'The Long Walk' - An Adaptation Story by Stephen King Part adapted by David R. White SUMMARY OF PLOT The novel is set in the state of Maine, U.S.A, somewhere in the future, but not specified. The ultimate sports challenge is in the form of the 'long walk', which entails a hundred young men to walk at a certain speed for as far as possible. Any that stop or slow down are given three warnings, after this they are shot. This continues until one walker is left. He is the winner. The main characters in the novel are Ray Garrity and Peter McVries. Others that are less focused on are Pearson, Olson, Gary Barkovitch, Baker and Larson. Some of the characters first names are not specified. Basically, the hundred walkers begin and one by one are killed as they become exhausted. Main attention is on Ray Garrity, who it becomes obvious wins. The story focuses mainly on the increasing pressure of the walk on the participants both physically and mentally. It also examines the relationships that come into being through the walk. Some of these are conflict, e.g. between Gary Barkovitch and the rest of the walkers. Other relationships are friendship, e.g. between Garrity and McVries. The excerpt of the story which has been adapted, incorporates all of the main factors that have been mentioned above to some degree or another. Leading up to the adaptation, the audience has been introduced, through Ray Garrity to the other characters, namely McVries and Barkovitch. The meeting place had been the start of the walk. The walkers had begun the walk and so far six people had already been gunned down for slowing down. The walkers are approximately fourty-four miles into the long walk and have passed through several towns. Prior to the beginning of the adaptation, McVries has been talking about sex and each of the other walkers in the group have been talking about what they believe in. McVries and Olson argue about love and its importance, McVries looks at it poetically, whilst Olson claims it is a fake. Finally, they are all silenced by Stebbins and attention turns to Ray Garrity as he slowly slips into sleep SYNOPSIS: Taking the novel 'The Long Walk' by Stephen King, an adaptation in script form of approximately four minutes of action time will be created. The novel is set in the future, in the state of Maine, America and through the metaphor of the 'long walk', comments on the future and current standing of Capitalism in the United States. It incorporates the idea of the 'American Dream', by the idea that those who go the furthest will win, those who stop or slow down will die. This whole issue is backed up by a military force and the 'Major', who are a metaphor for 'The American Way'. The original text is aimed at a middle class readership, this will be retained in the adaptation, as well as all of the fundamental factors already mentioned. The particular part of the novel that is to be adapted uses all of these factors and becomes quite the psychological battle that the race for the 'American Dream' has become. TREATMENT: Taking the original text, it will be put through the process of adaptation i.e.original medium,genre and audience and transfered to a new medium,genre and audience and end as a fully developed television script. Using imagery, the adaptation will illustrate the psychological content of the extract, as well as using sound imagery. Using professional codes and conventions, the camera shots will be used to show the expression of emotion and the pace and pressure of the 'long walk', in the same psychological way that imagery will be used. All original speech will be held, but to retain the context of the plot, some of the characters thought will be discarded, in favour of concentrating on the real meaning behind the text. 'THE LONG WALK' 1,Total darkness Sound of walking brightening to; footsteps on hard surface 2,Ground level THE CAMERA MOVES ALONG close up shot of SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE pair of feet FEET, BUT AT THE SAME walking SPEED/ ------------------------ 3,High wide shot VARIOUS GROUPINGS OF Sound of tank tracks looking down onto YOUNG BOYS/MEN ALL accompanying the sound a road. WALKING TOWARD THE of the walkers CAMERA, SOME ARE DOZING. AT THE EDGE OF THE ROAD ARE MILITARY TANKS MOVING AT THE SAME SPEED AS THE WALKERS./ ----------------------------- 4,Close up of a LOUDSPEAKER:Warning! loudspeaker warning 47!/ ----------------------------- 5,Close up of GARRITY IS STARTLED character RAY OUT OF A DOZING SLEEP GARRITY'S face AND GASPS. HE LOOKS TO HIS LEFT/ ------------------------------ 6,Mid shot of MCVRIES IS SMILING AND character Peter LOOKING AT THE CAMERA McVries MCVRIES:That's you, boy.Rise and shine./ ---------------------------------------- 7,Mid shot up of GARRITY CLOSES HIS Garrity EYES AND SIGHS. GARRITY:What time is it?