What does the term "adaptation" mean in film?

The term "adaptation" in film specifically refers to the process of transforming a literary work into a screenplay. This involves taking the narrative, characters, and themes of a book, play, or other written material and reworking them to fit the cinematic format, which includes considerations like pacing, visual storytelling, and dialogue. The essence of adaptation lies in capturing the spirit of the original work while making necessary modifications to suit the film medium.

This is different from the other choices, which focus on unrelated aspects of filmmaking. The use of original music enhances a film's emotional and narrative impact but does not pertain to the concept of adaptation. The editing process involves assembling the film post-production to achieve the desired final cut, while marketing strategies are about how a film is promoted and distributed, neither of which directly relates to the adaptation of source material into a screenplay.