Who or what leads the action of the story? In Star Wars, that's obvious: Luke Skywalker. The Nitty-Grittyįinal tips for creating an effective and intriguing logline: The minor details don’t matter keep the focus on the main plot to write a strong logline. Now, clearly, the lead’s storyline is more life-or-death, but Jennifer gets sidetracked with the details of the secondary characters, because she’s so rooted in the intricacies of the story. Whenever we ask about her latest script, she will talk for hours, explaining how - for instance - a mailman delivers a letter, which tells the secondary character that she didn’t get in to college, while the lead character is busy stuck in a jail cell in Tijuana. Our friend Jennifer has the hardest time pitching a story. This minor adjustment would allow the scene to have its impact and still get the message across. “An encounter with the law leaves Ashley worried.”). They should have left the detail out or worded it differently (i.e. It was meant to be a shock, but the shock was lost when the viewer read that logline. The hit and run incident ends up being a major plotline in the following episodes. How many times have you read the description for a TV episode on your DVR and realized the plot’s been spoiled before it’s even aired? We recently watched an episode of Pretty Little Liars, and this was part of the logline: “Ashley is involved in a hit-and-run accident.”Ī little bit of context: Ashley is the mother of one of the show’s leads. However, loglines should not spoil the entire plot of a show, film, or book. So, for instance, the classic “In space, no one can hear you scream,” from Alien, or even “One man's struggle to take it easy,” from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off are not loglines.Ĭan analogies and taglines be useful? Sure! But, when you submit your work for notes or in a query letter, executives need something more informative about the plot. Keep in mind: a tagline is also not a logline. But, be aware, these analogies are not loglines. What’s the Difference Between a Logline and a Tagline?Īt some point, you’ve probably heard a pitch similar to “It’s like Die Hard meets Bridesmaids!” There are times when film or television executives want to hear what other films your project resembles. It seems simple, but the art of writing a compelling logline can elude even the most established writer. Also, make sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter Is a Logline? Defined simply, the logline is a single sentence (sometimes two) that answers the basic question “what is your story about?” In everyday life, you might encounter a logline most frequently in a TV guide or on your DVR. If you want to improve your screenwriting, you can check out their website,. Miranda is the co-founder of Script Chix, a company dedicated to providing screenwriting notes and informative events for entertainment professionals in Los Angeles.
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