This all changes when you get to writing your treatment.ġ0. The story, and thus the logline, should be good enough to hold up by itself a surprise ending should be a lovely bonus found when reading the script. About the endingDo not reveal the script’s supercool twist ending, even if it is the next The Usual Suspects. – Driven to a mental breakdown by an accident at work, an aquarium manager…ĩ. – In a world where all children are grown in vats… Others have a protagonist whose personal or psychological history is crucial to the story and needs to be explained. SetupSome scripts operate in a world with different rules to our own and require a brief setup to explain them, e.g. – To save his reputation a secretly gay frat-boy must sleep with 15 women by the end-of-semester party.Ĩ. If they fit in easily, include them in your logline. If you can, include stakes and/or a ticking time-bombThese are very useful narrative devices that add urgency tou your script. In some cases the protagonist will be reactive, but note, this is not the same as passive.ħ. Good loglines will show the action of the story, the narrative momentum that carries you through the script. Make sure your protagonist is pro-activeHe or she should drive the story and do so vigorously. – An alcoholic ex-superhero searches for his daughter after she is kidnapped by his dementing, jealous former sidekick.Ħ. – A mute sous-chef wants must fight off an ambitious rival to win the position of Head Chef at her boss’s new restaurant. If the hero faces a more general antagonistic force then make it clear that they are battling something, not just life’s bumps and buffets. Describe the AntagonistThe antagonist should be described in a similar, but preferably shorter, manner than the hero. – An alcoholic ex-superhero searches for his daughterĥ. – A mute sous-chef wants to win the position of Head Chef at her boss’ new restaurant Make sure that the goal is present early in the script – if you don’t make good on your logline’s promise early enough the rest of the script won’t get read. Clearly and quickly present the protagonist’s main goalThis is what drives your story and it will drive your logline too. It’s helpful if the characteristic you describe will have something to do with the plot.Ĥ. Beware of cliche, and also of the power of irony. Use an adjective to give a little depth to that characterThis is your chance to show some character. Instead, tell us something about the character.ģ. Don’t use a character name-It has no intrinsic information and so is a useless word. A logline must have the following– the protagonistĢ. Not sure where to begin? These tips are going to help:ġ. This is why some people suggest writing a logline for your idea before embarking on the script. If you can’t make the logline work, it’s probably because the story in your script doesn’t work. One further note that you won’t like: A logline is the DNA of your script. It is written for industry professionals to show them that you can create a viable story for the script – a marketing hook alone won’t cut it. – In space no one can hear you scream (Alien)Ĭrucially, a logline contains all the elements necessary for the telling of a good story. The difference between a logline and a tagline-A logline is a one (or occasionally two) sentence description that boils the script down to its essential dramatic narrative in as succinct a manner as possible.Ī tagline is a piece of marketing copy designed to go on posters to sell the film
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