A logline is the first chance your screenplay gets to make an impression. After months of outlining, writing the rough draft, and refining your story, it all comes down to this: Why should anyone read my screenplay?
The logline is the single, crucial sentence that provides your answer.
In the film industry, time and attention are limited. A strong logline acts as your screenplay’s opening handshake. It distills your story’s core conflict, protagonist, and stakes into a compelling hook to make agents and producers want to learn more. In this article, we’ll explore what makes a logline and how to write one that gives your screenplay the attention it deserves, and then I’ll give you a story weapon to master your own logline.
Learn how to write a logline before someone else writes yours for you. A strong logline communicates in plain terms why your work is worth someone else’s time. It is only as effective as its ability to interest a viewer, collaborator, or investor into committing their resources to you.
What exactly is a logline?
To put it simply, a logline should include:
- A short description of your story’s protagonist
- what they want
- and (briefly) what happens to them in the screenplay
You can’t condense the entirety of your story into the logline. The goal here is to build interest by planting the seeds of what your script’s readers can expect.
The importance of the logline is not to be understated. If you wish to be taken seriously as a screenwriter, being able to pitch your story through a logline is one of the most important skills you’ll ever develop.
While the logline isn’t the first thing a screenwriter typically aims their focus on when creating a screenplay, it’s the first move they make in their bid to sell it.
What a logline looks like
A logline must give a good sense of what’s in your story while developing intrigue. Here are two examples:
- A lonely, washed-up boxer struggles to find the confidence and love he needs to fight the Heavyweight Champion of the world.
- A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O.
Can you take a guess as to which films these two loglines refer to? If you guessed Rocky and Inception then you’re correct!
In these examples, the names of the protagonists themselves aren’t even specified. The logline for Rocky doesn’t dive into the troubled relationships he has, while the logline for Inception makes no effort to explain the idea of dream-sharing technology. Specific details are not relevant in your logline.
Logline building blocks
When writing your logline, focus on the plot, not the theme. Don’t tell us that Jaws is a metaphor for confronting our darkest fears. Tell us: “A great white shark terrorizes a coastal town on a Fourth of July weekend when the city fathers fight the local sheriff to keep the beach open.”
Clearly express the conflict. Describe the hurdle that the protagonist must overcome in achieving his goal. And finally, simplify! Distill it. Don’t thrill us with how sinister your bad guy is or how stunningly beautiful the heroine is. The casting director will take care of that.
I’ve included some sample formulas for inspiration here, but don’t feel like you have to strictly follow them. Note how even in the examples below, the loglines don’t necessarily follow their respective formula structures word for word.
Basic Logline
This is the simple logline format where you give equal attention to all basic aspects of the story, its character, their situation, and the shift or conflict between them.
[Protagonist] must [Goal] to [Conflict] / or else [Stakes].
Example: The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son. (The Godfather)
Character Logline
This formula is more appropriate for stories that deal heavily with the emotional or psychological journey of the main protagonist.
A [Character Trait] [Protagonist] has to [Objective] in the face of [Obstacle] to achieve [Emotional Goal].
Example: In Gotham City, mentally troubled comedian Arthur Fleck is disregarded and mistreated by society. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. (Joker)
Conflict Logline
In contrast, this formula has to do with stories where the conflict is the main spectacle of the screenplay. This is often seen with action/thriller stories.
When [Inciting Event], a [Character Trait] [Protagonist] must [Dynamic Action] to [Resolution] before [Time Limit or Dire Consequence].
Example: A young police officer must prevent a bomb exploding aboard a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph. (Speed)
Save the Cat Logline
Specifically tailored for the Save the Cat structure, this formula includes a hint to the conflict’s resolution, while also building empathy for the main character.
[Situation] forces a [Specific Character Trait] [Protagonist] to [Objective], only to discover [Resolution or Twist].
Example: After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home. (Finding Nemo)
When you should write the logline
Creating a logline first, or at least, early in the process, can save you a lot of time later on. This is because the process of creating a compelling screenplay is all about going from the general to the specific. Getting clarity on your logline can take some time, and it often involves a lot of stream-of-consciousness writing, but by giving yourself the time to understand the story you are telling, you will be less inclined to veer off into all sorts of other directions.
Conversely, I’ve seen screenwriters, especially beginners, stress over how they should structure their logline and never begin their script. It’s ok to start playing with the loglines as you begin to explore your story. The logline you write at the start of your screenplay will likely be revised and made clearer by the end.
Remember that a screenplay is a blueprint for a film, which is a collaborative medium. You can, and should, show your screenplay to others as much as possible. And in doing so, ask for input on your logline to see how it is landing. This will help inform the story you are telling.
Your story weapon: Final tips for your logline
- Keep things short – The very reason you need a logline is because people don’t want to read what’s unnecessary.
- Build intrigue – In conjunction with staying brief, you want questions to form in your reader’s head so they’ll want to read the whole screenplay
- Don’t underestimate its importance – Despite how short it is, this one sentence may be your most important marketing opportunity. Do not rush things, and ask for feedback from other people to get input on what makes your logline the most informative and interesting.
- Don’t stress – The hard work is done. Show your story to the world, and be confident in the world you built. Only then can you make a logline worthy of it all.
Logline reminds us that we tell stories even in telling others about our stories. If you are interested in exploring deeper tools of craft, join one of my next workshops: The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, Story Day.
