The Low-Down on High Concept
By Alexis Niki

When you're writing your screenplay, it's easy to forget that people go through a lot of trouble to see a movie in a theater. They hire sitters, fight traffic, stand in line, and pay good money. They devote two hours of their busy lives to you, the screenwriter. There they are, sitting in a darkened room, ready—wishing, hoping—to be moved by your story about to be projected on that giant screen.

If you're sitting in the audience on the night of the premiere, you'll be praying your concept holds up. Movies are big, and when they fall, they flop. You don't want it to be your fault.

Movies require a strong concept. Before you spend months or years on a screenplay, take time to develop your concept.

If all stories worth telling have already been told, what is it about your story that gives the universal a fresh twist? What will grab the attention of a script reader (and later the audience) within the first ten pages, and keep her turning pages until fade out?

This is where "high concept" comes into play.

A "high concept" script is one whose premise:

- is universal;

- has a fresh twist;

- involves an empathetic hero who is dealing with a BIG problem; and

- can be summed up in a 25-word logline that gives a good picture of the entire movie.

Many people see high concept as a marketing gimmick, and it is true that studios love to cash in on high concept films. Because of their catchy ideas, high concept scripts are easy to pitch, visualize, and sell. But although the term gets thrown around a lot in Tinseltown, high concept wasn't invented by Hollywood.

Human beings always have and always will respond to high concept stories. We crave unique stories with compelling heroes and exciting conflicts. It's in our nature. Shakespeare's plays (Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing) are high concept, as are many Greek tragedies (Oedipus Rex) and operas (The Marriage of Figaro). Countless novels (Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities, The Da Vinci Code) are also high concept.

No matter what kind of story you strive to write, understanding the importance of high concept is essential.

High Concept and Compelling Characters

A lot of people think high concept and great characters are incompatible, but in fact the best high concept stories feature characters we love and cheer for. In Kramer vs. Kramer, we want Ted Kramer to love and fight for his son. In Master and Commander, we want Captain Jack Aubrey to win that sea battle and save the British from defeat. Our favorite heroes are ordinary people who are moved to do extraordinary things (Ted Kramer) or extraordinary people with abilities beyond our own (James Bond). The hero's conflict usually involves both internal and external conflict, but not always. (If James Bond were suddenly gripped by self-doubt, I think we'd be utterly dismayed.)

Some more examples of compelling character pieces that are also high concept are Almost Famous, Rain Man, and Monster.

High Concept is Cross-Genre

Contrary to popular belief, high concept isn't restricted to the formulaic blockbuster. Action films and other big budget blockbusters are high concept, but guns, car chases, and explosions are not obligatory. High concept is at home in every genre: romantic comedies (Sleepless in Seattle), animation (Chicken Run), thrillers (The Silence of the Lambs), indies (The Blair Witch Project), classics (Gone with the Wind), chick flicks (Thelma and Louise) and even documentaries (The Fog of War). Television, of course, abounds with high concept: Kojak, Friends, The Sopranos.

Is Your Idea High Concept?  

If you already have an idea, ask yourself the following questions:

***Is your idea universal?

This isn't a matter of appealing to the lowest common denominator, but of touching something common to all human beings. Does your idea speak to emotions and behaviors we can all relate to? Is it about right and wrong? Life and death? Love? Sacrifice? Personal integrity? Will your audience respond emotionally?

As I watched the Cape Horn scenes in Master and Commander, I was riveted. Those scenes touched a primal, though irrational, fear of mine—drowning in a storm at sea. Watching Jack Aubrey ride those waves as if they were ripples in a bathtub helped me understand his character, his obsession, and his rapport with his crew. For a moment, I was on that ship, in his confident hands, and I was a true believer.

***Can you give your idea a unique twist?

This is where you start asking yourself the "what if?" questions. Let's say you want to write about a mother and daughter going through the teenage rebellion stage. What if, spurred by their bickering, someone cast a spell on them and they magically switched bodies? What if the only way to get back into their own bodies was to learn to understand one another? This is Freaky Friday (the 2003 remake).

***Is your protagonist likeable, or does he or she at least elicit empathy?

Will the audience cheer for this protagonist? Will they care what happens to him or her? If you're going for a darker piece, like Monster, will your audience at least understand and empathize with your protagonist? Have you given him inner as well as outer conflicts? Will he have to grow as a human being in order to accomplish his goal?

***Are the stakes high enough?

Examine the problem and the stakes in your idea. Is this a problem others could care about (universal)? Is it big enough to carry a two-hour movie? What about the stakes? What will happen if your hero doesn't achieve his goal?

In Freaky Friday, mother and daughter want their own bodies back for obvious reasons. But the screenwriters, Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon, upped the ante with a plot complication. The women find themselves in each other's bodies upon waking on Friday morning. But the mother, Tess, is getting married on Saturday. If they don't switch back in time, either the daughter, Anna, will have to go through with the wedding (unthinkable!), or Tess will have to risk losing her fiancé.

***Can you summarize your concept in a sentence of 25 words or less?

Distilling your idea down to a few words forces you to focus on what your story is about. Clarifying your concept will help keep your screenplay on track. In addition, log lines are the industry standard. It's the way busy studio executives, agents, and script readers communicate. To sell your idea, you'll have to get it across clearly and concisely. What's more, people who have heard your idea will have to be able to remember and pitch it to their higher-ups.

Below are some sample log lines from three films starring Dustin Hoffman:

When a workaholic's wife abandons him and their young son, he must learn to be a single dad. —Kramer vs. Kramer (18 words)

A struggling actor disguises himself as a woman and becomes a soap-opera star, only to fall in love with the leading lady. —Tootsie (22 words)

Just before elections, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer fabricate a war to cover up a presidential sex scandal. —Wag the Dog (19 words)

***Does your title capture the spirit of your film?

Yes, the studio might change the title of your film. But don't forget that the title is the first thing a reader sees. What's he more likely to pick up: The Shark or Jaws?

Make sure your title fits with your log line and helps your script stand out from the pile.

Often a one-word title can sketch out the whole movie: Splash. The best of these even give you the genre: Titanic, Alien.

Some other great titles are:

The Godfather

Star Wars

Singing in the Rain

Schindler's List

As a screenwriter, you have to write what you care about, and if you care about small, character-driven films, then by all means write those. But don't think high concept is "too Hollywood" or doesn't apply to your film—at least not until you've tried it. High concept leaves plenty of room for originality, and will give you the means to make your very own, special screenplay better.

It might even get you your first sale.

Alexis Niki is an aspiring screenwriter and former translator living in Paris, France. She has subtitled and translated for Columbia TriStar, Warner Brothers, ARTE, German national (WDR, ZDF) and private (RTL, VOX) television, and others. She is also a member of the WriteCraft Critique Group and assistant editor at the group's companion website, www.writecraftweb.com, where she writes an ongoing series of screenwriting articles.

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