Logline

A logline is a tool to sell your movie. Imagine you have a Producer standing in front of you in an elevator, now pitch your film in 10 seconds.

Logline

Logline Definition

Logline (also called log line) is your sales pitch of one or two sentences between 25-50 words. The formula of a logline consists of three major elements, who the main characters are, what they want, and what the conflict they need to overcome.

4 ways to use your Logline

A logline is a tool to sell your film to the industry and keep the goal of your film marketing focused from the script right through to distribution.

1. pitch to producers, agents and executives to get your film developed, financed, produced and distributed

2. test your concept to attract key crew and cast

3. sell your film to distributors

4. advertising copy in print and online to capture the audience

Logline Structure

How many words in a Logline?

Logline length can be as brief as 30 words, but best between 25-50 words in your logline. Less is more.

Logline vs Tagline

A logline is 25 - 50 words, but the tagline on your movie poster is no more than 5 words long, concise, and instantly memorable.

Logline vs Synopsis

A logline is a short description of 25 - 50 words, while the synopsis is a couple of paragraphs up to 500 words long that goes into more detail about the plot's characters.

What makes a good logline?

The logline should take the reader on a visual journey in their mind, empathize with the characters and root for the protanist to achieve the goal.

When [INCITING INCIDENT OCCURS], a [SPECIFIC PROTAGONIST] must [OBJECTIVE], or else [STAKES]

1. What [character traits] does your main character have?
2. What [dynamic action or goal] must he take to keep your story in suspense?
3. What is the [obstacle or antagonist] that your main character has to overcome?

When you write a logline use a logline formula to define your character trait, goal and obstacle.

What is included in a Logline?

When industry insiders read a logline, they should clearly see the following:

• The main characters
• The incident that started the journey
• The world in which they live
• The hurdles they must overcome
• The high stakes that is the resolution

Example of a Logline

Breaking Bad Logline: A chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.

Examples of Logline Attributes

For inspiration, we have created lists for you to make your logline easier to write.

• List of 752 [character traits] = meek, spirited, aging, etc
• List of 79 [dynamic actions]= defy, revive, reveal, etc

Download the List of Character Traits and Dynamic Actions in PDF

Conclusion

Logline is a tool to sell your film to the industry and keep the goal of your film marketing focused. The formula of a logline consists of three major elements, who the main characters are, what they want, and what the conflict they need to overcome.