Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!
If you were missing our weekly Best o/t Web, I’m afraid in this instance we’ll have to blame Google. We had set up a great workflow that would allow us to sift through 1,000+ blog posts weekly and bring you the top 1 percent… Unfortunately Google decided to change the technology behind their Google Reader, forcing … Read more
If you’re not a socialist, beware… This talk could make you one. David Simon explains and criticizes the way profit has become the sole purpose of capitalist America. You may want to have a drink ready. David Simon created my all-time favorite TV drama series, The Wire. The show provided a sharp observation of … Read more
Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.
Last week we linked to Michael Hauge’s lecture on High Concept. Known for his “Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds,” while he was in Australia, Michael also did his pitching spiel. Here’s the 21 Mins summary of the “60 Secs” lecture.
This is not about how to approach a pitch meeting, but rather what to do when you have the producer, agent etc. on the phone, at a pitchfest or in a networking situation. It’s really about those rare, super short windows of opportunity you might have with someone in power.
Here’s Michael’s first tip:
“The first thing you have to avoid in that situation is trying to tell your story. It’s the biggest mistake most writers or filmmakers make, when pitching their project.”
Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.
Earlier this year Screen Australia invited Michael Hauge again, this time to explain to local screenwriters what High Concept means. If you’re still struggling with that concept, this video might help.
If you don’t have the time to watch the whole video – despite the thorough editing there’s a lot of silence in between the words – here is Michael Hauge’s definition in one sentence:
“A high concept is a story concept that is strong enough that it will draw an audience without any other components. It is not dependent on casting, name director, execution, good worth of mouth, […] it is simply the story idea alone that will promise an emotional experience.”
Obviously the key skill is not in knowing this definition; it is in being able to find an idea that fits the definition.
Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.
