<div class="seriesmeta">This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series <a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/Best Of 2020/logline/" class="series-3977" title="Logline">Logline</a></div><div class="seriesbox"><div class="center"> <a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/Best Of 2020/logline/" class="series-3977" title="Logline">Logline</a></div><ul class="serieslist-ul"><li class="serieslist-li"><a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/9-components-of-the-perfect-logline-part-1/" title="9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 1)">9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 1)</a></li><li class="serieslist-li-current">9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 2)</li></ul></div><h3>4) Triggering Event</h3>
&nbsp;
In the logline, a triggering event describes the change in circumstances that creates the conflict to be resolved in the climax. Some call it the inciting incident or inciting event, others call it a catalyst. Whether a specific event, or the final straw in a sequence of compounding events, the trigger forces the main character to act with intention towards a desired outcome. More simply put, the final event triggers the start of the story and points towards a potential climax. Conversely, the climax points back to the trigger.
The final triggering event will have consequences for inaction that force the character to act towards their desired outcome. These initial stakes must be high enough to force the reluctant hero or protagonist to act.
Returning to Ferrari, with his company failing to be profitable, Enzo may need to partner with another company to stave off bankruptcy. However, to protect his company during WW2, he made his wife Laura (Penélope Cruz) the legal owner of the company. Now, in order to negotiate with a potential partner, he needs the company back in his name. Normally, this isn’t a conflict. However, Laura is also mourning the death of her son. She accepts that Enzo is a philanderer – until the final triggering event, when she discovers he has a second family with Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley).
&nbsp;
<h3>5) Goal</h3>
&nbsp;
A goal may manifest in various ways for the different main character types. It may be an active goal, such as for the protagonist, or a reactive goal, such as for the hero. The &#8220;resister&#8221; may not seek a specific goal until late in the story, while the trailblazer may have always felt they cannot conform.
The goal described in the logline must be clearly defined and external to the character. An external goal is easily visualized and allows the reader to track the character’s progress through the story. Not only must the goal solve the main character’s story problem, it must also be achievable in the climax when they run out of time or options.
In our example, Team Ferrari must win a prestigious road race for his company to become attractive to a partner, but more importantly, in order to secure this manufacturing partner, Enzo must get back full control of the company from his wife.
&nbsp;
<h3>6) Stakes</h3>
&nbsp;
Goals and stakes are inexorably linked. The main character must successfully achieve their goal to stave off the negative consequences. Stakes can be relatively large or small, but, to the main character, they are a fate worse than death, metaphorically or literally. For the protagonist, stakes are deeply personal. However, for the hero the well-being of others is usually most important. Whatever the main character type, the logline describes the negative consequences that matter most to them.
Returning to Ferrari, if Team Ferrari doesn’t win the Mille Miglia, and Laura refuses to sign over control of the company, he will lose not only his company, but his ability to race.
&nbsp;
<h3>7) Flaws &amp; Descriptions</h3>
&nbsp;
With the limited number of words in a logline, the best descriptions focus on the main character’s unrecognized internal limitation or deficiency &#8212; their emotional or psychological Achilles heel that puts their success in doubt. This major flaw typically represents the main character’s internal conflict which they must acknowledge and overcome in order for them to achieve their external goal. A single, strong adjective to describe the character or flaw can add a tremendous amount of complexity to the logline.
In our example, Enzo Ferrari can be described with words such as stoic, driven, ultra-competitive or even perfectionist. However, when it comes to the central conflict with Laura, the one trait that will make his goal harder to achieve is “philanderer.”
&nbsp;
<h3>8) Tone</h3>
&nbsp;
The logline must accurately reflect the mood and attitude of the script. The first step is to be clear with the tone of the script. Is it serious or light? Formal or informal? Does the script meet the expectations of its genre? For instance, a teen comedy should be light and fun, not read like an Oscar-bait drama. With the limited number of words in a logline, word choice becomes vital.
For our example, let’s identify the tone of the script for Ferrari. It is deliberate and formal. It takes its subject seriously. The logline for Ferrari should emphasize both the story&#8217;s action and drama.
<h3></h3>
<h3>9) Length</h3>
&nbsp;
A logline is typically one sentence long of about 35 words. These are not absolutes. It can be two sentences, for instance, if the world or context requires more explanation. Clarity and brevity are key. Like the poet, the writer must find ways for words to serve multiple masters.
However, if it is shorter than say 30 words, the logline might actually be a premise line, which does not describe the specifics of character, plot, or stakes. As described in my article on the Four Promises, the premise is the promise of conflict whereas the logline is a description of conflict.
&nbsp;
<h3>Bringing It All Together</h3>
&nbsp;
Understanding these elements individually will make it much easier to write a solid logline. When writing out each of the elements, as we did in the example, don’t worry about length. Write each out as you would describe it to a friend. Most importantly, describe the elements as they are in the story. This is an important clarifying step that should not be skipped.
Now is the time to restate each element briefly. There will still be some fat to trim.
Context/Setting: Italy, 1957. Mourning the death of his son, Enzo throws himself into road racing, leading to potential financial ruin.
Flawed Main Character: The philandering Enzo Ferrari
Opposition: His wife, who has financial control of the company. She seems willing to help until she discovers he has a mistress and illegitimate son &#8211; a second family.
Goal: Team Ferrari must win a prestigious road race, but more importantly, Enzo must get back full control of the company from his wife.
Stakes/Consequences: Enzo may lose the company and his ability to race.
Once the central conflict has been clarified, the writer can then rewrite all the components as one idea. The first attempt will likely not be a single sentence, but keep at it. Rewrite, reduce, concentrate it down to about 35 words, always focusing on just the central conflict. And have fun!
First Attempt: Mourning the death of his son, the ultra-competitive Enzo Ferrari throws himself into road racing, leading to potential financial ruin. Now Team Ferrari must win a prestigious Mille Miglia to become attractive to a potential partner, but more importantly he must get back full control of the company from his wife, who has financial control of the company. But she’s discovered he has a second family.
At sixty six words, and multiple sentences, this is a short synopsis rather than a logline.
Second Attempt: Mourning the death of his son, the ultra-competitive philandering Enzo Ferrari faces financial ruin unless his team can win a prestigious road race, but first he must regain control of his company from his heartbroken wife who has just discovered he has a second family.
Here we have 45 words. This is a bit long for a logline. Let’s try it without the references to the death of his son, focusing more on the central conflict between husband and wife.
Final Logline for Ferrari: In 1957 Italy, philandering Enzo Ferrari faces financial ruin unless his team can win a prestigious road race, but first he must regain control of his company from his wife who has just discovered he has a second family.
Here we clock in at 39 words. The tone is formal and serious, much like the script. The conflict describes both of Enzo’s needs, to make his company attractive to investors, and to get control of the company back from Laura.
<a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/how-to-get-your-script-read-the-four-promises/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">[More: How to Get Your Script Read – The Four Promises]</a>
<fieldset><legend>Series Navigation</legend><a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/9-components-of-the-perfect-logline-part-1/" title="&lt;&lt; 9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 1)">&lt;&lt; 9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 1)</a></fieldset>