/ ------------------------ 8,Mid shot up of MCVRIES LOOKS DOWN AT McVries HIS WATCH, THEN AT GARRATY. MCVRIES:Eight thirty- five./ -------------------------- 9,Mid shot Garrity GARRATY LOOKS VISUALLY DISTURBED GARRATY:But I've been-/ ------------------------------------------- 10,Mid shot MCVRIES:-Dozing for McVries hours, I know the feeling/ ---------------------------- 11,Mid shot GARRITY:Well, it sure Garrity seemed that way./ ------------------------------------- 12,Mid shot MCVRIES:It's your mind, McVries using the old escape hatch. Don't you wish your feet could?/ ------------------------------------- 13,Mid shot A VOICE OFFSCREEN SAYS: Mcvries and Garrity I use dial MCVRIES AND GARRITY LOOK TO THE RIGHT/ ------------------------------------ 14,Mid shot of PEARSON PULLS AN character Pearson IDIOTIC FACE PEARSON:Don't you wish everybody did?/ --------------------------------- 15, Mid shot of MCVRIES AND GARRITY McVries and LOOK FORWARD LAUGHING Garrity SOFTLY/ ------------------------- 16,Pull out to ALL WALKERS ARE high wide shot VISIBLE + TANKS ON THE of road facing EDGE OF ROAD./ walkers --------------------------------- 17,level wide shot FROM BEHIND THE The sound of breathing following walkers WALKERS, THE BEGINNING slowly becomes louder OF A HILL IS VISIBLE/ --------------------------------------- 18,Mid shot GARRITY UNZIPS HIS Garrity JACKET AND BEGINS TO TURN AROUND TO WALK BACKWARD/ --------------------------- 19,Mid shot GARRITY STARTS WALKING Garrity BACKWARD/ --------------------------- 20,Close up on GARRITY FROWNS AS IF Garrity's face TRYING TO SEE WHERE HE HAS BEEN/ ------------------------------ 21,Wide shot from NO WALKER IS VISIBLE. Garrity's breathing road, facing away IN THE DISTANCE LIGHTS and steps can be from walkers FROM A TOWN SPARKLE/ heard --------------------------------------- 22,Close up LOUDSPEAKER:Warning! loudspeaker warning 47! Second warning,47!/ ------------------------------ 23,Mid shot GARRITY(STILL WALKING Garrity from BACKWARD),STARTS AND behind QUICKLY STUMBLES AROUND TO FACE FORWARD/ ----------------------------------------- 24,Mid shot GARRATY STARTS WALKING Garrity from front FASTER AND BREATHS HEAVILY. HE SHAKES HIS HEAD AND BEGINS TO LOOK AROUND HIMSELF SLOWLY./ -------------------------- 25,Slow motion OTHER WALKERS STARE Slow heavy breathing panning shot from AT THE CAMERA(GARRITY) and slow footsteps Garrity's position IN GLEE, HORROR AND to character Olson INTEREST AND STOPPING ON OLSON WHO IS SMILING/ -------------------------- 26,Close up GARRITY(IRRITATED):See Garrity anything green?/ ------------------------------------ 27,Mid shot Olson OLSON:No. OLSON FACES FORWARD SMILING OLSON:Course not./ -------------------------------------- 28,Full side shot GARRITY VISIBLY WALKS Garrity FASTER WITH A STRAINED LOOK/ ----------------------- 29,Wide mid shot THE WALKERS ARE SILENT All sounds become from behind AND BEGIN TO ENTER A decidely quieter walkers MIST./ ----------------------- 30,Wide mid shot THE WALKERS WALK PAST shot at edge of IN SILENCE WITH SOBER road on the right EXPRESSIONS/ ------------------------------ 31,Wide panning THE GARAGE IS HARDLY shot from left of VISIBLE IN THE MIST, road at a garage THE WALKERS WALK BY. and stopping at a A YELLOW SIGN IS sign VISIBLE, BUT THE WORDS ON IT ARE NOT./ --------------------------------- 32,Mid close up CHARACTER BARKOVITCH Mumbling and of yellow sign WALKS PAST AND SAYS: grumbling. The road can be Step into it, brothers! seen to the left Who wants to race me to the top? AS BARKOVITCH GOES OUT OF FRAME,ANOTHER WALKER GOES BY AND SAYS:Shut your goddam mouth, you little freak. VOICE OF BARKOVITCH: Make me,dumbo! Come on up here and make me!/ --------------------------------------- 33,Mid wide front BAKER:He's crackin' shot of McVries MCVRIES:No,he's just and Baker stretching. Guy's like him have an awful lot of stretch./ -------------------------------- 34,Mid shot Olson OLSON LOOKS VISIBLY EXHAUSTED. OLSON:I don't think I can climb that hill. not at four miles an hour./ -------------------------- 35,Wide shot of AS THE CAMERA PULLS UP rear of walkers, THE STEEPNESS OF THE pulling up to HILL IS REVEALED. THE hill TOP IS NOT VISIBLE BECAUSE OF MIST./ ----------------------------------- 35,Subjective THE WALKERS FEET DO Heavy breathing and narrative shot of NOT WALK IN RHYTHM an increasing heart walkers feet, THE WALKER LOOKS UP beat rate. rising to look up AND SEES NOTHING BUT forward. OTHER WALKERS AND THE MISTY HILL. VOICE OF OLSON: I can't do it. I can't do it anymore. The camera looks around to the OTHER WALKERS BECOME right to see other VISIBLE WHO ARE ALSO walkers and stops APPARENTLY EXHAUSTED. on a side view of AS THE TANK COMES INTO the tank VIEW, PEOPLE CAN BE SEEN ON BOARD, BUT ARE OUT OF FOCUS BECAUSE OF MIST/ ------------------------------------ 36,Close up LOUDSPEAKER:Warning! loudspeaker warning 70!