Premise vs Concept
Writers and executives tend to use these two words interchangeably. When we ask “what’s the concept” we’re really asking “what’s it about?” And when we ask “what’s the premise” we’re really asking…the same thing? Kinda? Right? Not really.
“Concept” is plot-based. It tends to be where we start with our stories, with questions like “What if aliens took over my home town?” Or “What if I fell in love with the wrong guy/girl?” If you’re in the shower and an idea pops into your head it’s probably a conceptual framework for a movie or television show. It’s the big idea. The thing that we’d first tell someone if they asked what we’re writing. So for example, the concept of THE MATRIX is something like…“In a dystopian future, a hero fights to free humanity from an evil intelligence which has imprisoned the human race within an elaborate computer simulation.”
But the premise, like any premise, is an argument. And this is where the theme of our story comes into play. So while the concept of The Matrix is as stated above, the premise is encapsulated in the following statement: “It’s better to live a difficult and terrifying truth than a comfortable lie.” Everything in the film is built around this idea, but there’s a counter-argument that’s plausibly pitted against it. This is why Morpheus offers Neo the blue pill v. red pill: He has to pick his truth. And it’s why Cypher betrays them, because the guy just can’t live in the hardship of their reality anymore. As he memorably states…”I know this steak doesn’t exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize? Ignorance is bliss.” Some would argue that he has a point. So the core argument amounts to “The Truth Will Set You Free” vs. “Ignorance Is Bliss.”
Why is this so important? Because The Matrix would be a dry and futile exercise without the premise backing up the concept; a B-movie that none of us would remember other than the cool effects. It’s a good idea to look at all of your favorite movies and test this out. List the concept and then note the premise that’s backing it up. The best movies often have very interesting arguments to play out, with a protagonist and antagonist pitted on opposite sides of the debate. Some are won by force (action), others by gentle persuasion (romantic comedies), but it’s virtually impossible to craft a great story without a meaningful premise.