9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 2)

<div class="seriesmeta">This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series <a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/Best Of 2020/logline/" class="series-3977" title="Logline">Logline</a></div><div class="seriesbox"><div class="center"> <a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/Best Of 2020/logline/" class="series-3977" title="Logline">Logline</a></div><ul class="serieslist-ul"><li class="serieslist-li-current">9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 1)</li><li class="serieslist-li"><a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/9-components-of-the-perfect-logline-part-2/" title="9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 2)">9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 2)</a></li></ul></div>Many aspiring writers battle with loglines. Quite a few working writers struggle, too. Afterall, it’s a different skill from writing a script. The good news is crafting a logline becomes much easier when the writer knows what to include and, more importantly, what to leave on the cutting room floor. What darlings must be sacrificed in the name of brevity? Thankfully, the answer is straightforward. 
This article describes a specific strategy for crafting a logline that will motivate the industry professional to actually read the script. This is, after all, the primary goal of the logline &#8211; to set expectations that will get the script read. 
A kick-ass logline lets the potential reader know they are in capable storytelling hands.
&nbsp;
<h3>Defining the Logline</h3>
&nbsp;
<blockquote>A logline is a single sentence of about 35 words that defines the story’s central conflict through context/setting, a flawed main character &amp; their opposition, triggering events, goal, stakes, and tone.</blockquote>
&nbsp;
In order to describe a story in a single sentence, the logline will focus solely on the central conflict &#8211; the major external conflict that resolves in the climax. The central conflict consists of the main character, what they want, why they want it, who or what doesn’t want them to have it, and what happens if they don’t get it.
Additionally, the logline may describe the setting or context that will help the reader to visualize or understand the story. And, perhaps most importantly, the tone and style of the logline must accurately represent the story as it is. 
Now that we know what stays in the picture, what then gets spliced out? Keep it simple. Multiple settings, subplots, or minor characters are best saved for a synopsis, as are internal conflicts and ornate descriptions. 
&nbsp;
<h3>Elements Of A Logline</h3>
&nbsp;
As we dig a little deeper into each of the eight elements mentioned in the definition above we’ll use Michael Mann’s Ferrari, a biographical sports drama written by Troy Kennedy Martin. Identifying each of the elements separately will make crafting a logline much easier. 
At this point, when identifying each element, it’s not necessary to restrict word count. The important thing to recognize is how the element is used in the story. Take time and space to explore. In the end, once each element is clear, it will be just a matter of reducing and condensing them into a cohesive single sentence logline. Easy peasy.
&nbsp;
<h3>1) Context &amp; Setting</h3>
&nbsp;
Perhaps nothing is more vital to help the reader to visualize the story than its setting. It serves as a familiar frame of reference or a visual anchor for the reader. It may even be key to understanding the conflict in the story.
Example: In the script for Ferrari, the setting is 1957 Italy. The status quo has Enzo (Adam Driver) mourning the death of his son, focusing on racing, not the manufacturing and retail sales, and spending time with his mistress and illegitimate son. 
&nbsp;
<h3>2) Main Character</h3>
&nbsp;
The logline represents only the central conflict of the main point of view (POV) character. But this does not have to be a goal driven, change character, known as the protagonist. The protagonist is just one type of main character. 
The Protagonist is the most common type of main character. The protagonist’s circumstances have changed, which reveals a need that drives a goal which is resolved in the climax, only if they themselves can change. If the protagonist fails to achieve their goal, they experience specific personal negative consequences (stakes).
The protagonist of the movie Ferrari is the growing legend, the ultra-competitive, philandering Enzo Ferrari. His whole life is wrapped up in racing. While he’s not actively racing, he is an active protagonist with the goal of regaining control of the company. Typically, in a logline, the main character’s name isn’t used. The exception is when the main character, or at least their name, is well known to the audience.
