#Example of a logline serial#
#Example of a logline series#

The antagonist may also be within the protagonist themselves, as is often the case with stories of addiction or depression.

#Example of a logline serial#

The antagonist – what does our lead character come up against? This could be a typical baddie – a serial killer, terrorist, or monster – or something more down-to-earth, a friend, rival, boss, or spouse.

If you have multiple protagonists, think about what links them (for example, ‘a team of British explorers’, or ‘five members of a lottery syndicate’). For instance, “a police detective battling their own inner demons”, “a surgeon struggling with alcoholism”, “a failed musician stuck in the past”, “a cutthroat journalist” etc. Many loglines will mention who the protagonists are and what kind of emotional qualities they might have. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter - a logline for The Sopranos would work just as well whether you name Tony Soprano or refer to ‘a mafia boss’.

The protagonist – who is this story about? Often there is no need to name the protagonist unless they are a real-life figure (for instance, you wouldn’t write a logline for Darkest Hour without mentioning Winston Churchill).

If you’re writing a comedy series, the setting itself could be a world where humour could arise, such as a nondescript office in Slough.

#Example of a logline series#

For instance, if your film or TV series is set in Cold War East Berlin, the chances are the story itself is going to be quite high-stakes.

The time period – where is this work set? This mainly applies to period films where the setting itself is important to the drama or comedy of the piece.

Traditionally, loglines could or should contain the following. A better one would be, “a talented but immature Brooklyn detective comes into conflict with a new serious and stern commanding officer”. For instance, 'a comedy series set in a fictional Brooklyn Police Department' is an accurate though uninspiring logline for Brooklyn Nine Nine. That said, it doesn’t hurt to be a little specific when distilling your idea to ensure that it sounds distinctive. It is possible to write two if your work demands it and the sentences are short but this should be avoided if you are able to, as you risk going into synopsis territory. Loglines are traditionally one-sentence long. Like treatments, nobody really ‘enjoys’ writing them but they are a necessary evil.

In the film/TV industry, it’s not just writers who have to put them together: agents write them to entice producers, producers write them to draw in executives, executives write them to hook their bosses etc. How many times have you flicked through several TV listings or IMDb and made your decision while comparing just a handful of sentences? If you are sending the script for someone to read, think what mind-set you want to put them in before they turn to page one. You see one whenever you scroll through film or TV listings or whenever someone recommends a work to you.Īt the same time, aside from describing what the work is about, a logline should, where possible, persuade said reader/viewer that the work they are about to encounter is going to be enjoyable, compelling or funny.

Every time someone asks you down the pub what a film or TV series is about, your answer is likely to be a slightly less polished version of a logline. Unlike screenplays, virtually everyone has some kind of experience in reading them or devising them whether they know it or not. In its simplest terms, a logline is a one (sometimes two) sentence summary of your script or TV series.