High Concept

Do you struggle with the concept of High Concept? I know I do with each and every script. Coming up with THE High Concept for your script is frustrating in the least and almost impossible at best – hard to figure what those characters in Hollyweird consider High Concept especially after this week: Now It’s Erector Set: 3D Movie (No Kidding). (See Scott Myer’s blog Go Into The Story : http://www.gointothestory.com/2010/02/now-its-erector-set-3d-movie-no-kidding.html).

I mean, come on, how can a writer ever figure out what Hollyweird REALLY wants?

You can’t. Never. Won’t happen. Why, you might ask?

Because they DON’T KNOW THEMSELVES! Or, to quote the one and only William Goldman: ” Nobody knows anything!”

So, what to do. The first step is to decide right off the bat that you are going to write the script you want to write. Don’t write to Hollyweird’s expectations. Don’t write to current trends. Just write the best damn script you can and let the market come to you. And one way of insuring you ARE writing a damn good script is to make sure your concept does not suck. Here’s how:

First, get rid of that idea that High Concept is anything that can be pitched in one sentence OR can be expressed as X meets Y. Second, we will explore several techniques to develop your scripts ‘high concept’.

The first technique is the Steve Kaire Method. Mr. Kaire states… “The premise or logline is the core of High Concept. My comprehensive definition of High Concept is comprised of five requirements, each of which is mandatory. The five requirements are in descending order of importance. Therefore, numbers one and two are the most important as well as the most difficult to attain. But meeting only several of the requirements is not enough. All five requirements have to be met for success in achieving the “slam dunk” project everyone is looking for.”

Here are the five (5) requirements:                                                                                                                 

Requirement #1: Your premise should be original and unique.

Requirement #2: Your story has to have mass audience appeal.

Requirement #3: Your pitch has to be specific.

Requirement #4: The potential is obvious.

Requirement #5: Your pitch should be one to three sentences long.

To read more go to: http://www.writersstore.com/article.php?articles_id=609

Second, Ray Frensham in Teach Yourself Screenwriting suggests two methods:

*The rule of threes.                                                                                                                            *Contrasts.                                                   

An example of The Rule of Threes would be: Five criminals. One line-up. No coincidence. (Usual Suspects)  And an example of Contrasts: He was the perfect weapon – until he became a target. (The Bourne Identity)

 I know… these sound like tag lines, but… whatever works, right? 

Third, Colorado author Jameson Cole, developed a methodology that concentrates on the character and the conflict: There are three elements of character: PHYSICAL; SOCIOLOGICAL; PSYCHOLOGICAL. And three elements of conflict: PAST – the relevant backstory; PRESENT – a current dilemma usually requiring a goal-oriented decision; FUTURE – what happens if failure occurs. Using In The Line of Fire as an example: 

In The Line Of Fire:
PHYSICAL – An ageing
SOCIOLOGICAL – Secret Service agent,
PSYCHOLOGICAL – who feels guilty
PAST – for failing to save President Kennedy from being murdered
PRESENT – duels a deadly assassin. The outcome of their battle
FUTURE – will decide whether the current president lives or dies and whether the agent’s troubled past will give way to peace.  

In The Line Of Fire: An ageing Secret Service agent, who feels guilty for failing to save President Kennedy from being murdered, duels a deadly assassin. The outcome of their battle will decide whether the current president lives or dies and whether the agent’s troubled PAST will give way to peace.  

Finally, here is a technique I have decided to use based on the principal of the Four Quadrant Movie. What’s this, you might ask? Simple, sort of. A Four Quadrant Movie is a movie that appeals to: men under 25; women under 25; men over 25; women over 25. Pretty much everyone. Here is what I have started to do in my own scripts. First, I lay out the quadrant, and then I ask myself a series of questions. Like this:

1. Who are the characters that resonate with each quadrant?
2. What is the story that resonates with each quadrant?
3. How do we merge them together into a HIGH CONCEPT story?

Simple, right? Well, maybe not at first but with practice it should become second nature. I mean, your first script wasn’t easy either, was it? Well, ah, maybe not for you, Diablo, but the rest of us mortals… 

Keep Writing!