The Hero has a reactive goal &#8212; to stop their opposition. The opposition’s active goal drives the narrative. The hero seeks either justice or the restoration of the status quo. Heroes aren’t just super human. They can be ordinary people, like doctors, lawyers, firemen, or wizards. It is the opponent’s goal that will be described in the logline. Further differentiating the hero from other main character types is stakes. The hero typically risks everything on behalf of others.
Examples of the hero are easily found: Harry Potter, John Wick, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell from Top Gun, and Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Not to mention all the heroes that populate the Marvel and DC cinematic universes.
 
<h3>3) Opposition</h3>
&nbsp;
Without opposition there is no conflict. No conflict means no story. Conflict can only come when a character who wants or needs something specific faces significant opposition. That is to say, the audience must know the opposition as overpowering. Significant opposition promises that the main character will have to struggle for their desired outcome.
Some types of opposition simply oppose the main character, while others may drive the narrative forward. Opposition is not only found in allies and enemies, but in nature, culture, ghosts, and machines. The one thing all opposition types have in common is that they significantly stand in the way of the main character achieving their desired outcome.
Just as there are different types of main characters, there are seven different types of opposition that a main character may face. The first three are characters with differing levels of empathy &#8212; or sociopathy.   
The Antagonist directly opposes the protagonist’s goal. They may or may not have their own goal, need, or desire, but the one thing they cannot allow is for the main character to succeed. It’s a zero-sum game. Only one can triumph. The antagonist is not necessarily a bad person. They may even be an ally with a different perspective of how to pursue a common desired outcome. 
Returning to our example Ferrari, winning the Mille Miglia, a prestigious road race, is a major step in Enzo’s goal, but it is not the climax of the story. Enzo’s goal is to regain control of his company. The antagonist is Enzo’s wife Laura who controls the company.
The Villain drives the narrative in stories with heroes. Inverting the protagonist/antagonist dynamic, the villain’s desired outcome must be thwarted by the hero in the climax. Yes, the hero has a goal of justice, but it is reactive to the villain’s goal. The hero has the main POV of the story. A superhero must foil the supervillain’s plans, just as a detective must solve the crime to bring justice. If the villain were to have the main POV, they would be considered the main character. 
Every superhero movie starts with a villain’s plan. The Joker is always up to something that forces Batman into action. However, Joaquin Phoenix in The Joker, for instance, is not a villain in the story sense. He is a main character as he has the primary POV. 
  The Monster has no conscience. The monster may be some kind of animal, or a sociopathic human. It has no empathy. It wants what it wants, pure and simple, that is, to destroy the main character. It can not be reasoned with. It will not change. As long as the monster is on the prowl, there is no rest for the main character. The main character must endure and even find a way to defeat the monster. The monster is found in sci-fi movies where technology runs amok or when aliens invade. They are found in nature and the supernatural. But also in war movies, for instance, where humans perform unthinkable acts. These monsters may even represent, in physical form.
The four Oppositional Forces of Nature, Culture, Technology, and the Supernatural may be represented by aspects of several characters, none of which, individually, would serve as a villain or monster. The main character is forced into circumstances where they cannot easily flee. Like the monster, the force itself may seem impossible to overcome, leaving the main character no choice but to simply endure until the force subsides, such as one of Mother Nature’s storms, or daybreak in a vampire flick.
<fieldset><legend>Series Navigation</legend><a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/9-components-of-the-perfect-logline-part-2/" title="9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 2) &gt;&gt;">9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 2) &gt;&gt;</a></fieldset>

