High Concept: Movies and Marketing in Hollywood Export

@book{citeulike:1037157, abstract = {Steven Spielberg once said, "I like ideas, especially movie ideas, that you can hold in your hand. If a person can tell me the idea in twenty-five words or less, it's going to make a pretty good movie." Spielberg's comment embodies the essence of the high concept film, which can be condensed into one simple sentence that inspires marketing campaigns, lures audiences, and separates success from failure at the box office. This pioneering study explores the development and dominance of the high concept movie within commercial Hollywood filmmaking since the late 1970s. Justin Wyatt describes how box office success, always important in Hollywood, became paramount in the era in which major film studios passed into the hands of media conglomerates concerned more with the economics of filmmaking than aesthetics. In particular, he shows how high concept films became fully integrated with their marketing, so that a single phrase ("Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water . . .") could sell the movie to studio executives and provide copy for massive advertising campaigns; a single image or a theme song could instantly remind potential audience members of the movie, and tie-in merchandise could generate millions of dollars in additional income.}, author = {Wyatt, Justin}, citeulike-article-id = {1037157}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike09-20&path=ASIN/0292790902}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike01-21&path=ASIN/0292790902}, citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike06-21&path=ASIN/0292790902}, citeulike-linkout-3 = {http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0292790902/citeulike00-21}, citeulike-linkout-4 = {http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike07-20&path=ASIN/0292790902}, citeulike-linkout-5 = {http://www.worldcat.org/isbn/0292790902}, citeulike-linkout-6 = {http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0292790902}, citeulike-linkout-7 = {http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?keywords=0292790902&index=books&linkCode=qs}, citeulike-linkout-8 = {http://www.librarything.com/isbn/0292790902}, howpublished = {Hardcover}, isbn = {0292790902}, keywords = {1980s, american, auteur, blockbuster, broadway, cinema, classical, coppola, culture, distribution, film, globalization, history, hollywood, home\_video, industry, robert\_altman, spielberg, television}, posted-at = {2007-01-12 01:44:48}, priority = {0}, publisher = {University of Texas Press}, title = {High Concept: Movies and Marketing in Hollywood}, url = {http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike07-20&path=ASIN/0292790902} }

TY - BOOK ID - citeulike:1037157 L3 - citeulike-article-id:1037157 N2 - Steven Spielberg once said, "I like ideas, especially movie ideas, that you can hold in your hand. If a person can tell me the idea in twenty-five words or less, it's going to make a pretty good movie." Spielberg's comment embodies the essence of the high concept film, which can be condensed into one simple sentence that inspires marketing campaigns, lures audiences, and separates success from failure at the box office. This pioneering study explores the development and dominance of the high concept movie within commercial Hollywood filmmaking since the late 1970s. Justin Wyatt describes how box office success, always important in Hollywood, became paramount in the era in which major film studios passed into the hands of media conglomerates concerned more with the economics of filmmaking than aesthetics. In particular, he shows how high concept films became fully integrated with their marketing, so that a single phrase ("Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water . . .") could sell the movie to studio executives and provide copy for massive advertising campaigns; a single image or a theme song could instantly remind potential audience members of the movie, and tie-in merchandise could generate millions of dollars in additional income. SN - 0292790902 TI - High Concept: Movies and Marketing in Hollywood PB - University of Texas Press KW - 1980s KW - american KW - auteur KW - blockbuster KW - broadway KW - cinema KW - classical KW - coppola KW - culture KW - distribution KW - film KW - globalization KW - history KW - hollywood KW - home_video KW - industry KW - robert_altman KW - spielberg KW - television AU - Wyatt, Justin UR - http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=citeulike09-20&path=ASIN/0292790902 ER -