Disciplines
Other Film and Media Studies | Screenwriting
Abstract (300 words maximum)
In this article I take a deeper look into what it takes to make a successful movie musical. When sound was introduced into the movie industry, it was musicals that stole the show. From 1927’s first talkie, The Jazz Singer, to 2021’s movie rendition of Dear Evan Hansen, movie musicals have been a key component of the movie industry. Throughout this article I will be comparing the success of two different kinds of movie musicals. The first type that I will be analyzing are the movie musicals that were written and produced directly for the screen. This includes movies such as La La Land, The Greatest Showman, as well as Enchanted. The second type that I will be comparing are those that were originally staged musicals that were then translated to the screen. This includes musicals such as Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and In the Heights. Along with this I will take a deeper dive into the screenwriting that is involved within this process and how certain key elements that enthrall audiences are either enhanced or neglected. I will utilize the analysis given from several great screenwriters, such as Blake Snyder and Erik Bork, to compare the straight screenplay to the musical screenplay and how the aspects within the musical screenplay either align or diverge from these famous processes.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - English
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Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Anna Weinstein
Abstract
From Stage to Screen_ The Art of the Movie Musical.pdf (4358 kB)
Slide Deck
From Stage to Screen: The Art of the Movie Musical
In this article I take a deeper look into what it takes to make a successful movie musical. When sound was introduced into the movie industry, it was musicals that stole the show. From 1927’s first talkie, The Jazz Singer, to 2021’s movie rendition of Dear Evan Hansen, movie musicals have been a key component of the movie industry. Throughout this article I will be comparing the success of two different kinds of movie musicals. The first type that I will be analyzing are the movie musicals that were written and produced directly for the screen. This includes movies such as La La Land, The Greatest Showman, as well as Enchanted. The second type that I will be comparing are those that were originally staged musicals that were then translated to the screen. This includes musicals such as Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and In the Heights. Along with this I will take a deeper dive into the screenwriting that is involved within this process and how certain key elements that enthrall audiences are either enhanced or neglected. I will utilize the analysis given from several great screenwriters, such as Blake Snyder and Erik Bork, to compare the straight screenplay to the musical screenplay and how the aspects within the musical screenplay either align or diverge from these famous processes.