A logline is a one- or two-sentence summary of your film. It is the most important piece of writing you will do outside of the screenplay itself — because it determines whether anyone reads the screenplay at all.
Why Loglines Matter
Every gatekeeper in the film industry — agents, managers, producers, festival programmers, grant committees — evaluates projects by logline first. According to the Sundance Institute, their programming team reads thousands of loglines before requesting full scripts.
A strong logline:
- Communicates the core concept in under 30 seconds
- Creates curiosity ("I want to see that")
- Implies the genre, tone, and stakes
- Distinguishes your film from others
The Logline Formula
A proven structure:
When [protagonist with a defining trait] encounters [inciting incident], they must [goal/action] before [stakes/deadline].
Breaking It Down
- Protagonist with a defining trait — not a name, but a description that reveals character: "a retired detective," "a teenage runaway," "an overworked single mother"
- Inciting incident — the event that disrupts their life and forces action
- Goal/action — what they must do in response
- Stakes/deadline — what happens if they fail, or the ticking clock that creates urgency
Examples
When a widowed marine biologist discovers an alien signal beneath the Arctic ice, she must decode its message before a military team destroys the source.
A high school janitor with a photographic memory is recruited by the CIA, but his first mission forces him to choose between his country and the student he promised to protect.
After inheriting her grandmother''s failing restaurant, a burned-out corporate lawyer must win a local cooking competition or lose the last connection to her family.
Common Logline Mistakes
Too Vague
"A young woman goes on a journey of self-discovery." — This could describe ten thousand films. What is specific about YOUR story?
Too Detailed
"In 1947 Brooklyn, a 34-year-old Italian-American baker named Rosa who lost her husband in WWII and now raises three children alone discovers that her landlord is secretly..." — This is a synopsis, not a logline. Cut to the essence.
No Stakes
"A group of friends goes camping." — So what? What goes wrong? What is at risk? Without stakes, there is no reason to watch.
No Protagonist Agency
"Things happen to a woman." — Passive protagonists make boring loglines (and boring films). Your character must act, not just react.
Naming Characters
Use descriptions instead of names. "Jack" tells us nothing. "A disgraced surgeon" tells us everything.
Testing Your Logline
- Tell it to someone who has not read your script — if they ask questions, the logline is working. If they nod politely, it is not.
- Does it imply a beginning, middle, and end? — a good logline suggests the arc of the story
- Could it describe a different film? — if yes, it is too generic
- Does it make you want to see the movie? — be honest with yourself
From Logline to Script
Write your logline before your screenplay. If the logline does not work, the script will not work either. The logline is your story''s thesis statement — every scene in your screenplay should support it.
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