Writing a punchy and compelling logline is one of the most important steps in transforming your story idea into a movie script or TV series pilot. This guide will show you how to craft a compelling logline, using examples from successful films and TV shows.
What is a TV Show or Movie Logline?
A logline is a one-sentence description of a movie or TV show. Great examples of loglines encapsulate the plot and its characters in an engaging way. A logline is, by definition, a beautifully terse and efficient form of writing. Thus, loglines are invaluable to storytellers because they help them to quickly capture the attention of potential investors and collaborators.
Here’s an example of a logline for a film you might know:
“A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window, and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend.”
How is a Logline different from a Tagline?
Loglines and taglines can often look similar…but they serve quite different purposes. A logline gives a concise summary of the main plot of a movie, TV show, book, or other story, while a tagline is used to create an emotional response from the audience and leave a lasting impression. Thus, a logline is used most often during the pitching process while a tagline is commonly associated with marketing and PR. Take for example these examples of possible loglines and taglines for Jaws:
Logline Example:
“When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it’s up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.”
Tagline Example:
“You’ll never go in the water again.”
As you can see, the logline does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of establishing the key conflict, the characters, and the setting. Conversely, the tagline uses emotion and intrigue to elicit a response, the writers knowing that it’ll often be connected to a striking key visual.
How do I Write a Strong Logline?
Firstly, you need to know with clarity what your story is about. Make sure you know the genre (or genres) you are working with inside out. A strong example of logline is one that is able to concisely whittle down the core of the story in a compelling way without giving away the ending.
Next, isolate the key elements and arrange them as tightly as possibly within the formula below. But, first, remember your logline example should work within these four guidelines:
- Keep it pithy: A logline should be incredibly concise and straight to the point. One sentence, at a push two.
- Always include the main plot and characters: A logline should give the reader a good idea of what the story is about and who the main characters are.
- Use active language: Avoid passive language and employ strong action verbs to make the logline more compelling.
- Avoid spoilers: A logline should not reveal any major plot twists or endings.
The Key Elements of a Logline
The best TV and Film examples of a logline share four basic elements:
- Protagonist +
- Inciting incident +
- Protagonist’s goal +
- Central conflict
These elements can be arranged in different order depending on what you want to emphasize or hook the reader in with.
Take this example of a logline for Elf which leads with the intriguing and unique fact that the protagonist Buddy is an oversized elf:
“Raised as an oversized elf, Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs, who doesn’t know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit.”
Examples of Movie Loglines
We’ve gathered a few of the most interesting examples of well-written movie loglines to help you on the way to writing yours. Below are just a few examples of some screenwriting winners:
“Greed and classism threaten a symbiotic relationship between two Korean families, one wealthy and one destitute.”
“Two convicts form an unlikely friendship behind bars, seeking consolation and redemption through compassion.”
“When L.A. slacker Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski gets mistaken for a millionaire with the same name, he seeks revenge for a ruined rug, along with his rag-tag bowling buddies as they try to find the other Lebowski’s missing wife.”
“An extended family, determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant, take a cross-country trip in their Volkswagen bus.”
“A sexually frustrated suburban dad spirals into a mid-life crisis after falling in lust with his daughter’s friend.”
“The solitary life of an artificial man – who was incompletely constructed and has scissors for hands – is upended when he is taken in by a suburban family.”
“Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh heroin scene, tries to get clean and get away from drugs, the city, and his circle of friends.”
Genre Examples of Loglines
Additionally, we’ve further broken down each genre of film with a few examples of additional movie loglines:
Examples of Comedy Loglines
“When Elle Woods, a seemingly ditzy Beverly Hills teen, is unceremoniously dumped by her beau, she decides to follow him to an Ivy League law school.”
“A selfish and obnoxious weatherman gets stuck out of town on Groundhog Day, as the same day repeats itself in a surreal time loop.”
“Michael Dorsey, an unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.”
Examples of Horror Movie Loglines
“A family’s serene beach vacation turns to chaos when their doppelgängers appear, seeking revenge.”
“A young African American man visits his white girlfriend’s parents for the weekend, and realizes something isn’t right with the family or the neighbors.”
Should I use a Logline Generator?
It’s worth a shot, but don’t count on it to write your film for you…
There are a few interesting logline generators out there. Here’s an example of a logline generator that uses a series of short questions and prompts to create your logline.