Loglines - 3 sentences?
Printed From: NYC Midnight : Creative Writing & Screenwriting
Category: GENERAL DISCUSSION
Forum Name: Screenwriting Bar & Lounge
Forum Description: Discuss NYC Midnight Screenwriting Competitions or Screenwriting in general.
URL: https://forums.nycmidnight.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=53
Printed Date: 12 Apr 2021 at 12:03am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Loglines - 3 sentences?
Posted By: BarbaraFL
Subject: Loglines - 3 sentences?
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2006 at 2:43pm
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Do you think a three-sentence logline is too much? Or should it never be more than two?
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Replies:
Posted By: ABEAR111
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2006 at 3:12pm
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I've always heard the shorter the better - one sentence if possible - even a word if it's intriguing enough. |
Posted By: gmercer
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2006 at 3:38pm
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The shorter the better is best but 3 sentences is hardly long - from my research you should stay within a paragraph. I find if I try hard to be economical with my words I can usually edit a logline to a sentence or two.
One word logline? I'd have to say practically impossible - in this contest you need 2 just to get the genre and subject - of course if I combine the genre and subject and create a new word my one word logline could be FANTADOW or WINDASY - lol.
Anyway I hope everyone's having better luck than I am!
glenn
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Posted By: Chris Messineo
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2006 at 3:59pm
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The rules specifically state the logline cannot be more than two sentences.
Chris |
Posted By: BarbaraFL
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2006 at 4:08pm
Oh whew, thanks Chris!
darn
About the one word logline -- I don't think it should ever be one word. You can't get industry people to buy your work if they don't know what your work is about. I get tempted to write teaser-type ones as well, though.
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Chris Messineo wrote:Posted By: AndyHeck
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2006 at 6:34pm
| Shorter is better. Think about your idea being shopped from person to person to person to person. Ever play telephone? |
Posted By: gmercer
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2006 at 9:48pm
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Now I know why I lost my heat last year, my logline was 3 sentences. Damn those rules!
glenn
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Posted By: BarbaraFL
Date Posted: 23 Jul 2006 at 3:44am
Yeah, last year mine was one. I think it will have to be two this year or it would be a horrifying run on, but it looks like I better leave a lot of time to write the logline!
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Posted By: ABEAR111
Date Posted: 23 Jul 2006 at 10:58am
Actually a producer once told me that about the one word, forget who he was quoting, I will try to find out. The point is, you are trying to intrigue people who have piles of pitches thrown at them every day. The less it takes you to explain, the more they know that you know what your story is really about and if it's intriguing to them, the more likely they are to read/consider it. |
Posted By: spiffyvictory
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2006 at 8:38am
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Want an example of a short and sweet logline? Snakes on a Plane.
'nuff said.
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Posted By: ABEAR111
Date Posted: 25 Jul 2006 at 12:53pm
| That's what I get for being such a smart*** about the one-word logline - I can't get mine under 30! |
Posted By: Chris Messineo
Date Posted: 26 Jul 2006 at 3:58am
Look on the bright side, at least you have a story to have a logline about.
Chris
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Posted By: Willie
Date Posted: 26 Jul 2006 at 4:54am
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"Snakes on a Plane" = $2.00 DVD Bin Other DVDs in the Bin
"Elephants on a Boat" "Glockenspiels in a Tree"
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Posted By: 2184pro
Date Posted: 26 Jul 2006 at 6:25am
...of course, I'd write a movie like that for Hollywood money $$$. Something that sounded cool like: Clowns in a Car or Ducks in a Row or Bananas in a Bunch or Cows in a Herd ------------- Check out my other videos. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=2184pro |
Posted By: Willie
Date Posted: 26 Jul 2006 at 1:28pm
| I can't say I would write anything for money - sometimes your mind just doesn't work that way. Your ideas are what you care about - though I could write Clowns in a Car (providing it's the old bug they're getting out of). I'm nostalgic that way... |