This thesis seeks to explore the statement: Authorship, Adaptation and the Screenwriter: Adapting the myth of Dionysus in the 21st century and the implications of authorship within a collaborative filmmaking process.
The purpose of this thesis is to explore historical and contemporary theories surrounding concepts of authorship and adaptation, focusing on the auteur theory and arguments presented against it. This will relate to the role of the screenwriter within the creative authorship of a film, quantifying authorship within an adaptation, and the collaborative nature of filmmaking.
This thesis specifically examines Sarris’s original auteur theory and rebuttals to it, considering the decentralisation of the director, significance of the screenwriter as a creative force, and the notion of shared authorship. It also explores the processes and influences involved in adapting mythology, specifically concerning a myth with varying interpretations, how the screenwriter maintains authorship, and the idea of the screenplay as the blueprint for a final product; as well as examining the translation from script to screen and the implications on authorship herein. This research is significant as it considers many different approaches to adaptation and authorship, contributing to the decentralisation of the director and movement towards a more collaborative perspective on filmmaking. This helped me as a screenwriter to understand the influences upon my work, the changes a script will undergo in its process towards becoming a film, and the importance of collaboration within a filmmaking effort. These points will be examined through analysis of my graduation film, Last Rites (Clancy, 2023).
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