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What's this all about? - THe Log Line
What's this all about? - THe Log Line
THE WIZARD OF OZ
THE WIZARD OF OZ
"Transported to a surreal Landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again."
The above is a description of The Wizard Of Oz that was written in a newspaper. Despite its tongue in cheek nature, this is a good example of a movie log line. A logline, or log line, is a brief (one to two sentence) summary of a movie, tv show, etc. that hooks the reader in and describes the central conflict of the story. Screenwriters use log lines as a basis for their scripts and as a quick way to communicate what their script is about. As we think about telling our own stories, learning to craft log lines can help us in our process.
A Few Examples
A Few Examples
A small-time boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight a heavy-weight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
Will Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.
Luke Skywalker, a spirited farm boy, joins rebel forces to save Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader, and the galaxy from the Empire’s Death Star.
Guess A Few
Guess A Few
Try to guess the films these log lines describe before revealing the answer.
A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
Gladiator
A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.
Napoleon Dynamite
A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O.
Inception
Lets Make Some Log Lines
Lets Make Some Log Lines
Log lines can be as unique as your story but a general formula looks like this:
When [INCITING INCIDENT] happens, [OUR PROTAGONIST] decides [TO DO ACTION] against [ANTAGONIST].
In Class Exercise
In Class Exercise
Choose a few films that students have seen. (At least 2 students per film). Have students take 5 minutes to write and refine a log line for that film. Compare among the students.
Review further log line tips found at: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/write-compelling-logline-examples/
Assignment
Assignment
Write log lines for 2 of your favorite films without looking at log lines others have written for those films.
Write one log line for an original story. It can be a written work of fiction that you already have written, or you can choose a real life story or adventure that you have been a part of. An example from my own life: ("After his long distance girlfriend breaks up with him, a determined young man moves across the country to her hometown to win her back")
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