sorry, Ted. I'm going to sleep in the spare room."

In all seriousness, though, you have a couple of options:
1- Go the Baz Luhrmann route and keep all the dialogue, but change the meaning (for example, whenever someone mentions a "sword", they're talking about a brand of gun). This might be tricky, as the duel at the end would be difficult to do with guns instead of swords and still have the dialogue make sense (there's not much point in poisoning a bullet - it's a bit overkill). If you can work out a way to have the final scene make sense and still keep Shakespeare's dialogue, then I'd say this is the way to go, as you don't have to do any re-writing at all.
2- If 1 is impossible, then try just taking the basic plot of Hamlet and completely re-writing it with a mafia twist. This could be fun, as there's plenty of scope for you to add in comedic twists - for example, since Hamlet's considered crazy, you could have a lot of 'Analyse This' references. You could have a lot of fun by making the plot completely silly, and having a parody instead of a drama. It would also be a lot easier for the actors be enthusiastic about their parts.
3- Change your mind, and give up on the idea of Mafia Hamlet, and write something else.

Good luck!

That's exactly what happened in a prodction I saw of Romeo and Juliette.

Sir Capulet's 'sword' was an automatic shotgun.