POWER – Watch TV Pilot Reading by Hisonni Johnson (Green Lantern Pilot)

Watch the May 2016 WInning TV Pilot Reading. 

Watch POWER TV PILOT: 

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Comic book, Drama, Sci Fi, Action, Superhero

Synopsis: A tragic turns of events leaves one of the world’s greatest heroes injured, without his powers and public enemy number one.

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Sean Ballantyne
JOHN – Mark Sparks
SANDRA – Lavinia Latham
SHIERA – Isabella Bontorin
DENNIS – Neil Kulin
LAWTON – Dan Cristofori

Get to know writer Hisonni Johnson: 

What is your screenplay about?

This screenplay is based on DC comic’s character John Stewart AKA The Green Lantern. It’s an original take on the character within a story that very cleverly introduces John Stewart to an audience that may not be familiar with him (Without doing a traditional origin story). This script was a great way for me to explore some relationship dynamics and themes that I do not feel have been explored enough in comic books or comic book films.

Why should this screenplay be made into a TV Show?

The drama and mystery is pretty appealing. The characters are well developed. Our main character has lost something that could take several season for him to regain. A major theme of this show is trust. Who can I trust and who can I not. There is a lot of stuff to play with in there.

How would you describe this script in two words?

Suspenseful and Exciting.

What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

Batman Begins. It’s the only film I’ve ever seen that just never gets old.

How long have you been working on this screenplay?

A week.

How much research did you do to write within the world of “Green Lantern”? Did you take any liberties from the original content?

Comic book are in my blood. My mother introduced me to comic books and was arguably a bigger DC fan than I am. So the research part was kind of built in. My strength as a writer is my sense of empathy. When I write, I am genuinely in the shoes of the main character and when I’m in those shoes… I focus on being as emotionally authentic as I can. because of this, I’m often times sad to finish a script. Because, in my mind… It wasn’t a script. I was there! Life afterward can’t compare to the adventures I experience when I write stuff like this. I know that becoming sad at the end of the script means that I’ve written something decent.

What motivated you to write this screenplay?

I want to be a talented filmmaker across the board. So, I cycle between directing films, shooting films, editing films and writing films. During each phase I put tremendous pressure on myself to get better than the year before. This script is the result of wanting to put a sci fi/fantasy story out there that felt emotionally grounded and plausible.

What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

I didn’t really. This was a fun process.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Directing, cinematography, editing, VFX and pitching projects.

What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I’ve been on the festival circuit nonstop for the past 5 years competiting my films and web series. But, I want to prove to myself that I can be well rounded. So the next logical step is to try and gain recognition for my screenplays. And here I am. In the future, nothing will make me feel better about directing my films than knowing that I’m a stand out writer and that the story i’m about to shoot is good to go.

Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Be authentic. Write stories that mean so much to you that you’re sad when you’re done writing them. Have goals for your scripts once you’ve finished them. I wrote this script intending to shoot a trailer for it and luckily I was able to. Since then, the trailer has won me many accolades and gotten the attention of people I hope will help me get some of my work made.

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Producer/Director: Matthew Toffolo
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson