That's not true, witness many deals for movie plots, where people simply pitch an idea and outline, and collect, sometimes big, money.
Of course the movie does actually have to be made, and well, to succeed, but the idea for it is valuable in itself, so long as it is actually an original and interesting idea.
A cynic might suggest that VCs spread the "ideas are worthless" meme for their own benefit.
Or perhaps they only ever really encounter the "uber, for doughnuts" type pitches which indeed generally have little value.
Films are not startups. A film is a sum of it's parts in a very even way. A good film must have a good story AND good acting and good cinematography, and good music. When the balance is broken the film suffers in some regards. When that balance is too broken it flops. Also, a film has a life shelf of a month give or take (in Cinema). Businesses hope to last (just a bit) longer.
Of course the movie does actually have to be made, and well, to succeed, but the idea for it is valuable in itself, so long as it is actually an original and interesting idea.
A cynic might suggest that VCs spread the "ideas are worthless" meme for their own benefit.
Or perhaps they only ever really encounter the "uber, for doughnuts" type pitches which indeed generally have little value.