Ever since film developed its voice as a medium, literature provided a never-ending catalog of work begging to be displayed on the silver screen. Characters that existed for decades (and sometimes centuries), were finally represented in a visual medium. We as an audience are thrust into familiar worlds with familiar characters in order to discover something new.

Robert Hurley loved writing. He also loved classical literature, namely works by author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Through the resources at VM Productions, Hurley’s love of writing was nurtured and celebrated. VMP is an LA-based multi-award winning company that strives to create high quality art-haus film and seeks to adapt works of classic literature. Through Our Method of Producing, you can also get involved in the creation of these films. Donations can be made tax-deductible via From the Heart Production. VMP can get your film career started, just like how they did for Hurley.

Hurley’s love of writing and affinity for Dostoyevsky propelled him to write Notes from a New World with VM Productions. Based on Dostoyevsky’s novella, Notes From Underground, the film amassed great success and earned many awards. Robert Hurley sought a great adaptation, and in doing so, he left behind a great mystery.

Why Adapt?

Learning more about Hurley forced me to ask: why should we adapt these (or any) books? These classics existed in a time when none of us were alive, do they still matter? With the changing climate in filmmaking, many audiences also beg the question: is originality dead with ongoing remakes and sequels? (And do adaptions contribute to this phenomenon?)

Well, yes and no. Robert Hurley loved the classics. Myself, I’ve read them. They’re old and incredibly dense, and, according to the Atlantic, many of my generation is not willing to invest in them.

Robert Hurley saw the value in their density, so he set out to use his creativity to adapt the classics, starting with Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Moreover, he loved the process it took to find the modern story, Notes From the New World.

Many films are actually adaptations, some of which are more sneaky than others.

When adapting one piece of media, in order to do it well, an artist has to alter the original work to fit the new medium. For example, films are much shorter than books or novellas. These alterations made the new piece valuable since the artist’s interpretation of the original becomes different once translated to the new medium. This translation is unique to the artist, and therefore can tell us, the audience, something new. That new idea is a reason why we adapt.

Creation and Adaptation

The mission at VMP took root in both adaptation and original art-haus cinema. As a film school graduate and avid reader, this drew me to the company. Their high-quality projects made me stick around.

In adaptation, VMP Films took on the ambitious Dostoyevsky Project, wherein they will adapt four of Dostoyevsky’s works. The first of this undertaking was White Nights, a novella exploring love against the contrasting background of poverty and isolation. This novella is deep and psychological as it explores the complexity of the human condition and unrequited love. VMP’s film Shades of Day dives into these themes through the main character, Linda, set in modern LA. The nature of the novella explores the fleeting nature of emotional intensity and the blending of the real with the imagined. Shades of Day dives into these themes, constantly blurring the line between tragedy and comedy. The film is available for rent or purchase on Amazon.

Although not an adaptation, the most current project in development, Nancy’s Game, is a film exploring a woman who writes a book, but needs to perform a real-life experiment in order to test her theories. Human nature is explored and tested in this bone-chilling thriller. Anybody can get involved with this film via this page and donations are made tax-deductible with From the Heart Production.

Robert Hurley’s Adaptation

The Dostoyevsky Project continues in the film Notes from the New World. Robert Hurley and Vitaly Sumin based the screenplay on Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground, a darker story that explores the behavior of the underground man. He distrusts humanity and acts irrationally.

Hence, VM Productions’ Notes from the New World features the story of a man pursuing his dreams in Los Angeles. He faces lies and an inexplicable tie to the Russian Mafia, subsequently leading to his dreams getting confronted with the harshness of reality. 

Once production began on this project, strange things began to happen. Already reclusive, Robert Hurley began to hide away even more, leading to his disappearance. Some theories and rumors suggest that the film not only adapted the work of Dostoyevsky, but also Hurley’s life. For more details into his disappearance, check out this post on the subject.

VMP’s most recent project, An LA Story, caught live footage leading up to his disappearance.

Robert Hurley’s life was wrought with intrigue, so it only made sense that it bled into his work.

The Search Continues

Directors and writers, like Hurley and Sumin, take the time to honor and explore the themes of world literature in their own unique ways, so that wider audiences may find them. Adaptations inspire audiences to seek further truths and appreciate the classics for the drama they are (stay tuned for a future post that dives more into the adaptations themselves!) The hard work and diligence of filmmakers like those at VM Productions reflects this inspiration and appreciation.

Robert Hurley was a passionate writer and unapologetically loved classic literature. The search for him continues, as those at VMP work around the clock on both their films and his case. Stream Notes From a New World today, available for purchase or rent on Amazon, to see the adaptation itself. The thrilling behind the scenes documentary, An LA Story, releases soon, so if you want to get involved and start your film career today with a tax-deductible donation, be sure to check out dostoevsky-bts.com and dostoevsky-bts.com/rewards-for-support.

Thank you for taking the time to support literature, independent artists, and our missing screenwriter, Robert Hurley. Our method of producing provides anyone with the chance to get involved. If you’d like to learn more, sign up below and check out our free e-books today!

Follow us through our social media on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, and Goodreads.