High-concept is a term used to refer to an artistic work that can be easily described by a succinctly stated premise.[1] An early definition of the formula is disputed between Barry Diller from ABC and Michael Eisner of Disney.[2]
Steven Pressfield, author of novels (Gates of Fire, The Legend of Bagger Vance) and Hollywood screenplays, has written, "Flash back with me to the late 80s/early 90s, the screenwriting heyday of Shane Black, Joe Esterhazs and the spec script. At that time, studios were looking for a very specific type of material. That material was called High Concept. The High Concept era was the exact time I started finding work in Tinseltown."[1]
In a 2010 essay, Pressfield invites his reader to ponder, "What exactly is High Concept?" and then teasingly goes on,
Let's start with its opposite, low concept. Low concept stories are personal, idiosyncratic, ambiguous, often European. "Well, it's a sensitive fable about a Swedish sardine fisherman whose wife and daughter find themselves conflicted over..." ZZZZZZZZ.[1]
He offers three features of the High Concept: 1. A high concept story can be pitched in 30 seconds or less. 2. A high concept notion doesn't depend on stars. 3. It's almost impossible to screw up high concept (though plenty of us did.)[1]
High-concept narratives are typically characterised by an overarching "what if?" scenario that acts as a catalyst for the following events. Often, the most popular summer blockbuster movies are built on a high-concept idea, such as "what if we could clone dinosaurs?" (One answer was found in the 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park.)
However, it is important to differentiate a high-concept narrative from an analogous narrative. In the case of the latter, a high-concept story may be employed to allow commentary on an implicit subtext. A prime example of this might be George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, which asks, "What if we lived in a future of totalitarian government?" while simultaneously generating social comment and critique aimed at Orwell's own (real world) contemporary society. Similarly, the Gene Roddenberry SF series Star Trek went beyond the high-concept storytelling of a futurist starship crew, by addressing 20th century social issues in a hypothetical and defamiliarising context.
The term is also applied, often disparagingly, to films that are pitched and developed almost entirely upon such a simply stated premise rather than standing upon complex character study, cinematography, or other strengths that relate more to the artistic execution of a production, rather than simply an engaging high-concept premise with broad appeal. Extreme examples of high-concept films are Snakes on a Plane and Hobo with a Shotgun, which indicate their entire premise in the title.
While nearly every production can be described in a briefly stated high-concept synopsis, a movie described as being 'high-concept' is considered easy to sell to a wide audience because it delivers upon an easy-to-grasp idea.[3] This simple narrative can often be summed up with a single iconic image, such as the theme park logo from Jurassic Park. Along with having genre and aesthetics, high-concept films have marketing guidelines known as: "the look, the hook and the book."[1]
High-concept television series and movies often rely on pre-sold properties such as movie stars to build audience anticipation, and they might use cross-promotional advertising campaigns with links to a soundtrack, music videos, and licensed merchandise such as DVD box sets. They commonly apply market and test screening feedback to alter the narrative to ensure maximum popularity. Some commercial blockbuster movies are built as star vehicles for successful music and sports personalities to enter the movie business. In such commercial vehicles, where the onscreen activity is less important than the saleability of the product brand, a high-concept narrative is often used as a "safe" option to avoid the risk of alienating audiences with a convoluted or overly taxing plot exposition.