On the board, write the following from Linda Seger’s The Art of Adaptation: Turning Fact and Fiction into Film, but leave blanks for the numbers (you can also do this on the overhead, and an overhead is provided).

• 85 percent of all Academy Award-winning Best Pictures are adaptations.
• 45 percent of all television movies-of-the-week are adaptations, yet 70 percent of all Emmy Award winners come from these films.
• 83 percent of all miniseries are adaptations, but 95 percent of Emmy Award winners are drawn from these films. (Seger xi)

Have students guess on their own each of the percentages. Have students hold up their numbers (written on a piece of paper for each statement). Perhaps give a prize to the student who is closest on each percentage. Fill in the percentages together as a class. Tell students that in addition to adaptations winning so many awards, according to Costanzo the majority of top-grossing films are adaptations (11).
Next, ask students to answer the following in about a written paragraph on a half piece of paper:
Why do you think the majority of films that succeed at the box office adaptations? Be specific in your response. Also, why do you think adaptations win so many awards? Again, be specific in your answer.

After students have written for a couple minutes, discuss these two questions as a class. Students will come up with many plausible theories. One of the things we’ll be doing today is investigating these questions.

Buckingham suggests that a simulation is an ideal way for students to learn about “production roles and processes within the media industries, and about how media producers balance financial, technological and institutional constraints in their work” (79). Read Buckingham pages 79-81 for a detailed explanation and analysis of this activity. A simulation could be used to run throughout this unit, though I suggest using it in a limited fashion to help point out the economic factors at play in Hollywood. Rather than having students attempt to simulate the complicated world of Hollywood film production, dealing with millions of dollars, production schedules in foreign countries and designers, writers, directors, cast and crew members to pay, this simulation is much simpler and more applicable for students.
Students should be divided into four groups. Give half of the groups the following task:
“Your group is a team participating in the game “Film Producer’s Apprentice.” You will be competing against the other groups in class. Your final project will be judged by an outside judge, and your goal is to convince the judge that your film and marketing campaign will attract the most students. Your job is to create a short film (no longer than five minutes) that students at your school will want to see. Your film can be based on any other media, but must be an adaptation (from a video game, song, movie, television show, novel, short story, comic book, etc.). For the purposes of this assignment, you won’t actually make the movie. Instead, complete all of the following:
1. Briefly outline the film
2. Explain why this is a film that students will want to see
3. Come up with a marketing campaign to advertise the film
4. Propose a budget for the marketing campaign that does not exceed $100.00
5. Prepare a five-minute presentation (with visuals if possible) to present to the judge. Your campaign should include all of the above information
You may use any of the materials (poster board, markers, etc. provided for you).”

Give the other half of the groups the following task:
“Your group is a team participating in the game “Film Producer’s Apprentice.” You will be competing against the other groups in class. Your final project will be judged by an outside judge, and your goal is to convince the judge that your film and marketing campaign will attract the most students. Your job is to create a short film (no longer than five minutes) that students at your school will want to see. Your film must be an original story; it cannot be based on any other media (a video game, song, movie, television show, novel, short story, comic book, etc.). For the purposes of this assignment, you won’t actually make the movie. Instead, complete all of the following:
1. Briefly outline the film
2. Explain why this is a film that students will want to see
3. Come up with a marketing campaign to advertise the film
4. Propose a budget for the marketing campaign that does not exceed $100.00
5. Prepare a five-minute presentation (with visuals if possible) to present to the judge. Your campaign should include all of the above information
You may use any of the materials (poster board, markers, etc. provided for you).”

Before starting their projects, students should be aware of how they will be judged. Share the following with them:

Judging Criteria
Ultimately, students will need to convince the judge(s) that their film and marketing plan will attract the most students. The judge(s) will include the following in determining which group wins:
1. Professionalism of the presentation
2. Marketing strategy
3. Film’s appeal to students at the school
4. Ability to realistically stay within the proposed budget
5. All students in the group involved in the presentation

Students should have the remainder of the class period to complete preparation for their presentations. Student presentations will be held at the beginning of the next class. You will need to circulate among the groups and offer insights and suggestions as the groups work. Make sure groups are on task. Depending on the age of the students, you may need to give them more directions for the assignment and assign specific tasks to specific students.

Students should come to class next time prepared to present. Students will need to have practiced and rehearsed their presentation. Because it probably won’t be feasible for students to get together before the next class period, make clear that they should assign specific roles for the presentation before leaving. Individual students should practice these roles prior to the presentation the next class period.