High Concept Film
What is a ‘mainstream’ high concept film?
This is a model for a film and is used to describe the concept of the Hollywood mainstream, ‘big budget’ film. It originally consisted of a ten point formula that ensured the film conformed to the high concept model.
The criteria for a high concept film includes:
Clearly defined characters, often recognisable in terms of stereotypes and archetypes
A simple narrative with universal themes. This can often be summarised in a single sentence or image that makes it easier to market.
High production values evident in the cinematography, costumes, settings and special effects.
Elements that are easy to market and promote, for example iconic repeatable images, a recognisable soundtrack and potential for merchandising.
High profile stars often related to the film’s genre
‘Larger’ than life protagonists
Visual appeal, including lavish sets and expensive action scenes
Highly dramatic and hyperbolic plot situations
High Concept Film Case Study
No Time To Die
No Time to Die is the twenty-fifth instalment of the James film series produced by Eon Productions. No Time To Die features Daniel Craig in his fifth and final performance as MI6 Agent, James Bond.
James Bond is a clearly defined character within the James Bond film series as there is twenty five instalments. Bond is a fictional MI6 Agent from the James Bond series and at the start of the film No Time To Die, Bond is compared to a ‘wounded animal’ by director Cary Joji Fukunaga.
James Bond is a British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by Ian Fleming who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections.
The short synopsis for the film No Time To Die is available for the public to see, stating that: ‘James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology’.
The synopsis is short, being only two sentences. One short sentence and one long sentence separated by lots of commas. It helps give an overview of what the movie is all about to entice an audience.
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2382320/
The film was shot in several locations, the most prominent ones being Italy, Jamaica, Norway and London in addition to Pinewood Studios. This creates the idea that when filming in those places Bond is actually there or it is being dubbed for places they cannot film.
The film is the first in the series to have sequences shot with 65mm IMAX film cameras. Fukunaga and Sandgren pushed for using film over digital to enhance the look of the film.
The costumes of the film were made by costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb. N Peal worked with Larlarb to develop a piece.
“We wanted to give Bond a unique look in specific scenes of the film,” begins Larlarb, “And yet the piece had to be action-ready. It needed to be a strong silhouette, something that harks back to his military past and which also had a timeless quality to it as well.”
There are several cars in the No Time To Die film, which Aston Martin confirmed that the Aston Martin V8 Vantage would feature along with the DB5, DBS Superleggera and Valhalla models would feature in the film.
There are many things that make James Bond recognisable. For starters the figure ‘007’ is often well referred to when talking about the MI6 Agent. Bond also likes his martini cocktail ‘shaken not stirred’.
However the most recognisable thing about James Bond is the theme song. For the film No Time To Die, Billie Eilish performs the song of the same name and her brother Finneas O’Connell co-wore the song as well as being the producer of the track.
Along with performing the song, Eilish is the youngest person to ever sing the Bond theme at just eighteen years old.
The song is the main theme of the film written under the same name which Eilish will perform at various award shows such as the Brits. Eilish can perform the song and people will recognise it as the theme from No Time To Die.
Billie Eilish Song Review: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/billie-eilish-no-time-to-die/
No Time To Die released character posters to show case the new stars joining the Bond franchise as well as detailing what the characters might look like within the film. The character posters were released on February 10, 2020 so that fans may get a look at the characters.
Since Bond is a well known franchise, casting directors will be able to get high ranking stars to join the film – or may be able to add new talent to the film so that they get recognised else where.
Daniel Craig stars as Bond and is joined by Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lahana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffery Wright, Christopher Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Ana de Armas, Rory Kinnear, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik and Billy Magnussen.
Malek is famous for playing Eillot Alderson in the TV show Mr Robot and also for playing Freddy Mercury in biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
Seydoux has been in films such as Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Midnight In Paris and Robin Hood.
Lynch is famous for playing Rosaline Capulet in the ABC period drama series Still Star-Crosed and fighter pilot Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel.
De Armas rose to prominence with her roles in Blade Runner 2049 and murder mystery drama Knives Out.
James Bond is considered a ‘larger’ than life protagonist since he is always getting into situations that he should die in but always comes back out alive. This shows that he is larger than life and larger than anything thrown at him in his previous films but anything can happen in No Time To Die.
Independent Article: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/james-bond-should-have-died-within-7-minutes-of-skyfall-medical-experts-conclude-10162108.html
The No Time To Die trailer starts with James Bond and Dr Madeleine Swann driving in a car being chased by whom seem to be the antagonists of the film. Bond also looks quite dirty like he’s just been in an explosion of some sort.
Sometime later in the trailer, Bond enters what looks like either a prison or a bank and says the line of: “the name’s Bond. James Bond.” This is iconic to the 007 franchise so will be included in the films.
There is a line in the trailer: “when her secret finds it’s way out, it’ll be the death of you,” could foreshadow what will come in the film and could foreshadow Bond’s death. It could imply that when Swann’s secret get’s out, Bond will end up losing his life. It could also foreshadow the film’s title ‘No Time To Die.’
At the end of the trailer, it shows Bond and Swann in the car again, reflecting on the start of the trailer, being surrounded by the antagonists and ending up shooting at them with the car.
No Time To Die should’ve been released on April 10, 2020 but due to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) the film was pushed back to November 2020.
The new UK release date for No Time To Die is November 12, 2020 and the new US release date is November 25, 2020.
Chloe Nottage Media 