CONSTRUCTING A HIGH CONCEPT: Minority Report

(2002; screenplay by Scott Frank and Jon Cohen, based on short story by Phillip K. Dick; directed by Steven Spielberg)


Minority Report can be viewed as an example of constructing a high concept for a story by putting a NEW TWIST on classic antecedents and/or a specific inspiration.

In this case, I’m going to posit that Philip K. Dick came up with the concept for his short story “Minority Report” in the shadow of Isaac Asimov’s “Robot Laws” concepts. 

For the record, “I, Robot,” Isaac Asimov’s short story collection, was published in 1950 and the short story “Minority Report,” by Philip K. Dick, was published in 1956.

Let’s look at this Macro Structure...

I, Robot:

1) Introduce a NEW TECHNOLOGY guided by a set of "Rules," first among these being: Robots are programmed so that they cannot harm humans. 

2) Introduce a Crime that is a SEEMING CONTRADICTION to these Rules: a Robot kills a human.  How is this possible? 

3) A Character must solve this mystery.  That's our main Story Engine.

Minority Report:

1) The Pre-Cogs are flawless predictors of murder.

2) The Pre-Cogs predict that the Chief of Pre-Crime, John Anderton, will murder a man he’s never met in less than 48 hours.  Can this be true?

3) John Anderton must go on the run to find the truth and save his own life.

The great thing about this construction is that it is a PROVEN TEMPLATE for a Science Fiction narrative. 

The form is classical, it’s up for grabs, but the details are yours. 

So you, fair screenwriter, can use it to create your own million-dollar high concept.

So what’s your Science Fiction high concept?

-Daniel Calvisi
www.actfourscreenplays.com
copyright (c) Daniel Calvisi 2005-2006

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Footnotes:
Isaac Asimov’s “Three laws of Robots” were stated as follows:
·    A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
·    A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
·    A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

“I, Robot,” Isaac Asimov short story collection, published 1950.  The “Three Laws of Robots” first written about in a short story called “Runaround” published in 1942.

“Minority Report,” Philip K. Dick, short story published 1956.