PULP FICTION RSS
HIGH-CONCEPT VS EXECUTION-DRIVEN
The definition of “high-concept” is nebulous. But it can often be described as a logline with which you get the idea at the pitch. For example, you have a sci-fi comedy about a guy who goes back through time and meets his mother; she’s way more into him than his actual dad, so our protagonist has to find a way for his parents to fall in love so he can exist. This is a huge high-concept, and the pitch is right there in the title: BACK TO THE FUTURE. High-concept is indestructible. Various writers can take various takes, and the...
When To Pack It In: Rejection in Screenwriting (The Answer is Never)
If you truly believe your script is great, and you have objective reasons to think that opinion is credible, there is no reason to ever give up on it. The crucial point here is that the reasoning behind the belief must be at least somewhat validated in reality. In other words, if this is the first script you’ve ever written, and everyone who reads it hates it, that might not be the hill to die on. But if you’ve gotten objective third-party reads that have been enthusiastic, and you’ve spent years polishing your craft, and in your heart of hearts...