Engineering:Log line
A log line or logline is a brief (usually one-sentence) summary of a television program, film, short film or book, that states the central conflict of the story, often providing both a synopsis of the story's plot, and an emotional "hook" to stimulate interest.[1] A one-sentence program summary in TV Guide is a log line.[2] "A log line is a single sentence describing your entire story,"[3] however, "it is not a straight summary of the project. It goes to the heart of what a project is about in one or two sentences, defining the theme of the project...and suggest[ing] a bigger meaning."[4] "A logline is a one-sentence summary of the story's main conflict. It is not a statement of theme but rather a premise."[5]
"A logline...helps content creators simply and easily sell their work in a single sentence, because the emphasis is on what makes their property unique...the logline provides the content creator with a concise way to focus on the three main anchors of their writing," the protagonist, the protagonist's wants (goal(s) or desire(s)), and what is at stake (risks).[6]
Elements
Narrative elements often referenced in a logline include the setting, protagonist, antagonist, inciting incident, and a conflict and a goal (the conflict's resolution).[7] Change, such as character growth, and action should be suggested.[4] A log line should contain four facts: "the main character, what the main character wants," the villain(s) or obstacle(s), "standing in the way," and, "the unique aspect(s) of the story."[8]
Examples
Charlie Brown is finally invited to a Halloween party; Snoopy engages the Red Baron in a dogfight; and Linus waits patiently in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin.—Logline for It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown[9]
A talented but irresponsible teenager schemes to steal his college tuition money when his wealthy father refuses to pay for him to study acting at Juilliard.—Logline for How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship, and Musical Theater[10]
See also
References
- ↑ "How to Write Outstanding TV & Movie Loglines: The ULTIMATE Guide" (in en-US). 2019-06-11. https://industrialscripts.com/loglines-guide/.
- ↑ (Brewer 2014)
- ↑ Russell, James (2000). Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets: The Writer's Guide to Marketing Scripts, p.61. James Russell Publishing. ISBN:9780916367114.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Perebinossoff, Philippe; Gross, Brian; and Gross, Lynne S. (2005). Programming for TV, Radio, and the Internet: Strategy, Development, and Evaluation, p.73. Taylor & Francis. ISBN:9780240806822.
- ↑ Steiff, Josef (2005). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Independent Filmmaking, p.57. Penguin. ISBN:9781592573905.
- ↑ Bishop, Lane Shefter (2016). Sell Your Story in A Single Sentence: Advice from the Front Lines of Hollywood, [unpaginated]. Countryman Press. ISBN:9781581575101.
- ↑ "Writing a Logline". Graeme Shimmin. March 2013. http://graemeshimmin.com/writing-a-logline-for-a-novel/. Retrieved 2017-09-13.
- ↑ Farnham, Ronald (2011). How to Write a Screenplay in 30 Days or Less, p.51. AuthorHouse. ISBN:9781463440336.
- ↑ "Logline". It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. TitanTV. http://titantv.com/. Retrieved 2005-10-25.
- ↑ (Brewer 2014)
- Brewer, Robert Lee, ed. (2014), 2015 Writer's Market, Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, ISBN 978-1-59963-840-9, https://archive.org/details/2015writersmarke0000brew
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