Unit 3 - The High Concept

1. 'Post Generic' Filmmaking
Top Gun (1986, directed by Tony Scott) is an example of a High Concept film. The High Concept model is represented as a ten-point formula. The film is made up of 3 genres: Action, Romance, and Drama which therefore makes the movie a hybrid genre because it has more than one genre. By combining these three tradional genres together the film is more likely to appeal to a wider audience: the action is likely to draw in the male attention with the drama and romance will attract the female attention. Doing this could also make the film more popular therefore earning more.
Top Gun is based around the character Maverick (Tom Cruise). Mavericks confidence is knocked when he is trying to win the Top Gun trophy with his best friend Goose (Anthony Edwards) dies in an accident during training. The movie focuses on how maverick's confidence is knocked and what he is now going to do with his career as he feels he is unable to go on with out Goose. however it is built back up again when he falls for the teacher Charlie (Kelly McGillis)
2. Use of extended montages
An extended montages are used to show the passing of time. The use of extended montages are becoming more commonly used in High Concept films. InTop Gun to show the use of extended monatges 'Highway to the Dangerzone' is played and then it shows the passing of time. A good example of this is at the start of the film when the fighter planes are being prepared for take off while 'Highway to the Dangerzone' is playing to the time passing by.
3. Design reflects advertising styles
Advertising is very important to making a film profitable. Top Gun was an early High Concept film, meaning that not a lot of money was spent on advertising as it would be today in a top Hollywood film. Top Gun released posters alongside the film, these posters were very simple and showed very little of what the film was about. The main poster showed Maverick and Charlie together with a fighter plane under the movie title. Another poster shows Maverick and Charlie again but on a motorcycle with the American flag flying in the background. This poster could be connotations to the film with the American flag showing patriotism to the audience.
4. Easily replicated in publicity
The trailer for Top Gun shows when they first arrive at Top Gun, it shows an introduction to what Top Gun is about and what they do. Further on into the trailer it shows some of the fighter planes in action. The trailer shows some of the storyline but does not give away the ending, it also introduces the main character of the film to the audience.