photo via Go Into the Story
You need a logline for your screenplay. It is your script’s calling card. You can’t submit to a competition, pitch or write a query without one.
A logline reduces an entire screenplay to a single sentence that expresses its premise. It should include a sketch of the protag, what he is trying to accomplish and how he’s going to do it, along with a nod to the antagonist, and indicate the tone and genre of the script.
In about twenty words.
If it is unfocused or uninteresting, readers will decide that your script is unfocused or uninteresting, and they will not ask to read it. You must nail your logline.
What’s a logline for Silence of the Lambs?
- A cadet FBI agent uses a terrifying sociopath to help her catch the serial killer who has abducted a senator’s daughter.
The protag is there, the hook, the antagonist, even the stakes. You can tell it’s a thriller. It works.
It would inspire the curiosity of someone who is looking for a script in this genre, even though there’s so much missing that feels crucial; that Hannibal Lecter is legendary, a cannibal and a psychiatrist, that Clarice is an orphan from a small, hardscrabble town, that the two match wits and form a bond, that Clarice is being used as bait by the boss she may have feelings for, that she is driven to prove herself in a male-dominated field…
It just goes on and on, the list of things that make that story special that still don’t belong in the logline. The logline is a single, simple, intriguing premise that provokes readers to ask for more.
Work exceptionally hard to hone your idea down to its bare premise.
Of course, the simplest way to write a well-toned logline is to write it first. Ruthlessly honing your logline before you write ensures the clarity of your premise as you write. Bonus!
-ANNIE LABARBA @annelabarba
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Courtney DeStefano
Welcome to NYWIFT, Courtney DeStefano! Courtney grew up in a small town, where she spent hours devouring old movies and pouring through every indie-film magazine she could get her hands on. She graduated with a BFA in Film & Television from NYU Tisch School of the Arts before embarking on her editing career where she worked with clients like CBS, Bravo, Showtime, BET, NatGeo, Discovery & TLC. She’s spent the last several years dividing her time between chasing after her three young sons and hiding in her home office to write. Her work has been recognized by the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, PANO Network, Hollyshorts and the PAGE Awards, among others. In our interview, Courtney discussed her small-town inspirations, how editing informs her writing and directing, and her latest short film.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Stephanie Lynn Jones
Welcome to NYWIFT, Stephanie Lynn Jones! Stephanie is a filmmaker, TV writer, and multi-disciplinary creative with two decades in screen and stage storytelling. She directed the short doc memoir The Jones Twins: Bebop Souls in a Muzak™ World (BRIC TV) and launched her film career on Spike Lee’s production teams. An Emmy nominee for Nickelodeon’s Gullah Gullah Island, she has developed her own TV projects with Universal Kids, PBS Kids, and TIME Studios. With her twin, Suzanne, The Jones Twins’ performance work has appeared at major venues in NYC and beyond; they also lent their vocals to the Slamdance Festival award-winning film System Noise. Stephanie holds a B.A. from Howard University and an MFA from NYU Tisch. Read on to get to know Stephanie, learn about her roots in the industry, and get a preview of her short documentary film, The Jones Twins!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Christy Veeder
Welcome to our new NYWIFT Member, Christy Veeder! Christy is a screenwriter, former climate scientist, and erstwhile bureaucrat whose first major work of fiction, a personal interpretation of The Dark Crystal, was written in response to not being allowed to see Jim Henson’s fantasy epic in the theater with her other third grade friends. But what Christy really loves is 30-minute comedy and the ways in which it can illuminate our hopes, defang our fears, and help us keep going in this thing called life. Christy’s screenplays culminate a career spanning years of editing and writing about the culinary arts, publishing academic journal articles, handing out coupons at the Port Authority while dressed as a box of cough syrup, impersonating celebrity cats on Twitter, and drafting federal legislation in the U.S. Senate – all of which have been rich preparation for the process of creating worlds on the page. Christy discusses her diverse career background, her experience as a writer, and how she first got into the field.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Guneet K. Singh
Welcome to NYWIFT, Guneet K. Singh! Former NYWIFT intern Guneet K. Singh is a producer and writer with a passion for diverse storytelling. She was most recently the producer for the poignant play, Irreparable, which premiered at the Act One One-Act Theater Festival. She has worked in television development for NBC and Peacock, working on programs such as That’s My Jam, Password, Joyelle Nicole Johnson: Love Joy and 5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas. Her first producing role was as the Digital Producer for the Emmy nominated The Kids Tonight Show. She began her career as an NBC Page, working on shows like Saturday Night Live and The TODAY Show. In our interview, Guneet discusses her exciting time in NBC’s legendary Page Program, the power of networking, and finding her calling as a writer and producer.
READ MORE