Techniques For Success

   When a film adaptations for any kind of medium is considered successful, it depicts the original production in the best possible way. There needs to be a balance of connectivity to the original thing and an adequate transition to a movie platform. 

   As for theatre, the process of taking a musical or a play to the big screen is not a matter of length, but a matter of attaining the viewers attention. As this adaptation technique Article states "The film medium requires a fundamental transition from verbal to visual effects and a much greater economy on the textual level". The dramatic content of the drama has to be reduced to a more humane amount in the acting. "The result is a gap that must be filled with visual means of expression". Good screenwriter should be able to translate and adjust amazing monologues or dialogues in a way where they could work in a movie. 

   In the adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, the French historical novel that was in fact brought to life on stage as a musical Tony award winning production for the first time in 1980 and then later adapted as a film in 2012 by director Tom Hooper, the producers were challenged to create the same musical phenomena in a two and a half hour film. 

   The casting choices were wise by incorporating musical theatre actors in the movie, like Colm Wilkinson who was the first Jean Val Jean in the first production in West End and Broadway. This got the fan-base excited to see the film along with the casting of famous actors like Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, and Russell Crowe. 

      What set this movie apart from past adaptations was the innovative live recording of the vocals on set rather than a pre-recording in a studio. This made the film have a more raw and real feel to it that was actually used as a marketing strategy. Three months before the film premiered, on September 20, 2012 a first look of the production was released on the official Facebook page that discussed the production strategies. 

   Les Miserables premiered on the 25 of December 2012 in 2,808 theatres, placing first at the box office with $18.1 million. This amount broke the record for the highest opening day gross for a musical film and was nominated for 8 academy awards and won 3 of them. The marketing and production techniques successfully translated the famous classic into an immaculate production through the help of a social networking cite. Facebook was the real benefactor that posted most of the movies propaganda. From online posters, to sneak peaks and full length trailers, fans were able to comment and interact with each other bringing more excitement to the fan-base. 

URL: http://www.amadeus.mak-sima.com/3.html

Article Title: Amadeus -- The adaptation technique / The transfer from stage to screen

Website Title: Amadeus -- The adaptation technique / The transfer from stage to screen

URL: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2092428/Les-Miserables-movie-Stars-original-stage-version-encore-join-film-cast.html

Article Title: Stars of original Les Miserables get an encore as they join the cast of new big screen remake

Website Title: Mail Online

URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1707386/

Article Title: Les Misérables

Website Title: IMDb

URL: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/les-miserables-critics-review-the-big-screen-adaptation/

Article Title: "Les Miserables": Critics review the big-screen adaptation

Website Title: CBSNews

URL: https://www.facebook.com/LesMisMovie

Article Title: Les Misérables

Website Title: Facebook

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwgQjfg0hZw&feature=plcp

Article Title: Les Misérables -- Extended First Look -- Regal Movies

Website Title: YouTube