After watching the Netflix film The Rip and reading an article where director Joe Carnahan talked about the importance of outlining before writing the screenplay, I arrived at an obvious conclusion.

Outlines can be incredibly helpful. They allow writers to structure complex stories and write efficiently once the blueprint is set.But it also made me consider a not-so-obvious conclusion..I wonder if writers sometimes subconsciously approach stories differently when they know the movie is being made for streaming instead of theatrical release.While watching The Rip, there was a moment where the story felt like it might pivot into something really unexpected. It almost felt like a contained horror scenario with characters trapped in a house and something trying to get inside.I kept hoping the film would lean into that direction.Instead, it felt like the movie stayed very close to its original outline and maybe the streaming environment might have subtly influence how the movie was written.Find me at: storyray.com where you can also book at story consultation Zoom call.

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Storytelling isn’t just about what you describe. It’s also about when you describe it.When people encounter a new scene, they don’t process information randomly. Human perception tends to notice certain things first: larger elements, potential threats, and socially or biologically relevant details. Our brains evolved to sort information that way.When a screenplay or prose description works against that natural flow, the reader may have to mentally reconstruct the scene instead of experiencing it. And that small friction can pull a person out of the story.In this short StoryRay episode, writer and educator MJG explores why the order of description matters in writing, and how understanding human perception can make your pages flow more naturally.StoryRay.com breaks down the craft, culture, and deeper meaning behind storytelling.

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Prefer to watch episode on Youtube ?I don’t claim to have the definitive answer as to what ‘high concept’ really means. There are as many different definitions as there are people who attempt to explain the somewhat elusive, yet highly sought status of a genuinely easy-to-understand idea. How can it be genuine, if there is no one correct answer or defintiton? It’s one of those things that falls into the category of, ‘ I know it when I see it’ and ‘we can all agree’. In this short post I add my own two cents to the conversation on what it means for a story idea to be ‘high concept’.

If you have a different definition of ‘high concept’ hit me up in the comments. I’m eager to expand my own perspective on the subject.

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