LPS - Loglines (Lesson)

Loglines

Introduction

A logline for a screenplay is effectively the same as an abstract for an article, or book. It is a short summary of the longer body of work. Under the studio system of Hollywood, scripts would be kept by the hundreds. The logline concisely describes the key elements of the story. This made it easier to determine what the script was about when considering what project to do next. Over time, the logline became the mechanism not only for storing scripts, but for pitching them as ideas prior to even writing them. As the purpose of the logline evolved into a sales mechanism, the concise nature of the logline became coupled with the need to grab the reader’s attention. Loglines not only describe the plot; they also serve as the hook for the story.

Boiling it Down to A Single Dramatic Narrative

A log line, or logline, is a brief one or two sentence summary of the story. While loglines can be used to pitch a project, and they often are, they can also serve as a guide for decision-making during the writing process of a screenplay. If your logline is ironclad in the beginning, it can function as a true north for choices in screenwriting later in the process. For this reason, we will look at the elements of a logline and what makes them work. Begin the presentation below by pressing play. Download a presentation guide below.

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Boiling it Down to A Single Dramatic Narrative

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