Filmmakers, Actors, Writers, Let's Party! Oct. 22

Coming up, ScreenPlayLab's next industry mixer. Informal get-together to meet with other filmmakers, actors and writers. In Beverly Hills on Monday, Oct. 22nd, 6-9pm. Free with RSVP at www.ScreenPlayLab.com.

What You Missed...

Last Sunday at ScreenPlayLab, Paul Guay gave an informative and very funny talk about his experience as a comedy writer for LIAR LIAR and many other screenplays. If you weren't there, you really missed it! We also had a fun reading of the last fifteen pages of my martial arts screenplay BOOK OF Z. Got great notes from the actors, from our speaker Paul Guay and his wife Susan, and others in the audience.

Thank you to our casting director Gabrielle Pantera and our actors:

John Stancari - as Max
Vyvy Nguyen - as Nichi
Jim McCaffree - as Lot and Gasso
Mark Sheldon - as Tommy and Tekmo
Fay Gauthier - Narrator

Nick Writers Fellowship director Karen Kirkland on Nov. 4th...

I just opened RSVPs for Nickelodeon Writers Fellowship director Karen Kirkland, speaking on Nov. 4th. In the 42-seat theater at Raleigh Studios. Don't wait too long or it may be full. Free with RSVP at www.ScreenPlayLab.com.

Actor Headshots by Robin Rowe for $100...

Everyone knows I'm a journalist, but you might not know I'm a photographer, too. I'm shooting headshots for my actor friends. I shoot with Nikon, 35mm film, digital high res prints. If you know someone who needs headshots, they can email me for details.

Screenwriting in Microsoft Word with ROBIN.DOT...

As I hope you already know, Final Draft is 25% off for ScreenPlayLab members. (Contact me for details.) However, sometimes you don't want to install a big screenwriting package because it's someone else's computer you're borrowing. My new ROBIN.DOT plug-in makes Microsoft Word into scriptwriting software. I'm looking for writers who'd like to be a beta site for testing it. Email me.

ScreenPlayLab Puts Fresh Emphasis on Play...

Even after two years, people still get confused and call us the "screenwriters lab" or "screen lab". We're starting to capitalize the P in ScreenPlayLab so maybe people remember we're here to PLAY, that we're filmmakers, actors and writers having fun creating comedy and upbeat family content.

Robin and Gabrielle, What We're Doing...

We're reporting on FASHION WEEK LA for HOLLYWOOD TODAY this week. I'm writing about LA Femme Festival, where I met Rosanna Arquette on Sunday. Gabrielle is reviewing the book NEVER SURRENDER for BRITISH WEEKLY. I'm reviewing several movies. When you've got exciting news, please email to let me know.

What Percentage of Films Are Original This Month?

About half of movies in release this month are originals. The rest are adaptations, sequels, remakes, based on a play, or based on real life events. Out of 25 major and mini-major releases in Octoer 2007, 12 are original. If we count only the majors, it's 8 of 15. My analysis is based on data from http://the-numbers.com/movies/release.php.

REMAKE: The Heartbreak Kid - Paramount Pictures
BOOK: The Seeker: The Dark is Rising - 20th Century Fox
ORIGINAL: Feel the Noise - Sony Pictures
ORIGINAL: Michael Clayton - Warner Bros.
LIFE: My Kid Could Paint That - Sony Pictures Classics
ORIGINAL: The Good Night - Sony Pictures
BOOK: Control - Weinstein Co.
PLAY: Why Did I Get Married? - Lionsgate
ORIGINAL: We Own the Night - Columbia
SEQUEL: Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Universal
ORIGINAL: Across the Universe - Sony Pictures
ORIGINAL: Lars and the Real Girl - MGM
REMAKE: Sleuth - Sony Pictures Classics
ORIGINAL: O Jerusalem - Samuel Goldwyn Films
GRAPHIC NOVEL: 30 Days of Night - Sony Pictures
ORIGINAL: Rendition - New Line
ORIGINAL: The Comebacks - 20th Century Fox
BOOK: Gone, Baby, Gone - Paramount Pictures
ORIGINAL: Things We Lost in the Fire - Paramount Pictures
BOOK: Reservation Road - Focus Features
ORIGINAL: Dan in Real Life - Buena Vista
SEQUEL: Saw IV - Lionsgate
LIFE: Man from Plains - Sony Pictures Classics
LIFE: Music Within - MGM
ORIGINAL: Rails & Ties - Warner Independent Pictures

What's ScreenPlayLab?

ScreenPlayLab is more than 2,000 screenwriters, actors, and filmmakers. Robin Rowe and Gabrielle Pantera, the founders of ScreenPlayLab, are writer-producers developing projects based on best-selling novels. For more than two years, we've been hosting weekly ScreenPlayLab events in Hollywood. We host workshops, industry mixers, and present talks with industry VIPs.

Three dozen actors and many writers have signed agent representation as a result of ScreenPlayLab. Variety reported that a screenplay read in ScreenPlayLab's actors workshop has been set up as a $20M feature. To enter a script to be considered for ScreenPlayLab's workshop series costs $39. There are no membership dues for ScreenPlayLab and events are free. To join send an email to info@ScreenPlayLab.com with the subject 'Subscribe'.

Love you guys!