Fulfilling a Dream – Making Your Book into a Movie

By Jan Walters

What possessed you to make a movie?

I asked that same question many times throughout my movie journey. For many authors, when we write a book, the characters, the conflict, and their journey overcoming a situation become very real. I wrote Red Sunset Drive, which is part of the Ghost and A Cop series. My ultimate dream was to see these characters come to life on the big screen.     

How did you know who to contact or what to do?

As a self-published author, I wanted to find someone to create a book trailer. I didn’t want the typical book trailer with just music, images and words flashing on the screen. I wanted actors to quote lines from the book.  

While attending a local book festival, two men stopped by my table. As we began talking about book trailers, they suggested I contact a local director, Thor Moreno (www.thor.moreno.com). They had a lot of positive comments and as a result, I reached out to Thor. 

How did the book trailer experience prepare you for film production?

A book trailer is typically one to two minutes long. The book trailer for the first book in my series, York Street, is nearly three minutes. Part of the reason for the increased length was the number of scenes included in the trailer. 

Thor and I set up a meeting and had a lengthy conversation about the characters and their goals and motivation. It was important for me to convey the theme I wanted represented for the book.  Did I want to have the trailer come across as a horror film? Or a paranormal thriller? I opted for the latter. Thor created a script for the trailer after reviewing the book. 

When I read the first draft, I wasn’t sure this process was going to work. The director included elements that weren’t included in the book! This is like changing the Bible! My impulse was to ask the director to change the script to coincide with the book. But wait? 

Didn’t I hire the director to offer me guidance and learn from his experience? Wasn’t he more familiar with how stories come across the big screen? The answer to those two questions was yes. I took a deep breath and a step back.

The second challenge for me were the actors selected for the roles. I had a clear vision in my head on what the characters should look like. Since I don’t live in New York or Los Angeles, the actor pool is much smaller. I made a comment to the director that I really wanted the female lead to have blonde hair. The director posed a question to me: Did I want an actor who looked my like vision but lacked acting skills or an actor with superior acting skills that didn’t look like what was described in the book? Well, darn. When he put it that way, I knew he was right. 

How did the movie come about?

I reached out to Thor again in 2018 about creating a book trailer for Red Sunset Drive, the second book in the Ghost and A Cop series. After Thor read the book, we sat down for a meeting. While discussing the financials, I realized that creating a movie was within reach. Plus, I would still get a movie teaser. It was like getting two for one.  

One of the first steps for me was to create the screenplay. My only experience even seeing a screenplay was for my book trailer and the initial pilot we created for Red Sunset Drive. Basically, I knew enough to be dangerous. Using the book as a guide, I started writing. I will say that writing a screenplay was totally different than writing a book. I needed to ensure that there was enough action to capture the attention of viewers yet move the story forward.

After many late nights, I finished the first draft. I sent the screenplay to the director. It was close to two hundred pages. I quickly discovered that the screenplay needed a much bigger budget than what I was prepared to pay. At this point, I needed to reevaluate the storyline in the film. What was the book about? Who were the major characters? I rewrote the screenplay cutting out most of the minor characters. 

One major thing to consider if you decide to make a movie is that special effects cost money. If you want big battles/fights with lots of gunfire and explosions, be prepared to pay for it.  

After cutting fifty pages, the director made his final review. Luckily, with his connections to the film industry in LA, a couple of professional screenwriters also reviewed our script. Incorporating their changes into the final script, we were finally ready for filming. 

While a screenplay is being developed, a lot of work goes on in the background. Getting the locations for the various scenes is sometimes difficult. With our small budget, we had to take advantage of free locations. This past July, it was 98 degrees and humid. I found myself filming in an old warehouse at night with no open windows (because of noise) and no air conditioning. Another potential problem is coordinating the film schedule with the actors’ schedules. Be prepared to make last-minute changes with actors and have a backup plan.

After twelve long days of filming, we wrapped up. I was on set each day with the film crew and actors. Occasionally, the director would pull me aside to ask a question. I never interrupted a scene while filming was underway. If there were any concerns, the director and I would step aside to discuss it in private. After the director edited the film, I organized a one-day premiere. The purpose of the event was to get feedback from the viewers. I developed a survey form for viewers to complete. This feedback was instrumental in moving forward.  

What’s next?  

I was fortunate to have a fantastic team of actors and film crew, along with Thor Moreno as the director.  With assistance from the director, I continue to move forward. My goal is to obtain a contract with a distributor and have the movie available on streaming networks in early 2020.      

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About Jan Walters 

Jan and her husband live on a farm in Iowa. Four members of her family have served on the Des Moines Police Department (DMPD), including her husband and son. Stories about the DMPD became the basis for her Ghost and A Cop series, along with paranormal elements.

Books in the series include York Street, Red Sunset Drive, and Tempest Court (to be released January 2020). She loves to hear from readers. Contact Jan at www.authorjanwalters.com or www.facebook.com/janwaltersauthor

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