Screenwriting Contest 2018 | CLOSED

LOG LINES (YOU MUST INCLUDE THIS IN YOUR CONTEST ENTRY)

For the purpose of today's lesson about log lines, I won't be writing it like a script. Log lines are actually one of the most amazing parts of screenwriting.

Why???

Because if you ever submit a script to a company, a log line is THE FIRST THING to be read. Not your script.

This means that your whole script can be scrapped if your log line sucks. It happens. IRL.

You could have the most brilliant script, but a sucky log line could be the difference between your script being read, and your script being thrown in the trash.

How horrible is that? Before you start freaking out, let me console you:

I won't throw any entries in the trash because A) that's not physically possible when the scripts are digital and B) all I want is to see your best attempt at a good log line when you submit your finished work.

However, you MUST have a log line in the description of your work or else it will not be accepted. (The description is the few lines that people can see without actually clicking 'read' on your book.)

So let's get started!!

Log lines are supposed to make the reader a little bit pregnant.

Um... did The Screenwriter just say pregnant?

Yes, yes I did.

It's a term in the business of screenwriting that means you want to make your reader interested enough to KEEP READING. You want your script to be read! Not thrown away!

So how do you write these magical beasts?

What do you need to know?

A Log Line is usually 1 to 3 sentences that sums up your script without giving away anything important. It should leave the reader asking questions. Not spell the entire plot out for them.

Before I tell you how to write one, look at these examples so you're not trying this cold turkey:

1. LOG LINE FROM THE GODFATHER. The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
2. LOG LINE FROM FORTUNE FAVORS. An unlikely lottery winner struggles to conceal her new-found wealth as she tests the strength of complicated relationships with her family, friends and the man she thinks she loves.
3. LOG LINE FROM PULP FICTION. The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
4. LOG LINE FROM RESERVOIR DOGS. After a simple jewelery heist goes terribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.
5. LOG LINE FROM RICHTER'S WAR. When a World War III battle engulfs Los Angeles, a hard-boiled detective is swept up in the action, and into dangerous and out-of-this-world intrigue.

Now let me break a log line down.
The usual components are:

THE CHARACTER. Usually you never say the character's name in the log line. Instead, you describe them a little. EXAMPLES:
-a wealthy but shallow prince
-a budding anthropologist
-an antisocial philosopher
-a soft-hearted cop

THE QUEST. What happens? What's your story about? What does your character want? Don't give everything away! EXAMPLES:
-A wealthy but shallow Prince is determined to prove his worth to his people when he becomes king, but the curse of his family thwarts his goals, causing him to find something worth so much more.
-A budding anthropologist makes a grave discovery about the Tomb of King Tut. Can she convince her colleagues to leave the dig site before ancient mummies come back to life?
-An antisocial philosopher is reluctant to admit his love for a quirky librarian. His feelings start to get in the way as he becomes too involved in her marital problems.
-A soft-hearted cop gets the promotion offer of a lifetime. But in order to accept it, he has to break apart the mob family he's been working deep undercover in.

FRAME IT. What type of film is it? A comedy? A horror? A drama? Let the reader know! EXAMPLE:
-A dramatic thriller about a soft-hearted cop who gets the promotion of a lifetime. But in order to accepted, he has to break a part the mob family he's been working deep undercover in.

Your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to write a log line and comment it below! I'll help you all refine your log lines and give you any feedback you need. If you already have an idea for the story you're going to submit, try writing the log line for it here!!