The logline hasn’t got anything to do with Star Trek or William Shatner. It’s a single sentence that encapsulates your screenplay. Getting down to the story in its simplest terms, this is what you’ll need to have saved to your memory bank. You’ll need the instant recall for your elevator pitch to literally pitch to a high-powered film exec if you get one hot minute.

This concise summation should be geared to hook a reader and leave them hanging on a moment… wanting to know more. It’s one thing having a so-so logline and it’s another thing condensing this short bit into something truly memorable. Your logline is the first impression and should be designed to create excitement in your movie idea – so spend some time on getting it just right.

master the art of the logline

Here are some ideas on how to get it to that point!

#1 Your logline can be treated like a miniature three-act play. In its most basic formula, you can pitch the protagonist, the goal and the central conflict. An estranged race car driver (protagonist) must overcome his drinking problem (conflict) to win back his family and make the comeback of the season (goal).

#2 Add colour to your logline by using strong verbs and active voice (in the present) to build the action and tension.

#3 Don’t be afraid to leverage the film’s genre to give the film context and create an undercurrent of curiousity.

#4 Films that don’t have high enough stakes can turn into absolute yawn fests. What does your protagonist risk losing if they don’t achieve their goal? Create urgency and emotional heft by elevating those stakes!

#5 While you want to pack a punch and add as much detail as possible into those magic words, be careful not to overburden the logline. It’s good to keep your logline under 30 words.

#6 Practice your elevator pitch. Get feedback from friends or trusted writing partners and see where there’s room for improvement.

Master the Art of the Logline
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