Adapatation Project Assignment

Length and Due Dates

Assignment

For your final project, you will produce a multi-section web site that incorporates adaptation theory. The project may extend the work you have already done on Ghost World, Hamlet, Frankenstein, or Star Wars, or it may address a different fictional text that has previously been adapted, preferably multiple times in more than one genre. Your project may take a critical or creative direction.

Critical projects will offer an analysis of two or more adaptations of the same source text. The analysis should integrate images and clips, if applicable. Although you may devise your own topic regarding the relationship between the source and its several adaptations, the project must address the adaptation theory we have read this quarter. In addition to the analysis, which may be divided over several pages, critical sites should also include an introductory page—“About This Site”—that explains your project’s goals and a page that lists sources, image credits, and at least five links your audience can explore for more information on the source, its adaptations, or adaptation theory. You will provide brief annotations for your sources, image credits and links.

Creative projects will present a whole or partial adaptation and offer a critical introduction to the adaptation. The critical introduction outlines your goal for the adaptation and discusses how your creative text relates to the source, other adaptations, and adaptation theory. The introduction should be at least 1000 words long. In addition to the critical introduction and the adaptation, your site will include a page that lists sources, image credits, and at least five links your audience can explore for more information on the source, other adaptations, or adaptation theory. You will provide brief annotations for your sources, image credits and links.

Your adaptation can take any form you choose. If you produce a short story, group of poems, or song series, you may include the entire text in your web site. If you author a film, novel, play, or game adaptation, your project should present one scene, game sequence, or chapter in detail and outline the remainder of the text. Your project must include illustrations—drawings of particular characters and events, web art that represents particular themes, or digital photos of friends enacting your scene are all fine. If you wish to film or record your scene instead of simply writing the script, you may do so. However, you give yourself adequate time to write, find actors, edit, and stream your film for web access.

Guidelines

1) Although I have provided guidelines, you must shape a specific topic and argument. I will give you feedback on your topics when you present them in class.

2) You will receive training in basic web-authoring in class. You may practice your skills during open CIC lab hours.

3) As you develop ideas, remember to review the posting board discussions and the PowerPoint presentations on the course web site. Your peers’ analyses and outlines of adaptation theories may help you to shape an approach to your critical project or craft your adaptation and critical introduction.

4) If you’re having difficulty devising an approach to the essay, or if you want to discuss ideas-in-progress, email me or come to my office hours in Padelford A-305.

Grading

Grades for the projects will be calculated on a 100-point scale, according to criteria posted on the course web site. Because receiving and responding to feedback constitutes an essential component of the adaptation project assignment, failure to submit a project proposal or draft will result in a 20-point deduction from the final grade. Projects and preparatory assignments are due at the time indicated; work submitted after the due date and time will be considered late. Late projects will receive a 10-point deduction per day late, including weekends and holidays. I will make exceptions to the lateness policy only in cases of documented illness or family emergency.

Last Update: 5/20/06