/ ------------------------------ 37,Mid shot MCVRIES:They're McVries and Olson playing your song, Olson, pick up your feet.I want to see you dance up this hill like Fred Astaire. OLSON:What do you care? MCVRIES SMILES AND OLSON WALKS FASTER/ ---------------------------------------- 38,Mid rear shot LARSON SUDDENLY SITS of character DOWN AT THE EDGE OF Larson THE ROAD TO THE LEFT LARSON:I'm just going to rest for a while,okay? I just can't walk anymore right now, okay?/ 38,Ground side THE TANK TRACKS STOP Loading of a rifle shot of Tank AND THE BOTTOM HALF tracks OF A SOLDIER JUMPS OUT. HE CARRIES A RIFLE AND A CHRONOMETRE/ ------------------------------- 39,Subjective THE SOLDIER WALKS narrative shot of SLOWLY OVER TO LARSON soldier walking SOLDIERS VOICE: toward Larson Warning,60,second warning. LARSON:Listen, I'll catch up, I'm just resting. A guy can't walk all the time. Not all the time. Can he fellas? LARSON LOOKS LEFT TO RIGHT WORRIEDLY SOLDIERS VOICE: Warning,60,third warning. LARSON SLOWLY LOOKS UP/ ---------------------- 40,Close up GARRITY STARES AT THE Heartbeat becoming Garritys face. CAMERA AS IF LARSON. faster HE APPEARS TO BE DUMBFOUNDED LARSONS VOICE:Hey! Hey, just a second, don't do that, I'll get up. Hey don't! D- Scream followed by GARRITY CLOSES HIS rifle fire. The EYES./ heartbeat stops --------------------------- 41,Mid close up MCVRIES(SOFTLY):Ninety McVries -nine bottles of beer left on the shelf./ ---------------------------------------- 42, Ground level THE WALKERS GO BY shot looking up at LOOKING DOWN. THE MIST walkers TURNS INTO A SOFT A soft breeze begins TRICKLE OF RAIN./ ------------------------------------ 43,Close up on GARRITY PUTS BOTH Garritys face HANDS OVER HIS FACE AND RUBS HIS EYES. HE SIGHS AND SHAKES HIS HEAD./ --------------------------- 44,Rear wide shot AS THE CAMERA BEGINS of all walkers, RISE, AHEAD IN THE rising slowly DISTANCE A SOLDIER IS SEEN WALKING ACROSS THE ROAD. A BOY SCREAMS AND SEVERAL RIFLES ARE HEARD. THE SCREAMING STOPS. THE WALKERS SEEM OBLIVIOUS TO THE INCIDENT./ ------------------------------------ 45,Fade to black EVALUATION: ADAPTATION OF 'THE LONG WALK' BY STEPHEN KING My initial response to the idea of an adaptation was that it would be relatively simple, but as I began the process of adaptation I found it quite complex and much more thought was involved as well as a creative mind. I had originally intended a much larger section of the novel to be adapted, but realising that I had stated in my original synopsis that it would not exceed 4-5 minutes of action time, i had to adapt a much smaller section. However, I still felt that the section I did adapt contained all of the necessary elements of the novel required in the adaptation. Some of the elements were less established in the novel and so I attempted to emphasise these to a higher degree. These elements were primarily the sense of exhaustion, weariness and excess fatigue. These I created through some reasonably successful subjective narrative shots and sound imagery. I placed the emphasis of shots on the walkers, rather than on the enforcement of the walk for two reasons. The first was that the military enforcement was, in my opinion, a metaphor for the 'American Dream/Way of life'. This is a cultural belief, therefore I presented it as more of a presence than an actual existence in the adaptation. I again used subjective narratives and 'misty' shots which secondly, prevented taking attention away from the main action and stopped the atmosphere being broken. As well as creating the sense of weariness, exhaustion and excess fatigue, I tried to create a conflicting sense of hostility through the use of the rain, mist and the hill. However, I don't feel that this adequately shows up well and the narrative is dominated by the feelings of the walkers. I generally felt that the imagery created was satisfactory and re-created the vital elements of the story quite well. It was difficult however to make believable the idea that the walkers had been going for a long time. This could only be achieved by making a larger adaptation which I couldn't do because of time constraints. I've learnt that adaptations as such are much more difficult than they seem. It takes alot more imagination and careful thought to create the simplest of imagery which is very time consuming. Overall I am quite pleased with the adaptation, although in some areas I felt that I followed the original text far too closely and concentrated too heavily on recreating the text, rather than the narrative I was setting up. In places I could have thought a few shots through a lot better or clearer and perhaps added a few more shots for longevity. .