Professional Spec Screenwriting, Part 6: Developing Your Concept

So far, lessons 1-5 are basically the order I use when I begin writing a spec script. However, the one topic that really IS first is your story idea; what us stuffed-shirts call “the concept” because it makes us sound so much more edumacated.

What is a Concept? ?

A screenplay concept is the very basic idea of the film. It gives you an outline of the final story for the main character in your movie. Knowing the core concept of your screenplay is important so that you can develop your loglines to help get you in the door.

In my opinion, the concept is the most important part of screenwriting. Everything hinges on people simply liking your story, and believing that the greater masses will like it, too. Billions of dollars have been lost- and gained- based on this simple decision.

Your endgame should be what drives your concept. I might write about something that I just need to write or want to write, but I know deep down it will never go anywhere, and that’s okay. Don’t let anyone stop you from writing for fun. ?

Other concepts I have are derived specifically with selling the screenplay as my endgame. I still want to write it, but the concept will be skewed with this result as my target. In these cases, I may employ a different kind of writing style- or even a different genre than I normally write in. For marketing purposes, I tend to write more one location stories with few characters in the horror/thriller/comedy genre.

What is "high concept"?

When someone specifies “high concept”, they’re not looking for stoner scripts for Seth Rogan. A “high concept” script is an idea that may or may not have been done before, but you’ve added a significant twist to the general story line to forever change the genre. A high concept film is a premise-driven film with a unique, compelling, and attention-grabbing hook that sets it apart from similar films.

“Found footage” films changed horror movies forever.

“Jaws” changed creature features forever.

It’s safe to say the writers like Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino have mastered the high concept notion of screenwriting.

Here is a checklist of sorts, followed by a movie title that exemplifies that point that may help YOU determine if you have a high concept screenplay:

Your concept…

????*? Has a great premise -the idea is king (Big)

??? *? Has a memorable title - it conveys what the movie is about (Wedding Crashers)

??? *? Has a visual logline - you can see the movie (40-Year-Old Virgin)

??? *? Has universal appeal - all demographics "get it" (Star Trek)

??? *? Has clear conflicts, high stakes, a hook, a ticking clock and/or a twist (Liar Liar)

??? *? Can be summed up succinctly in 30 words or less (Seven, Home Alone)

?(source- SU)

Now, you’ll want to take the idea you have; the one you are determined to write; and try to ELEVATE that idea.

Never go with your first concept idea!

You will find out along the way that there are a hundred different ways to improve on that concept, and you’re selling the concept- and your screenwriting acumen- short.

As an exercise, let's create an ORIGINAL HIGH CONCEPT using this question; the biggest question we humans have.

“IS THERE REALLY A GOD?"

I believe in God - but I’m also a pragmatist. I believe in evidence and have struggled with this question my whole life. By using these formats listed, I developed twelve (or more) additional potential storylines based on my SEED IDEA, which is my initial concept idea.

?SEED IDEA: "A six-year-old girl communicates with an imaginary friend who many people believe is actually God."

Now, I run that seed idea through a series of other questions, or challenges, and force myself to try to take that seed idea to another level.

FORMAT #1: Take it to an extreme:

"A six-year-old girl communicates with a self-created imaginary friend who she believes is God and begins to play God by determining who lives and who dies."

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FORMAT #2: Put two opposites together:

"A six-year-old girl communicates with TWO self-created imaginary friends who turn out to be God and the Devil themselves."

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FORMAT #3: High Stakes

"A six-year-old girl communicates with God and is given the choice to cure dying people- or just herself- from a deadly disease."

FORMAT #4: Unique environment/background

"A six-year-old Muslim girl, adopted by a lesbian mother, communicates with a self-created imaginary friend, who is believed to be God."

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FORMAT #5: Select the Right Main Character

"A six-year-old girl, the daughter of the founder of an atheist organization, talks with an imaginary friend, only to find out that she is actually talking with God".

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FORMAT #6: Special Character Relationships

"A six-year-old girl, who was kidnapped by a dangerous felon, speaks to an imaginary friend, only to discover that she is actually speaking to God."

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FORMAT #7: Unique Dilemma

"A six-year-old girl receives communication from God but is unable to convey this news to anyone due to her severe mental handicap."

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FORMAT #8: What If's

"A six-year-old girl is believed to be communicating with God, but it turns out to be the Devil instead!"

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FORMAT #9: Give it a twist

"A six-year-old girl who communicates with God, abuses her power by flaunting it, bribing people and creating an evil television personality- herself!"

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FORMAT #10: Change sex, race, age, species, etc.

"A fifty-year old former television executive believes he is in direct communication with God and attempts to control the television industry"

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FORMAT #11: Reverse the norm

"A six-year-old girl, who believes to be communicating with God, cannot convince her family or others and they fail to heed warnings of global destruction"

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FORMAT #12: Unique Plan/strategy

"A six-year-old, girl who believes that she is communicating with God, attempts to build an ark after being warned of an upcoming global disaster."

You might enjoy this exercise of coming up with different concepts, so I added a few more because I couldn’t help myself:?

"A six-year-old girl, who, along with her mother, are part of the Witness Protection Program, creates and talks with an imaginary friend, only to find out that she is actually talking with God".

"A newly elected Congresswoman, who is also a well-known High Priestess of the Wiccan religion, has a six-year daughter who creates and speaks to an imaginary friend, only to find out that the "friend" is actually the voice of God."

"A six-year-old girl and daughter of a struggling blues-singing mother, creates and talks to an imaginary friend, only to find out that this "friend" is actually the disembodied voice of the greatest female blues singer of all time- Janis Joplin."

"A six-year-old girl, who, as a baby, was kidnapped from a murder scene, creates and speaks to an imaginary friend, only to learn that this imaginary friend is actually the voice of her murdered mother!"

"A six-year-old girl creates an imaginary friend who is believed to be the voice of God, and is represented by a famous television evangelist, who, deep inside, questions the actual existence of a Higher Power".

"The mother of a six-year-old girl who talks to God fears exposing this news to the public due to her being pursued by a violent drug abuser and batterer- the child's father".

"A six-year-old girl is found to be communicating with God but is unable to tell the public what he says because God is speaking English, and the child only understands French!" (just for laughs!)

"A six-year-old girl creates an imaginary friend, who has the voice of James Earl Jones, and goes to Las Vegas with her new ventriloquist act!"

Now, I've created 20 elevated concepts based on a seed idea that I personally, would probably never write. However, while not crazy about the original seed idea for a movie script or TV pilot, I COULD (and would) write any of these 20 elevated concepts. Their intrigue level increased exponentially, and each one is far more compelling than the original concept. ?

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WRITER'S BIO: Mr. Scala spent 24-plus years in the Hollywood community and was the Executive Director for the?72nd Annual Academy Awards,?as well as The Soul Train Awards,?The Grammys,?The Blockbuster Video Awards Show?and?The Saturn Awards Show. With three produced features- "Assassin 33 A.D.",?"Black Easter"?and?"The Tombs" (all are currently available on Amazon Prime and Tubi).

The Script Mentor continues to mentor over 550 new writers and authors and is available-for-hire for original screenplays, adaptations, ghostwriting, or rewrites.

This article series is sponsored, in part, by TSM Screenplay and Novel Marketing Services. Recently, The Script Mentor partnered with Erica Starr Enterprises (Social Media Marketing Business Plan - Erica Starr Enterprises) and created TSM Screenplay and Novel Marketing to help screenwriters and authors publicize and market their projects and themselves.

Contact us today for your screenwriting or marketing needs!

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