[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: What is high concept?
Kaia Alexander, CEO/founder of the Entertainment Business School/Podcast Host/ Author: If you think about what buyers want in this industry, they want commercial projects. That means they just want the maximum number of eyeballs on a movie or on a TV show. Thinking about what makes something high concept, it makes it easier to sell. It means it translates through. The execs and the marketing departments go I know how to sell that. I know who I’m selling that to and the concept, the logline, the title of your movie (of your show) essentially sells itself.
Lena Dunham‘s Girls HBO, whatever that is, it’s set in New York. That sounds great, a bunch of girls struggling in their 20s in New York. If a title can sell it, it tends to be high concept.
If you have something high concept:
-It starts with the title
-Goes into the logline (but suggests a demographic)
-Suggests who is going to watch it
-It’s sold to your first reader who is that exec as “Oh my gosh, this is so fun!” They get it and they instantly connect to it without you having to do a lot of explaining.
-High Concepts don’t require any explanation.
It’s Batman Versus Superman. Oh yeah, I want to see them fight. I didn’t have to explain that to you. All I had to say was…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
About:
Kaia Alexander is the CEO/founder of the Entertainment Business School, and host of the Hollywood Wolfpack podcast. She was a development executive on many feature films including JUST FRIENDS (with Ryan Reynolds), PEACEFUL WARRIOR (with Nick Nolte), THE GOOD NIGHT (Gwyneth Paltrow & Penelope Cruz), and HACHI: A DOG’S TALE (with Richard Gere). She was mentored by comedian Garry Shandling. A lifelong history nerd, she’s an award-winning novelist for her book about the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria, Written in the Ashes (Harper Collins). As a writer/producer brand is badass, adventurous women. She’s a passionate advocate for New Hollywood diversity, parity and inclusion. If you ever corner her at a party, be sure to ask her about her passion for surfing. She’s proud to be the BQ in LGBTQ.
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