Tired of not getting any bites on your queries and pitches? Your idea is the bait: Find one that is both personal and commercial.
A great script with a dull idea is a dull script. Learn tools like Maginification, Flipping, Substitution, Cousins, Word Association, why High Concept is *Your* Concept, and find your personal themes in high concept ideas. This is "Pitchfest Season" and your pitch will live or die on its idea. Make sure yours is great! Don't write 110 pages on a bland idea. Find the idea that you love...and producers will love!
When you pitch your screenplay, the first thing they're going to ask is, "What's it about? What is the idea? The concept. Now it's up to your concept to get them to read the script. At a pitchfest, they listen to concepts all day long. When they read all of the inquiries, it's the same thing. You need a concept that rises above the rest. A high concept.
Some people mistakenly believe that high concept means high budget, but actually the opposite is true. A great high concept costs less to produce than a non-high concept screenplay. William C Martell has made a living for the past 25 years selling high concept screenplays to cable networks like HBO and Showtime, as well as to studios and indie producers. He will take you step-by-step through the process of finding the kind of idea that producers love...and that are personal stories. Sound impossible? All you need are the tools that this podcast provides and a great imagination!
