![]() ![]() ![]() Some time ago, I came up with an alliterative definition of “story” around the letter C. So my advice: Focus on generating, developing, and writing scripts with strong story concepts. But it is most definitely a strong story concept for a plethora of reasons, not the least of which is that conceit - one friend rejects another - transforms into the entire Plotline from Fade In to Fade Out. It’s too offbeat and requires great skill to write a story that is so character-driven. Is it a high concept? I don’t think anyone in Hollywood would think that. Put those two characters in a small Irish village - interesting characters in a compelling situation - and you’ve got a strong story concept. That simple conceit immediately leads to two things: The mystery of why one rejects the other … and the emotional turmoil which will result from this decision. In my view, there is a distinctive hook to that story concept: One man decides he no longer wants to be friends with his closest companion. ![]() Conversely, a strong story concept can be something neatly described in one line … but it can also be a story with distinctive character types. High concept has come to mean many things to many people and often carries a negative connotation (e.g., simple story with thin characters). Your confusion about what “high concept” means is one of the reasons I prefer the term strong story concept. The path of least resistance is to write a script with a strong story concept. It’s just really hard to set up original material nowadays in Hollywood. In the current environment in Hollywood, where as one producer told me, that original stories are “untested” and therefore harder to set up, it’s almost a lock cinch requirement that a spec must have a story with a hook, some unique element which the distributors can build a marketing campaign around. This is why we talk about that screenwriting principle: Months - sometimes years - are lost trying to elevate a film idea that by its nature probably had no hope of ever becoming a movie.” The writer has lost the race right from the gate. It’s by far the most common mistake I see in spec scripts. “Most aspiring screenwriters simply don’t spend enough time choosing their concept. It’s like the Terry Rossio quote in Lecture 1: ![]()
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