Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Log line
open-in-new
<h2 id="elements">Elements</h2> <p>Narrative elements often referenced in a logline include the <a href="/facts/Setting_(narrative)/ztLdHBCl">setting</a>, <a href="/facts/Protagonist/LD8eN0Pr">protagonist</a>, <a href="/facts/Antagonist/AssYgnt1">antagonist</a>, <a href="/facts/Inciting_incident/wSgKPzb2">inciting incident</a>, and a <a href="/facts/Conflict_(narrative)/EFAY2hKE"> conflict</a> and a <a href="/facts/Goal/N5UtLKVk">goal</a> (the conflict's resolution).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> Change, such as character growth, and action should be suggested.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> A log line should contain four facts: "the main character, what the main character wants," the villain(s) or obstacle(s), "standing in the way," and, "the unique aspect(s) of the story."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <blockquote><p>Charlie Brown is finally invited to a Halloween party; Snoopy engages the Red Baron in a dogfight; and Linus waits patiently in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin.</p>— Logline for <i><a href="/facts/It%2527s_the_Great_Pumpkin%2c_Charlie_Brown/KzMc63np">It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown</a></i><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></blockquote> <blockquote><p>A talented but irresponsible teenager schemes to steal his college tuition money when his wealthy father refuses to pay for him to study acting at Juilliard.</p>— Logline for <i><a href="/facts/How_I_Paid_for_College%3a_A_Novel_of_Sex%2c_Theft%2c_Friendship%2c_and_Musical_Theater/DBNkEtXF">How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship, and Musical Theater</a></i><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></blockquote> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/High_concept/JwjC8IGR">High concept</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Save_the_Cat!%3a_The_Last_Book_on_Screenwriting_You%2527ll_Ever_Need/ssh74mzB">Save the Cat!</a></li></ul> <ul><li>Brewer, Robert Lee, ed. (2014), <a href="https://archive.org/details/2015writersmarke0000brew"><i>2015 Writer's Market</i></a>, Cincinnati: <a href="/facts/Writer%2527s_Digest_Books/nWomCfMw">Writer's Digest Books</a>, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-1-59963-840-9</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"How to Write Outstanding TV & Movie Loglines: The ULTIMATE Guide". Industrial Scripts®. 2019-06-11. Retrieved 2019-10-01. <a href="https://industrialscripts.com/loglines-guide/" target="_blank">https://industrialscripts.com/loglines-guide/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Brewer (2014, p. 29) - Brewer, Robert Lee, ed. (2014), 2015 Writer's Market, Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, ISBN 978-1-59963-840-9 <a href="https://archive.org/details/2015writersmarke0000brew" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/2015writersmarke0000brew</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Russell, James (2000). Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets: The Writer's Guide to Marketing Scripts, p.61. James Russell Publishing. ISBN 9780916367114. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Perebinossoff, Philippe; Gross, Brian; and Gross, Lynne S. (2005). Programming for TV, Radio, and the Internet: Strategy, Development, and Evaluation, p.73. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780240806822. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Steiff, Josef (2005). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Independent Filmmaking, p.57. Penguin. ISBN 9781592573905. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Bishop, Lane Shefter (2016). Sell Your Story in A Single Sentence: Advice from the Front Lines of Hollywood, [unpaginated]. Countryman Press. ISBN 9781581575101. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=RGPfCwAAQBAJ&dq=%22logline%22&pg=PT14" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=RGPfCwAAQBAJ&dq=%22logline%22&pg=PT14</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Definition of LOGLINE". Merriam-Webster. December 27, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024. <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/logline" target="_blank">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/logline</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Writing a Logline". Graeme Shimmin. March 2013. Retrieved 2017-09-13. <a href="http://graemeshimmin.com/writing-a-logline-for-a-novel/" target="_blank">http://graemeshimmin.com/writing-a-logline-for-a-novel/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Perebinossoff, Philippe; Gross, Brian; and Gross, Lynne S. (2005). Programming for TV, Radio, and the Internet: Strategy, Development, and Evaluation, p.73. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780240806822. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Farnham, Ronald (2011). How to Write a Screenplay in 30 Days or Less, p.51. AuthorHouse. ISBN 9781463440336. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Logline". It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. TitanTV. Retrieved 2005-10-25. <a href="http://titantv.com/" target="_blank">http://titantv.com/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Brewer (2014, p. 29) - Brewer, Robert Lee, ed. (2014), 2015 Writer's Market, Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, ISBN 978-1-59963-840-9 <a href="https://archive.org/details/2015writersmarke0000brew" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/2015writersmarke0000brew</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>