9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 1)

Whether the writer focuses on TV or features, we all have one question in common. &#8220;How do we get industry professionals to read our scripts?&#8221; Getting them to agree to read the script is just the first battle. Getting the script to the top of their pile is the next. The real question is how do we motivate the reader to pick up that script and actually read it?
Let’s assume the writer has crafted a quality script, one that is polished and professional. The script must do more than stand on its own, it must stand out from the crowd. From the perspective of the industry professional, there will always be too many good scripts to read, and too little time to read them. Reading is an investment of valuable time, if not actual money. 
The writer is not helpless in this process. There are strategies that can influence the potential reader. Aside from the motivation of being paid to read a script, we will review four other factors that can get pages turning. We will refer to them as promises as they point to this particular script as the one they should read next. And, like all promises, it will be disappointing all around if they’re broken.
The four promises are
<ul>
<li>reputation</li>
<li>recommendation</li>
<li>premise</li>
<li>the logline</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h3>The Promise of Reputation </h3>
&nbsp;
Reputation is the promise that comes from the prior experiences of the writer. Reputation is more than just having a film listed on IMDbPro, or winning a festival or contest, or winning an Oscar. Although that certainly helps. Having a good reputation with the industry professional means the writer has earned the right to be read.
The industry professional may have loved a previous film or another script by the writer. That’s good news. Then again, the opposite can be true. It must be understood that the writer risks their reputation whenever they go out with a script. The writer is constantly building up their own reputation &#8211; or razing it. 
The writer must be sure that what they deliver is top shelf. This starts with peer review. A small writer’s group that offers quality feedback is a great way to develop one’s reputation, organically. Friends will hold up an honest mirror to the writer, in a safe space. 
With a professional-grade script in hand, and a reputation at least among their peers, the writer is more likely to move on to the next promise. 
&nbsp;
<h3>The Promise of Recommendation</h3>
&nbsp;
Recommendation is the promise of prior vetting. A script improves its odds of being read when it is recommended by another trusted professional. Someone other than the writer is staking their reputation when they recommend a script. It is most likely someone in the professional ranks (agents, managers, producers, story editors) whose opinion will hold weight with the potential reader, especially as it moves up the food chain.
Professional recommendations ought to be organic, developed from established relationships. Asking a new connection for a recommendation is a good way to create the wrong kind of reputation. Create value for others and most will gladly reciprocate. However, recommendations don’t have to come just from people the writer knows. Winning an elite screenwriting contest or landing on a prestigious list can become a solid recommendation. 
Unfortunately, even the most glowing recommendation may only be enough to open the door to a short pitch. The writer must be ready with the final two promises: a kick-ass premise and an enthralling logline. While the aspiring writer may not have much control over their recommendations, they can and must master their premise and logline.
&nbsp;
<h3>The Promise of Premise</h3>
&nbsp;
The premise is the promise of a story that will excite the audience. It describes the central conflict without the specifics of character or plot. The concept might be the first idea the writer had about their story. Like genre, concepts are very broad. They lack goals and stakes. The concept might follow the question “What if?”
For instance, Liar, Liar: What if a lawyer couldn’t lie?
Transformers: What if vehicles could transform into robots? It might also be a new setting for a familiar story, such as
Titanic: A Romeo and Juliet love story set on the famously doomed ship. The concept is the story’s hook. Simple, easy to comprehend.
The “premise line” develops the concept into the potential for conflict. In a single sentence it allows the audience to imagine the framework for a story. It includes stakes, but not the specifics of character or plot. The premise line answers the question, “What’s it about?”
Returning to our examples, Liar, Liar: When a lawyer misses his son’s birthday, the boy wishes his father cannot lie for twenty four hours.
Transformers: Alien sentient robots disguise themselves as vehicles to save the universe.
Titanic: A couple from two social classes fall in love on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic. 
