Scr(i)nk: 30 Screenplays Written By Book Authors

Do-It-Yourself Crowdfunding: How 'Selfstarter' Cut Out The Middleman

Entrepreneur on crowdfunding without Kickstarter and how two business founders built their own crowdfunding site, Selfstarter, and raised $2.3M in a one month campaign. The site is available for free download and customization. (ENTREP)

30 Screenplays Written By Book Authors

Total Film ranks some of the best by authors who wrote screenplays, including: Alex Garland’s 28 Days Later, James Agee’s Night of the Hunter, Dorothy Parker’s A Star Is Born, Gore Vidal’s Ben Hur, Ray Bradbury’s Moby Dick, and Larry McMurtry’s Brokeback Mountain. (TF)

THR’s Directors Roundtable

THR’s roundtable Q&A with six directors: Steve McQueen, Paul Greengrass, David O. Russell, Ben Stiller, Alfonso Cuaron and Lee Daniels. (THR)

Viral Buzz: Jean-Claude Van Damme’s ‘Epic Split’ Volvo Ad

Mashable has the Volvo trucks ad starring the 53-year old action icon standing on two Volvo truck side mirrors as they part on the open highway, leading to the ‘epic split’ of the title. The ad has logged nearly 2 million views in less than 24 hours. (MASH)

HBO Sets Tim Robbins, Jack Black for Pilot ‘The Brink’

Deadline on the latest casting and plot details for the Jay Roach-directed pilot, with a script from Weeds exec producer Roberto Benabib and his brother Kim. (DH)

TV Buzz: L.A. Noir in Frank Darabont’s ‘Mob City’

TV Line has the trailer for TNT’s December event series Mob City, about the power struggle between police and mobsters in post-WW II Los Angeles. Frank Darabont adapted the source material and directs as well as exec producing. The series stars Ed Burns, Milo Ventimiglia, Neal McDonough, Jeremy Luke, and more. (TVL)

After Nearly 8 Years With Comedy Central & ‘The Daily Show,’ John Oliver Lands At HBO

Oliver, who scored with viewers and execs when he subbed for Jon Stewart this summer on The Daily Show, will be hosting a Sunday night topical comedy series for HBO starting in 2014. (VUL)

Screenwriters: Hollywood Studios’ ‘Similar But Different’ Ethos & How It Can Work For You

Go Into The Story breaks down the two major components behind the studios’ ‘similar but different’ approach to material – marketing and fear of a flop – and how to handle it via pre-existing content, specs and pitches. (GITS)

The Challenge For FX Spinoff FXX As ‘Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell’ Cancellation Shows Example of Huge Viewer Loss

Forbes on the loss of nearly 1/3 of a million viewers for Totally Biased after it shifted from FX to FXX – and why that alone speaks to the network needing to find its signature show soon. (FORBES)

‘Time’ On Library Book Toxicology Tests… & The Results Are Pretty Gnarly: Cocaine, Herpes Traces Found

Time magazine’s story about two Belgian professors who recently screened the 10 most borrowed books at the Antwerp library for toxins and bacteria; all ten titles tested positive for cocaine and the Fifty Shades of Grey copy tested positive for…well…(TIME)