Ugh. Log Lines. |
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EMStoveken
Newbie Joined: 22 Apr 2017 Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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Posted: 29 Apr 2017 at 2:58am |
I've never done well with log lines. Synopses, I'm fine with. Tag lines, I can do. It's that weird middle ground that gives me fits. What say fellow scribes: How much do you give away in your log line? Do you try to give an ultra-brief synopsis, a coy amuse-bouche, or some other variation?
If I'm not careful, I'll wrestle with the damn thing until the deadline.
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Tim G
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 02 Nov 2016 Location: London Status: Offline Points: 6626 |
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FWIW I just do a set-up sentence/teaser rather than a synopsis, and I made the final of the SSC so I guess that's OK with the system :)
Edited by Tim G - 29 Apr 2017 at 7:19am |
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Rhyming Story R2: Flying On Empty (Thriller)
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stephenmatlock
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 05 Sep 2013 Location: Seattle Status: Offline Points: 10422 |
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What Tim G. said.
I use this philosophy, that the log line sets up the story and the conflict. This is not a synopsis, which I understand to be a full exegesis of the story so someone who wants to buy the work for their use knows everything. This is akin to a blurb, which gives enough to interest or hook the reader. IMO it's part of the submitted work, so it shouldn't be a throw-away section. I tend to use a two-sentence log line. One sentence: the precis. Kelly is <X> and does <Y>. But when <Z> happens, Kelly must decide between <1> and <2>. HOWEVER this is my first time ever entering a screenplay contest. |
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Pithy sayings are for the apt. For a longer message, you need a condo.
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stephenmatlock
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 05 Sep 2013 Location: Seattle Status: Offline Points: 10422 |
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Here are the loglines from winning screenplays in 2015:
LACUNA: When a woman awakens from a three week coma, she prides herself on a rapid recovery. But her husbands suspicious behavior drives her to believe he may be hiding a secret. DRY TIDE: When two ordinary women compete on a new wilderness survival TV show, a map to nowhere and a faulty radio make it clear something else is going on. BY THE BOOK: Two childhood friends find themselves in court battling over a contract made over 20 years ago. From 2016 STORMSHIFTER: An undercover cop must discover the meaning of an old man's strange devices as they battle it out in a world of constant surveillance, where privacy is threatened not just by men but by the elements. APPLES: A beautiful summer backyard hides some nasty surprises for a boy who has just moved house. THE DANCER: As a precocious orphan girl in a besieged city tries to hide her secret from an oppressive regime, an unexpected hero enters her life. |
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Pithy sayings are for the apt. For a longer message, you need a condo.
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MaHaBone
NYC Midnight Regular Joined: 28 Oct 2014 Status: Offline Points: 359 |
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I was kinda shocked that the rules allowed for a logline as long as half a page. That just seems monstrous to me.
Scriptshadow had a contest a couple years ago where you had to compress your logline into a Tweet. 140 characters does actually seem a fair measure for a logline. Trim the fat and chose your words carefully! |
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Scarlet Screenwriter
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 01 Nov 2010 Location: Castlemaine, OZ Status: Offline Points: 4682 |
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This discussion comes up every round ... if you go back, you'll find some ... a logline is just a two sentence encapsulation of your story/screenplay. It's NOT a poster line necessarily ... "In space, no one can hear you scream!" ... but it can be a tease ... that's usually what I do ... make people want to read your story. Don't make it too dry ... and half a page is kind of ridiculous ... how are you going to have that in two sentences that are remotely grammatically correct? Just ask Google ... there are dozens of sites that discuss loglines ... |
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Splinker
NYC Midnight Addict Joined: 03 Jan 2017 Location: New Jersey! Status: Offline Points: 921 |
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I don't give them much thought. If a log line is going to make or break an entry, then I'm in the wrong contest.
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Splinker
https://1drv.ms/w/s!ArBspawnlI8yo1H2Ki5_xuZg-K0v?e=x2mixn |
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Scarlet Screenwriter
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 01 Nov 2010 Location: Castlemaine, OZ Status: Offline Points: 4682 |
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Well, as a log line builds up from an elevator pitch to a one para to a synopsis, it can get a screenplay read and generate interest. Read some of the loglines for successful films and you'll see what I mean ... |
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Vernacula
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 21 Jan 2016 Location: West Coast Status: Offline Points: 3729 |
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I've read or heard somewhere in the forums that some judges don't even read them. I keep them short and snappy, with a bit of tease. I don't like lengthy loglines. But I write a lot of short copy for a living, so...bias.
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Annerocious
NYC Midnight Groupie Joined: 28 Oct 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 152 |
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Exactly. Having a strong hook makes loglines easy. Which is why mine for this round is so wimpy! I'm a reader for competitions (not this one) and I do read the logline. You can tell exactly how soft the second act is going to be!
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