U. grad gives screenwriting talk

It's never too early to write an award-winning screenplay. That's what writer and film producer Marc Lapadula, the head of the screenwriting programs at Penn, Yale and Johns Hopkins universities, told a group of 30 students looking for their big break in Hollywood. Lapadula, a 1983 Penn graduate, has written several plays himself and has recently been commissioned to write several yet-to-be-produced screenplays. He spoke last night at the Kelly Writers House in a talk sponsored by the Hollywood Club, a student group devoted to helping undergraduates prepare for careers in the motion-picture business. He is also the producer of a short film, Angel Passing, which starred actresses Calista Flockhart and Teresa Wright and received awards at the Sundance Film Festival. Lapadula encouraged students to get a head start on their film ambitions by taking courses and developing writing skills. "Being the age you are is a big advantage," Lapadula said, noting the growth of college-level film programs in recent years. He also discussed several options for graduate schools in filmmaking, using several of his former students as prime examples of the different paths that young filmmakers can take. "Although there are some that have been very pleased [with their work], several [former students] have dropped out, faced with mounting debt and not content with the experience provided," Lapadula said. "You have a choice," he added. "One way [to become a screenwriter] is to go to film school. The other is to go right into the industry." Lapadula described two of his former students at Johns Hopkins who had taken the latter path and achieved success in Hollywood, one as the owner of a production company and the other as president of television films for Disney. Lapadula emphasized the importance of ambition in becoming a screenwriter. "What you've got on your side is that you're young. However, [youth] is what Hollywood is run by. No matter how hungry [for success] you are, there are guys above you who are just as hungry." Lapadula went on to describe what he thought made a compelling screenplay and what he thought the future of screenwriting would look like. "Somebody's going to come on the horizon, 2006, 2007, maybe sooner, who's going to write a kick-ass script about the Asian community," Lapadula said. "There are fantastic filmmakers in Asia and South America, but they haven't done very well in America." Lapadula also criticized the current lack of compelling roles in film for women and minorities. "Meryl Streep -- she's a great actress, but scripts aren't written for her," he said. " You always hear, 'It's a horrible movie, but Meryl Streep was great.? We need to make opportunities for more diverse films in America." Lapadula warned his audience about the possibility for disappointment that plagues the filmmaking profession. "When we're all getting into this, we feel stupid, inadequate, like failures, but you grow," he said. "What you worry about is when you pick what it is you do, you have to be fulfilled doing it." After the talk, College junior Josh Rosenberg, who co-founded the Hollywood Club, praised Lapadula for his relevant advice. "It was great to see a lot of people show up, and it's always great to hear Marc speak," Rosenberg said.