Still without the specifics of character or plot, we get a sense of a conflict including potential stakes. One might think of the premise line as a hook – with bait. This is a powerful tool. A great premise by itself might even motivate the industry professional to read the script. If it’s not, then there’s one more promise. 
&nbsp;
<h3>The Promise of the Logline</h3>
&nbsp;
The logline is the promise of a story that will engage the audience. The logline uses the elements of the story, including character, plot, and stakes, to describe the narrative conflict. A logline is much more than a one sentence summary of the writer’s story; neither is it a description of the whole story. The logline is meant to describe the story’s central conflict as clearly and concisely as possible. For the busy industry pro deciding what to read next, the logline offers a simple solution. They can easily scan through dozens of loglines in search of a story that hooks them. 
For the writer, a kick-ass logline is more than a good first impression, it is a promise to the potential reader that they are in good hands, story-wise. The logline is often an indicator of professional-grade writing talent.
To an experienced reader, a problem with the logline jumps out as a potential problem with the script. The logline allows them to hone in on the elements of the story, making any issues obvious. Breaking down a story into its core elements may lead to other unintended consequences. Sometimes struggling to construct a logline can reveal problems in the story itself. In previous articles I discussed some of the elements, such as the main character, the opposition, the goal and stakes. Other important elements found in the logline are context/setting and a triggering event or events.
Let’s return to our three movies for examples of loglines.
The logline for Liar, Liar (Comedy; 1997, written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur) &#8220;When a pathological lying lawyer misses his son’s birthday, the young boy wishes that his father couldn’t lie for 24 hours, now he has to win a career-defining court case with nothing but the truth.&#8221;
The logline for Transformers (Sci-Fi/Action; 2007, written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) “A civil war between sentient machines has come to earth, where both sides can transform into vehicles. Now the fate of the universe depends on a human teenager who must help the noble machines prevent their evil enemies from acquiring a powerful cube.”
And finally, the logline for Titanic (Historical/Action/Romance; 1997, written by James Cameron) “Aboard the ill-fated Titanic, an idealistic young woman, whose mother demands she marry for money, falls for a poor artist, but when the ship hits an iceberg their new love is threatened by more than their class differences.”
&nbsp;
<h3>Describing a TV Series &amp; Pilot</h3>
&nbsp;
There is a paradox when writing a logline for a TV pilot. We’re taught that a logline describes the central conflict, which we understand will be resolved in the climax. While the conflict in the pilot may resolve, it simultaneously establishes the conflict for the entire series. It would seem the logline for a TV pilot is being asked to do too much. 
How then should the writer describe the pilot within the context of the entire series? Thankfully, the answer can be found within two of the four promises. Simply let the logline describe an episode and, separately, allow the premise line to describe the series. 
The premise line explores the potential conflicts within the bigger concept, a description of the series as a whole. It can do this because it doesn’t contain the specifics of any one episode. It’s the glue that holds the series together, the connective tissue between the episodes.
For instance, The Brady Bunch, “When a divorced father of three boys marries a widowed mother of three girls, their idyllic middle-class house becomes ground zero for endless family-friendly friction.” Breaking Bad, “A high school chemistry teacher with lung cancer becomes a drug dealer to provide his family with some financial security.”
This frees up the logline to do what it does best. Without the burden of describing the premise, the logline can better describe the central conflict for each episode. The combination of the logline and premise line is a one-two punch in a pitch. 
&nbsp;
<h3>Wrap Up</h3>
&nbsp;
To be sure, it will likely take more than one of these four promises to get the script read. Within the limited scope of this article, we could not review all the ways a writer can influence their reputation or garner a recommendation. The reader is encouraged to explore their own unique alternatives. The writing of a premise line and the logline are as much technical as they are creative. Learning how to expertly craft them can unlock the writer’s career.

9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 2)

9 Components Of The Perfect Logline (Part 1)

How to Get Your Script Read – The Four Promises

Subscribe for Updates