High concept, in film, is a term typically used to refer to the style and mode of production developed by Hollywood studios in the late 1970s. The term has also been claimed to originate from the marketing and management work of media executives Barry Diller and Michael Eisner at the ABC network in the 1960s. Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975) and George Lucas' Star Wars (1977) are commonly referred to as the first high concept movies. However, some argue that some blockbusters from the past, such as Casablanca and Citizen Kane, were high concept movies in that they explored broad themes with a universal appeal (1950's D.O.A. for instance). [1] This article is about motion pictures. ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Barry Diller at the Web 2. ... Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) was CEO of The Walt Disney Company from September 22, 1984 to September 30, 2005. ... Look up ABC in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Abbreviation ABC is an abbreviation with many meanings: The Latin alphabet, of which A, B, and C are the first three letters. ... Steven Spielberg (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director and producer. ... It has been suggested that Orca (Jaws boat) be merged into this article or section. ... // January 28 - George Lucas creates the second draft of what would eventually become Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. ... George Walton Lucas, Jr. ... This movie poster for Star Wars depicts many of the films important elements, such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters Star Wars, retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1981 (see note at Title,) is the original (and in chronological... // Events In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network. ... Blockbuster, as applied to film or theater, denotes a very popular and/or successful production. ... This article is about the 1942 film. ... Citizen Kane is a 1941 mystery/drama film released by RKO Pictures and directed by Orson Welles, his first feature film. ... D.O.A. is a 1950 movie considered a classic of the film noir genre. ...

The plot of a high concept movie is easily understood by audiences, and can often be described in a sentence or two, and succinctly summarized by the movie's title. High concept movies feature relatively simple characters and a heavy reliance on conventions of film genre. Stylistically, high concept movies tend to be high-tech, crisp, and polished. Such movies also rely on pre-sold properties such as movie stars to build audience anticipation, and use heavy advertising, market research, and test screenings to ensure maximum popularity. Some high concept movies are built as star vehicles for successful music and sports personalities to enter the movie business. Often high concept movies are pitched as combinations of existing high concept movies, or unique twists on existing titles. In film theory, genre refers to the primary method of film categorization. ... A movie star or film star is a celebrity who is a person known for his or her roles in motion pictures. ...

High concept movies also have a presence outside of theaters, and usually have soundtrack and music video tie-ins to cross-promote the movie. Promotional tie-ins can extend into dozens of venues; a common occurrence is themed products sold at fast-food restaurants. In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Fast food is food cooked in bulk and in advance and kept warm, or reheated to order. ...

"High concept" is sometimes used as a derogatory term by movie critics, to refer to movies that pander to the lowest common denominator and are only concerned with financial profit.

Another aspect that should be noted about high concept films is that the plot typically revolves around themes of popular fascination and not on people. e.g. Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. Thus, high concept refers to a movie's plot being driven by a "high" concept.

Prime Examples

• Jurassic Park
• Jaws
• The Terminator
• Star Wars
• Independence Day
• Snakes on a Plane
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• 300

Jurassic Park is a 1993 science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. ... It has been suggested that Orca (Jaws boat) be merged into this article or section. ... The Terminator (also known as Terminator in some early trailers and posters) is a 1984 science fiction/action film featuring former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger in what would become his best-known role, and also starred Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn. ... This article is about the series. ... Independence Day (also known as its promotional abbreviation ID4) is an Academy Award winning science fiction film directed by Roland Emmerich. ... Snakes on a Plane is a cult high concept,[1] horror-thriller feature film[2] starring Samuel L. Jackson. ... Halloween Town redirects here. ... 300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, and is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. ...

References

• The ScreenWritersVault Creating High Concept
• Wyatt, Justin. High Concept. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1994. ISBN 0-292-79091-0
• Heitmuller, Karl."Sometimes 'High Concept' Is Just Plain Old Awful." MTV News, July 11, 2006.