MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter Kyle Patrick Johnson

An interview with screenwriter Kyle Patrick Johnson regarding the StoryPros Intl. Writing Competition.

A: I entered "Lighthouse Storm" in the contest, though I've recently rewritten and retitled it as "The Seven Deaths of Lighthouse". The story is a cross between a Western and a Superhero genre, with a recluse hero who suffers from multiple personality disorder. His present is crazy enough, but his past just won't let him alone. He watches over and protects a small Old West village, but a vicious gang of outlaws challenges his pseudo-authority and sparks an unwanted war. So I suppose, in the final analysis, you could consider the script to fall into the Action genre, but I believe it defies categorization. Which may or may not be a good thing, of course.

A: I've written other scripts, but "The Seven Deaths of Lighthouse" has always remained my favorite. Writing action sequences that have never been done before was a definite thrill for me. The StoryPros contest was the first I've entered, and I was thrilled to win 2nd place right out of the contest gate.

A: Jeff, the contest administrator, could not be more helpful or courteous. All deadlines were met. This interview is taking place during the award presentations, so naturally I'll have to assume that their professionalism will carry through. It's been a real pleasure to deal with the folks at StoryPros.

A: I did receive feedback for "The Seven Deaths of Lighthouse". The feedback arrived promptly and was more in-depth than I had expected, frankly. They provided a line-by-line correction sheet and a page of overall story considerations. I thought it was very well done.

A: I have written six feature-length screenplays to date, all in different genres, in an attempt to flex my screenwriting muscles and broaden my horizons. Keeping the current economy in mind, I've been focusing my efforts on low-budget films and family films. All my screenplays are on spec, so far, of course, so I haven't yet given a second thought to television writing as yet. But now that you mention it...

A: I do not live in Los Angeles. While my script was going through the rigors of contest judging, I acquired a wonderful manager in the LA area, which has really eased my mind about the necessity to live and make contacts there. I am a Midwest man with a Midwest family, and my manager has been gracious in understanding that. Naturally, should the need arise, I remain perfectly willing to travel to LA on an as-needed basis.

A: Of course. My favorite part of the creative process is that initial germination of the brand-new idea. I have far more ideas than time to write them down. My next project is a comedy with romance, as opposed to a romantic comedy. I'm experimenting with voice-over technique in this piece. I've generally stayed away from voice-over, which can so easily be badly done, but I'm trying the challenge of doing it without seeming hokey. Write on!

Posted Wednesday, February 25, 2009