THE HIGH CONCEPT FILM

Genre Theories & Ideas (Ideas By film producer Steve Kaire - http://www.writersstore.com/high-concept-defined-once-and-for-all/

Presented by Joe

The definition of High Concept is made of five requirements, which are ordered in level 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 successful project everyone is looking for.

Requirement #1: YOUR PREMISE SHOULD BE ORIGINAL AND UNIQUE A logline is generally one to five sentences, with the average

being three. Therefore, you have to pitch your material in a compressed, economical manner which captures the essence of your story and showcases its originality. Every writer should practice pitching his or her work by boiling down their story into only one sentence regardless if their story is High Concept or not.

This can be done with my early ideas for my A2 work:

‘The thoughts, fears, and memories of a psychologically troubled boy before breaking gun law at his college. It’s a film that tackles modern questions in the US and has a distinct ideology’.

Requirement #2: YOUR STORY HAS TO HAVE MASS AUDIENCE APPEAL That means it's possible to meet Requirement #1 by

creating an original story that's never been done before. But that story may be so odd or strange that the appeal exists only in the mind of the writer who created it. No one else.

This is essential for my A2 short film in that it is creatively unique in it’s style and narrative approach. While it may take influences from genres, these are my creative ideas and my vision.

Requirement #3: YOUR PITCH HAS TO BE STORY SPECIFIC That means that within your pitch, you have to have

specific details which make your story different and adds color and depth. These specific details enhance the story and keep it from being stale and generic.

An example of this is, turning the general consensus of ‘a hero saves the city’ in to something with depth and meaning. For example, in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne becomes the hero to avenge his dead parents.

Requirement #4: THE POTENTIAL IS OBVIOUS If you're pitching a comedy, then the potential for humor

should be obvious within your pitch.

Requirement #5: YOUR PITCH SHOULD BE ONE TO THREE

SENTENCES LONG Most pitches should be this length although some set-ups

may be more, but you shouldn't go over five to six sentences. You are not telling what happens in Acts 1, 2 and 3 unless you're asked to do so later. You're giving the premise of your story. I've spent days shaping my loglines to include as much information in as few words as possible.