Post by Kurai on Feb 21, 2013 7:52:18 GMT -5
How To...
Write A Log Line
Write A Log Line
What Is A Log Line?
In short, a log line is a one-to-three sentence summary of a story. It quickly and efficiently conveys the premise and the dramatic arc or plot.
The shocking truth about the writing business is that, for the most part, nobody actually reads. Your log line needs to be interesting and catchy enough to hook the reader and make them want to read your script. Be brief, try to stick to 30 words or less if you're looking for a word count, but at the same time don't get too hung up on the length, so long as it's catchy enough and hits the important details.
So What Details Go Into A Logline
There are a lot of templates out there for log lines, but there are four things that will be in all of them:
Who is your protagonist? Be specific, use interesting adjectives.
What is their goal? The objective.
Why is it important? What's at stake if they fail?
How does it all start? What is the inciting incident that starts it all? Plane crash? Time anomaly? Virus outbreak?
Above all else, if your log line contains these four things it'll tell everything the reader everything they need to know to determine whether or not your script is interesting to them or not.
When you put these four details together you get the following
For example, for Real Fantasy:
Set in an alternate reality, a Dragon prophecises the end of the world and only The Son of the Sorcerer can unite five destined saviours to stop the apocalypse before the world crumbles to dust.
This follows a tried and tested template for log lines:
(HOW -->) WHO --> WHAT --> WHY?
Or, another way,
When *inciting incident*, *who* must *what* or else *why*
But to me that logline still seems a bit wordy. How can you rectify that? What details are essential and what details are implied?
Note that the Real Fantasy example above also includes a Where?. Whilst normally not necessary, the where is important to Real Fantasy as it's important to note that the show is not set in a medieval fantastical land. Other examples of "where" could be "in a dystopian future" or "on a mysterious island".
Let's try to edit any unnecessary, implied details from the Real Fantasy example:
Set in an alternate reality, a Dragon prophecises the end of the world and only The Son of the Sorcerer can unite five destined saviours.
Better?
What's missing? The why has been cut from this logline, but does that change anything? The end of the world has already been mentioned, and the word "saviours" already implies their importance and the consequences of failing.
Is there anything else we can do to make this logline better? Adjectives hold a lot of power. They invoke emotions and imply meaning.
Set in an alternate reality, an ancient Dragon prophecises the end of the world and only The Son of the Sorcerer can unite five reluctant saviors.
Subtle changes, but effective. Most importantly, I changed the word "destined" to the word "reluctant". This immediately adds not only an obstacle, but it implies conflict - all in one word.
Log Line Examples
THE BOURNE IDENTITY
A man with amnesia discovers he is a governmental assassin who has been targeted for death by the organization that employs him.
The "How" or "inciting incident" is the discovery of his identity.
The "who" is "a man with amnesia"
The "why" or the stakes is "death"
Notice there isn't a "what" - what is his objective? This is because it is already implied, based on the language used, that his objective is to not die.
CLASH OF THE TITANS
In order to save the woman he loves from being sacrificed to the Gods, the bastard son of Zeus sets out on a journey to learn how to defeat a giant monster that plans to destroy the city of Argo.
CONTAGION
As the world buckles under a potential pandemic from a mysterious virus, a group of experts struggles to bring it under control.
THE FORGOTTEN
A grieving mother struggles against a bizarre conspiracy after learning the twelve-year-old son she lost in a plane crash actually died as a baby, and her decade of memories has been nothing but a false creation.
HAIRSPRAY
When a fat teenager lands a regular gig on a popular TV dance show, she stirs the pot hoping to integrate the cast.
JUMPER
When a young man discovers he has the ability to transport himself from location to location, his gift brings on more trouble than he could have imagined.
WALKING TALL
An ex-Special Ops soldier - looking to settle down and spend quality time with his family - gets embroiled in a one-man battle against the criminal element that has assaulted him and his hometown.
ZATHURA
Two bickering brothers play a board game that sends the on a death-defying mission through outer space and in the process, they learn the importance of being friends.
