EAF2502 Shots in the Dark: American Film in Profile
‘High concept addresses how [...] economic and institutional changes – including the
conglomeration of the film industry and the rise of television, new marketing methods, and
changing distribution strategies – have extended and modified some significant traits of
[Classical Hollywood]’ (Justin Wyatt, High Concept: Movies and Marketing in Hollywood)
Discuss the features that characterise ‘high-concept’ filmmaking, with reference to any TWO
post-1950s films, ONE of which should be a module film.
Films Chosen: Jaws (1975) Steven Spielberg
Speed (1994) Jan de Bont
Films with ‘high-concept’ filmmaking have several notable conventions that, if applied
according to the societal contexts of that time, can extremely contribute to the financial
success of a film. Defined by their capability to attract viewers, high concept films extremely
effected the Hollywood film industry by bringing audiences back into the cinema as well as
attracting alternative international audiences. When analysing the typical conventions ‘high-
concept’ filmmaking, I can refer to Justin Wyatt’s list on aspects that define a high-concept
film such as the combination a simple narrative, image or song association to the film, pre-
sold stars, subject matter and merchandising tie-ins can define a high-concept film (Wyatt, 3).
I will be analysing two particular films which exemplify these conventions. Though both
films were produced in contrastingly different phases of American film production, both
Jaws (1975) and Speed (1994) constitute as successful high-concept films by attracting
audiences and being an enormous success at box office. Particularly in both, the films
marketing strategies in connection to the simplicity of the initial narrative idea, contribute to
the success of both films at attracting audiences and creating profits. Typical of a high-
, EAF2502 Shots in the Dark: American Film in Profile
concept film, both plot lines are condensed and simplified in order to make room for the
spectacle and at dramatic intensity to particular moments which I will be further analysing.
Steel argues that a simplistic and clear marketable strategy is a central feature of a high
concept film, such as marketing that could be successful by films “whose themes could be
explained in a sentence or two” (Steel, 98). In relation to this, I will be arguing this idea that
an intriguing initial simple premise that can be reflected in the advertising of the film and
focus on spectacle, can be seen as the most important asset of a ‘high-concept’ film. In both
films the narrative is simple, and both plots play on this typical ‘high concept’ narrative
convention of Good versus Evil. In Speed, the villain is Howard Payne, a calculating and
temperamental terrorist who attempts to bomb a public bus full of passengers. However, in
Jaws, the shark is the force of evil that terrorizes the small seaside town of Amity Island.
Though a simple narrative, I will be analysing how both directors are successful in utilising
skilful formal compositions that exceed the audiences’ expectations set out to them by the
initial marketing of the films in relation to their individual contexts.
The most recognisable feature of high concept filmmaking can be seen to be the use
of a simple idea that can have the ability to attract a broad spectator appeal and therefore be
sold to a wider audience. Guber supports this by commenting how a “high concept can be
understood as a narrative which is very straightforward, easily communicated, and easily
comprehended” (qtd. in Wyatt, 8). This was particularly important in the context of the
1990’s in which Speed was produced. New distribution technologies such as the arrival of
home video, radically changed the Hollywood Business model and forced change the types of
films they produce in order to appeal to a variety of different audiences and produce
international revenue stream. Due to the increased variety of additional audiences,
Hollywood was forced adapt its content to change the types of films they produce in order to
