Screenwriting : High Concept? by Joseph Follansbee

Some people have different definitions of high concept, @Joseph Follansbee, but basically a high-concept script/movie/show/etc. has a unique hook and mass audience appeal, and it can be pitched easily. https://scriptmag.com/page/5-tips-to-turn-your-script-into-a-high-concep...

Stephen King "On Writing" explains this really well.

I remember reading something about that. If I remember correctly, High Concept is a story that hits every criteria for a very successful film- story, logline, title, idea, characters, etc. basically it hits every note so to speak.

For me, it is when the concept is like a character. You remove it and the world and story are changed beyond recognition.

Hunger Games without the teenage gladiator games is just a story about poor people starting a revolution against the ruling class.

Plus this concept must be so far away from normal world concepts it stands by itself. A high concept need stand out beyond the telling of the story.

High Concepts are getting less high as they are becoming more and more mainstream.

Ok, let's try:

BOMBSHELL

When a former Homeland security agent learns of a planned terrorist attack on the US President-elect, he must stop the suicide-bomber -- his estranged daughter.

Commercial outrage:

Leads:

Keanu Reeves

Born in Lebanon

Selena Gomez

On July 18th 2014, she shared an Instagram post that read:“It’s about humanity. Pray for Gaza.” A firestorm erupted around her, with celebrity news site TMZ asking whether Gomez was “pro-Hamas”. Unlike other stars–Rihanna and NBA player Dwight Howard–she did not delete her message."

https://mvslim.com/10-celebrit...

Buy your tickets now!!

(PS: the makers distance themselves from idiots who think this film is Pro Palestine or pro Isreal, they have no opinion (and if they had, they would never share it!) ; polarisation is used for promotional purposes only.

I actually read somewhere that high concept meant easily understood by the masses in one line.

The MASSES is key Maria,

Give them food and games, meaning:

"In a political context, the phrase means to generate public approval, not by excellence in public service or public policy, but by diversion, distraction or by satisfying the most immediate or base requirements of a populace — by offering a palliative: for example food (bread) or entertainment (circuses).”

In other words, " The Hunger Games"

Life can be so simple!!

Maria Restivo Glassner very true. But some high concept stuff can still be complex. The it must be one sentence is fine to say, but hard to execute with any accuracy.

I've always defined high concept ideas as easy to pitch - one seance says it all - and some writers I know have used the old "what if" scenario - what if a shark stalked a town, what if there were snakes loose on a plane, what if an asteroid was headed toward earth. Big, simple ideas that can be conveyed in one sentence. They are not deep character pieces with unique depth or perspective (The Banshees Of Inisherin is not high concept, as an example). Hope that's helpful.

High-concept means having a unique impactful plot-driven premise that's so simple it can be communicated in just a few words and sounds so exciting it stirs the imagination because people haven't seen it done before.

What if we're all living in a simulation?

What if we could bring back dinosaurs?

What if aliens left a baby behind?

What if there was a civil war in space?

It's all about having the kind of hook that implies a film would sell widely to audiences on idea alone.

Michael Hague gave a good explanation of this - it's a story where the central concept/hook is so strong, unique and easy to understand that you want to see the movie regardless of any other factors (however well written). Speed, Jaws, Alien etc.