Concept is Everything When You Pitch!

by Hal Croasmun

You're about to start another screenplay. You've got a new character or scene idea and you want to jump right to the fun part - the writing. Already dialogue and settings are springing to mind. Other characters are joining this one and the conflict is brewing.

Before you write this script, consider one thing - Is it marketable?

I know that depresses the mood, but keep imagining the part where your script sells for six-figures and creates industry buzz about you - the writer. Feel better, yet? Or don't you believe it can sell for six-figures? Maybe you better check that concept to see how marketable it is.

Let me show you what I mean. If you make a cold call pitching your script to a WGA agent or producer, what response do you expect to get? "NO UNSOLICITED MATERIAL ACCEPTED!" Isn't that what usually happens?

MARKETABLE CONCEPTS IN ACTION

Last year, my wife (Cheryl) and I made cold calls to producers and agents. We transcribed the calls for a group of screenwriters who were learning from our experience. Here are two calls that show the value of a marketable concept.

PRODUCER: Blah Blah entertainment
CHERYL: Hi there, I'd like to send a query and wondering who to send it to and how I should send it.
PRODUCER: We don't actually accept unsolicited materials. Was this referred by somebody or what?
CHERYL: It's a feature script. It's a (3 word logline.)
PRODUCER: Okay, you can send it, but it may not be looked at right now because, you know, obviously, we're on a movie right now. And we're in the process of hiring a new development person.
CHERYL: Okay.
PRODUCER: Send it to (name with spelling). and the fax number is (number), but do not send a script.
CHERYL: I won't send a script. Just fax the query.
PRODUCER: Thank you.
CHERYL: You're welcome, bye.

At the time, we had created a three-word concept that was easy to blurt out. Out of 40 producers (all with deals with a studio), 35 of them accepted the query letter and gave us a specific person to deal with on the call back. Of the 35, more than 20 of them asked for the script.

All of the calls were unsolicited. At the time, we didn't have representation. So, why did they violate their own policy? Because we offered something more valuable than the policy - a HIGH CONCEPT.

WHAT IS A HIGH CONCEPT?

When a studio or production company refers to a High Concept, they mean a story idea that has all four of these components:

1. It is unique.
2. It appeals to a wide audience.
3. It can be said in one sentence and...you instantly see the whole movie.

For a producer, a high concept means there is a much better chance they'll be able to get financing or distribution because it is much easier to market a High Concept. Since the decision to greenlight a movie is dependent on the studio's belief in it's marketability, a highly marketable concept becomes very attractive to a producer.

But what about agents?

AGENT: Hello. Blah, Blah agency.
CHERYL: Hi. I heard you were looking for an action-thriller script.
AGENT: We don't accept submissions.
CHERYL: It's a (three word logline) script and--
AGENT: Told ya, we don't accept submissions . . . but that sounds kinda interesting. Why don't you go ahead and fax it over.
CHERYL: Who should I fax it to?
AGENT: (name) Fax number is (number.)
CHERYL: Okay, I'll get this off to you this morning.
AGENT: I'll be here for another thirty minutes.

Three times, an agent directly told us "no," but changed their mind when they heard the concept of the script. Why? Agents are about money. They want writers who will generate commissions. When the agent in the call above changed his mind, it was because he heard MONEY in that call.

WHERE DO MARKETABLE CONCEPTS COME FROM?

If you're going to spend 6 months to one year writing a script, isn't it worth spending a week coming up with the most marketable concept before you go to all that effort? As you saw in the calls above, a marketable concept can work magic in Hollywood.

Screenplay concepts can come from many areas - a conflict you encounter, an issue you believe in, a character that haunts you, a news item, or one of a hundred other places. The concept you choose for your scripts is usually one of the first decisions you make and from a marketing perspective, it can be one of the most important.

When I asked Cheryl, she said "A lot of writers think high concept and great character pieces are in opposition to each other. But what if you had the ability to create both great characters and a high concept? You'd be one of the most wanted writers in Hollywood."

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Since I believe creating a marketable concept is essential to our success as screenwriters, I've analyzed many marketable concepts and outlined a variety of strategies for creating high concepts. Here, let's watch a marketing concept as it is being created. Imagine this thought process as you read the steps a writer may have gone through to create this idea.

Basic Idea: Police use a criminal to catch another criminal.

Take to extreme: Police use an incarcerated serial killer to catch a serial killer who kidnaps and skins young women.

Special Character Relationship: A cannibalistic psychiatrist helps an innocent/new female FBI agent.

Marketable Concept: While on the trail of a psychopath who skins young girls, a brand new female FBI agent enlists the help of a brilliant, but cannibalistic psychiatrist, who gets into her mind and plays psychotic games with her head.

Title: "The Silence of The Lambs" named after the FBI agent's biggest fear.

So this movie idea used 2 of the 12 High Concept formats that are presented in the program "High Concepts Sell: Creating Marketable Screenplay Ideas." But those two were enough to build an amazing movie around.

Obviously, this is a simplified version of what happens in the creation of a marketable concept. In truth, a marketable concept may just pop into your mind if you ask one of these questions or it may take months of brainstorming. Our experience has been that you can usually come up with four or five marketable concepts within a weekend just by using this and the other techniques designed for creating movie concepts.

Now take a serious look at your script idea. Is it marketable?

If it is, you can enjoy every moment of writing it, knowing that it will increase your chances of having a successful career in Hollywood.

Soon, I'll be hearing buzz about you.

High Concept Sells:
Creating Marketable Screenplay Ideas

In six days, you'll learn how to improve any screenplay idea to make it more marketable. Even more important, you'll have the tools to create High Concept ideas. If you aren't already a master at creating High Concept ideas, this program can dramatically increase your chances of your script being read and sold.

1. What a High Concept is and why it sells.
2. How to shift a good idea to a marketable idea.
3. Twelve formats for creating marketable ideas.
4. How to present your idea in the most powerful way possible.

No one offers a course like this. If you're serious about being a screenwriter, you need to be in this class. Find out about the class.

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