The Logline

A LOGLINE IS….


A logline conveys the narrative in the most abbreviated manner possible. It presents the major throughline of the dramatic narrative without character intricacies and sub-plots. It is the story boiled down to its base. A good logline is one sentence of less than 30 words.

A logline must present:

Who the story is about (protagonist)

What he strives for (goal)

What stands in his way (antagonistic force)

Sometimes a logline must include a brief set-up.

A logline does not tell the entire story. It merely uses these three (sometimes four) major story elements to depict the dramatic narrative in an orderly and lucid manner.

For instance, a logline for THE WIZARD OF OZ may read:

After a twister transports a lonely Kansas farm girl to a magical land, she sets out on a dangerous journey to find a wizard with the power to send her home.


PROTAGONIST

When referring to the protagonist in a logline, do not use a character name. Character names are meaningless to the reader and can crowd and confuse the logline. The one exception would be if the character were a famous person (like George Washington). Instead of using a name, use an occupation or life-status like politician or teenager, brain surgeon or homeless man.

Use a well-chosen adjective to bring greater clarity to the character like a “liberal” politician or an “angst ridden” teenager. The adjective should be accurate in describing who the character is. For instance, the farm girl heroine in THE WIZARD OF OZ (Dorothy) could be considered “lonely” or “neglected.” These words will resonant with greater significance when juxtaposed to her goal (to get back home).

GOAL

The character’s major goal is the engine of a narrative, and it must be present in the logline. In THE WIZARD OF OZ, Dorothy has many goals. She must protect the ruby slippers; she must meet the wizard; she must retrieve the broomstick of the wicked witch. But her major goal is to return to Kansas. It is this goal that the entire dramatic story hinges upon. This is the heart of the dramatic narrative.

The character’s goal, whether physical or psychological, should be established early on.



ANTAGONISTIC FORCE AND STAKES

The logline must present the antagonistic force – the story element that prevents the protagonist from reaching his goal. The writer needs to be careful here and not weigh down the logline with too many details. In the logline example for THE WIZARD OF OZ, the phrase “dangerous journey” intimates the antagonism

Some might wish the mention of the wicked with, however, mentioning another character in the logline can crowd it. The trick is to create a logline that is succinct but not sparse. When crafting the first draft of the logline, a writer may want to throw in everything (including the wicked witch) and then whittle and winnow until it reads smoothly and effectively. It must be clear that the antagonistic force is an obstacle to the major goal. It must imply that something is at stake; it must suggest that something can be lost. The reader must get the sense that death (literal or figurative) is a risk.


SET-UP

Another element that may be necessary in the logline is a set-up. For instance, some narratives have complicated worlds (like sci-fi), and it may be necessary to describe that world. In some cases, the hero could have a “past” - like a secret or a scar - that must be included in order for the logline to work. For instance, it is imperative to include the concept of “precrime” in a logline for MINORITY REPORT.

In a future where criminals are arrested before the crime occurs, a despondent cop struggles on the lam to prove his innocence for a murder he has not yet committed.

Without the brief set-up, the logline would read like:

A despondent cop struggles on the lam to prove his innocence for a murder he has not yet committed.

To someone who knows nothing of the story, this would make little sense. Notice that the first logline does not go into the detail of “precrime,” nor does it mention it by name. For the purposes of the logline, we only need to understand “precrime’s” most basic function.



DRAMATIC QUESTIONS

Movies ask dramatic questions throughout the course of the narrative. These questions create tension. A logline does the same thing in miniature: it raises questions that evoke curiosity and stir up potentiality. In THE WIZARD OF OZ logline, one may be curious about the “mysterious land” or wonder what the “dangerous journey” entails. For this reason, a logline should avoid revealing the script’s conclusion. This should remain part of the intrigue.

Writers often claim the best part of their narrative is the “surprise” ending, and they feel the need to include it in the logline. A recent screenplay with a surprise ending is THE SIXTH SENSE. An effective logline for this story may go:

A psychologist struggles to cure a troubled boy who is haunted by a bizarre affliction – he sees dead people.

In these examples, the “surprise” ending is not included. A good logline should boast a story that is not dependent on its ending.


ACTIVELY STRUGGLE WITH THE LOGLINE

A logline must convey the action of the story and carefully chosen words must be used to give the logline momentum. The most useful word in writing a logline is “struggle,” because it presents the goal (and scope) of the story and conveys drama. Conflict (the basis of drama) is inherent in the word “struggle.”

JAWS:

After a series of grisly shark attacks, a sheriff struggles to protect his small beach community against the bloodthirsty monster, in spite of the greedy chamber of commerce.

ORDINARY PEOPLE:

After being institutionalized for a suicide attempt, a teen struggles for sanity and closure but must overcome his greatest adversary first – his mother.

CHICAGO:

After murdering her lover, an aspiring singer struggles for stardom by using her crime as a stepping-stone to fame and fortune.

Always keep the protagonist active in the forefront of the logline. The protagonist must be responsible for the thrust of the story. In the logline for JAWS, it is clear that the sheriff has a goal, and this goal is the thrust of the narrative.




ENSEMBLE AS PROTAGONIST

If the narrative features an ensemble as its protagonist (like THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN), the group can be presented as the protagonist.

A group of gunslingers struggles to save a Mexican town from a murderous posse of banditos.

A logline for THE WARRIORS could read like:

After they are wrongfully accused of murder, a street gang struggles to get back to their home turf - as every rival gang in the city pursues them.

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE could go:

After a luxury liner is capsized by a tidal wave, a group of survivors struggles to escape through the bow before the ship sinks.

However, ensemble pieces often have one central character and the logline could be presented from his point-of-view. If one considers Yul Brenner the central character in THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, the logline could read:

A professional gunslinger organizes a unique posse that struggles to save a Mexican town from a murderous group of banditos.

Although both examples (featuring the group as protagonist or focusing on a central character) present accurate portraits of these stories, it is smarter to concentrate the logline on the central character. Again, this allows the executive to know that there is a star role at the forefront of the story, which always increases the overall worthiness of the project and whets the appetites of producers, agents, executives, and actors.



LOGLINE VERSUS HIGH CONCEPT

Often writers develop a “high concept” to pitch. A high concept is a premise that immediately conveys a movie (with a great deal of conflict) in fewer words than it takes to write a logline. A high concept often uses extremes to engender the drama and scope of a movie. The high concept for LIAR, LIAR is a “lawyer that cannot tell a lie.” The high concept for O is OTHELLO in high school. A lawyer that cannot lie demonstrates an extreme situation. The same is true for OTHELLO in high school. The concept of setting the Shakespearean tragedy in school demonstrates extremes.

However, a “high concept” idea is not a logline. “A lawyer that cannot tell a lie” does not offer much in the way of the three (sometimes four) story elements. A proper logline for LIAR, LIAR could go:

When his son wishes he will only tell the truth, an attorney, and pathological liar, is magically compelled to be honest for one day and struggles to win the biggest case of his career - without telling a lie.

Also, do not confuse a movie poster tagline with a logline. A tagline is a catch phrase used in advertising. One of the most famous was created for JAWS II: “Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water….” However, a tagline does not demonstrate the necessary story elements to allow the reader to see the dramatic narrative. A tagline fails to educate the reader on the story essentials.