Loglines - Getting a Producer's Attention

The NWSG's pitch session in Seattle this Saturday left many writers bewildered and reworking their loglines. They can see the flaws and want to improve them for the next pitch.  

So what is a logline?

Basically, a logline is a one-sentence summary of your script.  Think of a movie poster. It succinctly describes your story in an enticing manner -- so enticing you want to buy a ticket and see it.  

If you're pitching to producers, the logline should be so enticing that they not only picture people buying tickets, but see themselves devoting time and serious money to the story.

Creating a Logline

It seems like it should be easy to write one or two lines, but it's hard work to condense your story down to its most basic and exciting elements. The logline must convey:

• the genre

• what the story's about (the major conflict or what's at stake), and 

• possibly the main character.

You can find good tips on creating loglines at  Scriptologist.com.

Practice Your Logline

The next step is to practice your logline. Try it out on your mom, friends, waitress and bus driver. Watch their reactions. If they're bored, hone it. But once you've got people excited and they're ready to lay down their $7.00 for a ticket; you're ready to pitch the logline to a producer.

Good luck!!

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