Why First Time Screenwriters Need A High Concept Script by Karl Iglesias Video Lecture | Screenwriting: From Beginner to a Pro - Career Development

Film Courage:  What are the top five screenwriters
that someone should study?
Karl Iglesias:  Wow…well if you go to the
101 Habits  [Editor’s Note - Karl Iglesias’s
book The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters]
there are 14 of the top writers I recommend. 
You can see their work and the new version
(10th anniversary edition) had 18 new writers
like Tony Gilroy and Terry Rossio, all the
big names. 
Between the two, you have many writers, your
mentors and their advice to you.
In terms of writers I admire, Pixar, Pixar
storytellers, Brad Bird, John Lasseter. 
The thing with John Lasseter that is really
interesting is…just to show you the power
that he had as a storyteller. 
When Disney bought Pixar and John Lasseter
became the head of animation, all of the Disney
animation movies have been successful, like
really great storytelling starting with BOLT,
all the way to TANGLED, FROZEN, to the latest
one UTOPIA. 
So these are not Pixar movies but you can
see the PIXAR touch in them and they have
been successful with audiences. 
So it kind of shows you that he’s had quite
and influence at Disney. 
So yeah, I admire him, and hundreds and hundreds
of other writers.
Film Courage:  When you were in High School
or College, what were some of your favorite
screenplays where you thought “I’ve just
got to do something like this!”
Karl Iglesias:  Well for me it was mostly
genre. 
I’ve always been a sci-fi person, specifically
futuristic as opposed to sci-fi (I like to
make that distinction). 
Futuristic is more about in the future but
on Earth, as opposed to Star Trek, Star Wars,
you know space ships in space. 
I tend to gravitate toward more thought-provoking
stories like BLADE RUNNER, THE MATRIX, INCEPTION,
anything that has a really thought-provoking
story and concept taking place on Earth in
the future. 
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND is a
favorite of mine, so any thought-provoking
movie I tend to like. 
Film Noir, futuristic, thrillers. 
I still remember the day I saw SILENCE OF
THE LAMBS, an advanced screening of it. 
And it was the very first movie where I totally
was not aware of anything else. 
I remember the lights went down and you watched
the movie and the next thing I knew, the lights
coming on. 
It was like “Oh, my God. 
Two hours went by and I was completely mesmerized
from beginning to end, every second. 
That has never happened before in a movie. 
That was the first time I remember being so
taken and engaged by a movie.
Film Courage:  What do you think it was that
made you taken with it?
Karl Iglesias:   Just great craftsmanship. 
It was just amazing. 
Everything about it. 
It was an interesting story, compelling characters,
great relationships, fantastic twists and
cleverness, caring about not only the main
character but caring about the villain. 
Just great craftsmanship. 
Kudos to Thomas Harris who wrote the book,
it was very close to the movie. 
And to Ted Tally who wrote the screenplay
and Jonathan Demme who directed it. 
I mean this was one of the very few movies
that swept the top five Oscars. 
You have best movie, best director, best screenplay,
best actor, best actress. 
There haven’t been that many movies in the
history of movies that have received the best
five. 
It’s considered the pantheon of movies. 
I remember the first one was IT HAPPENED ONE
NIGHT with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert,
that was another favorite of mine. 
I believe ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
also won all top five awards if I’m not
mistaken? 
But I think SILENCE OF THE LAMBS WAS THE LAST
ONE. 
I’ll have to research that but I remember
when I saw it thinking ‘Oh my, God. 
If anyone else has this same experience it’s
going to be great, a classic, it will sweep
the Oscars, I mean everything. 
And I was rooting for that film. 
I remember watching the Oscars when that happened
and just being like “Wow!” 
It’s one of my all time favorites. 
And then BLADE RUNNER is one of my top favorites. 
Although that didn’t do as well when it
opened and it was actually considered a flop
and only became a classic through word of
mouth and the sheer visual of the story.
Film Courage:  It’s an interesting concept
when something doesn’t show the [box office]
numbers but then this cult audience finds
it…
Karl Iglesias:  Yes. 
There are quite a few movies like this. 
SHAWSHENK REDEMPTION is another one.
It kind of flopped when it opened at the box
office but then created a life of its own
from the sheer audience. 
It’s like “Wow! 
They responded to it.”
Film Courage:  What is that about?
Karl Iglesias:  Mostly I think it is about
concept. 
I mean when you look at the concept for SHAWSHENK
REDEMPTION there is nothing appealing about
it, right? 
It’s a movie about two people in prison. 
Okay? 
But when you experience it….And this is
a lesson for writers in that just because
you don’t have a high concept….now with
a beginning writer a high concept is paramount.
  It helps you because it helps you break
in because your script will be requested and
then once they get the script in front of
them and it’s well executed then you’re
on your way in. 
So I don’t recommend having low concepts
when you’re a beginner, but in this case….I
mean it was Frank Darabont, Stephen King’s
novella, but it was a low concept. 
There was nothing that made it appealing,
so it didn’t really drive audiences to the
theaters at the time but the execution is
masterful. 
So once you’re in the door and you experience
it, you’re like “Oh, my God!” and then
you tell others and word of mouth. 
That is how it happens. 
So that is the case with that.
QUESTION FOR THE VIEWERS:  Can you name a
movie that has won all 5 major awards at the
Oscars?