#MOVIE LOGLINE HOW TO#

Terminator: In this case example 1 is the weaker of the two. That hits all of the above criteria for an effective logline. So, for example: “A recently widowed wife finds herself in a bitter legal dispute with her late husband’s psychotic and overbearing mother.” The screenplay itself, of course, will have resolution but that isn’t necessary in the logline (as its absence results in enticement!) – A point of conflict between the two parties

But a good logline should include all the same elements and structure that make up a fine screenplay: That much is a given, and all six of the above loglines definitely do that. Loglines: The HowĪ logline should convey what happens in the story.

While all of the above examples could use some tightening up, some are definitely more effective than others and we’ll unpack each one as we discuss the conventions of writing a logline. Desperately seeking the one man that can help her return, an evil witch shadows her every move…Įxample 2: Dorothy is whisked away by a tornado to the Land of Oz, where she meets a group of friends each searching for something unique. Consider the following examples, and decide for yourself which one is best in each case:Įxample 1: A cyborg from the future hunts down a woman destined to later become the mother of humankind’s savior.Įxample 2: A woman must fight for her life against an unstoppable cyborg assassin, sent back from the future with one mission: to kill her and prevent a future human uprising.Įxample 1: A group of survivors struggle to escape from a revolutionary wildlife park filled with dinosaurs after a bribed employee sabotages the predators’ security gates.Įxample 2: A rich philanthropist leads a team of scientists to populate a wildlife park with living dinosaur clones.Įxample 1: A young girl finds herself transported to a surreal land far way from home. So we’ve already covered the basic definition in that a logline should describe the story, but a great logline should go a little further for that.

#MOVIE LOGLINE HOW TO#

Today we’ll be looking at how to get the best out of your logline, and why it should be a high priority. … as well as being something you should ignore at your peril! As you’ve no doubt already noticed, this post extends onwards and that’s because a logline is a surprisingly tricky thing to master… The definition of a logline: one line (or two at the most) which describes what your screenplay is about.

Movie logline