The Art of the Logline and How to Write One

Ask any producer, agent, film maker, or movie tycoon what’s the perfect logline, and you’ll soon realize that no two answers are alike. Make no mistake, there’s a lot of opinions out there, but there is a standard.  The industry standard typically means one, maybe two sentences, about the nuts and bolts of your script. It does not use grandiose language as a tagline might. Nor does it advance the story or reveal its end.

First, why is it important?  It lets the reader know quickly if the script matches the type of film a producer, director, etc. is looking for in terms of genre and storyline, and it is the first clue as to the quality of your script.  If a screenwriter doesn’t take the time and effort to write a quality logline, it can be assumed that this is true of their script as well.  The fact is, producers, directors, and agents have to budget their time.  They simply cannot read every script that lands on their desk. The logline, gives them a direction of which scripts they should invest their time and effort. 

So here are the logline basics:

A solid logline is simple and brief and explains what the script is about.  It does not use descriptors such as brilliant, epic, charming, or heartwarming. It also avoids specific character names, details, plot twists, or how the story ends.  It should introduce the protagonist, describe their goal and the obstacles that they face. Here are a few good examples taken from Inktip.com, a website that offers screenwriters the ability to share their work with industry insiders.  

• Independence Day - Aliens try to invade earth on Independence Day.
• Liar, Liar - An attorney, because of a birthday wish, can't tell any lies for 24 hours.
• Dead Calm - A married couple, trying to recover from the death of their only child, are terrorized at sea by a handsome maniac.

Quite simply, if you take the care and time to get it right, you increase your chances of your script ever seeing the light of day. If you like this article, feel free to share.