Welcome! In today’s article, we will have a look at what a logline is, how you can write a logline, and most importantly, the best logline examples.
Over the years loglines have been one of the most important parts of the screenwriter’s arsenal, it really can be overlooked but provides producers with an insight into the script and they may even decide whether it’s worth their time, just by reading a logline.
This is why it’s so important to understand how to write a logline that will do your script justice – and these logline examples will help spur you on!
Today we look at the best logline examples in film, as well as some incredible logline examples for TV shows.
Firstly, we will look at what a logline is, and how to write a good logline.
Let’s jump straight to it!
What is a Logline?
A logline is a detailed and compact description of what your script is and contains the premise of the story and the core conflict surrounding the protagonist.
The logline is used to engage the reader and is even used by production houses to decide whether or not to read a script.
Yep, it’s that important!
Another reason to nail your logline is for scriptwriting contests, usually in the earlier rounds when they have an abundance of scripts the logline is used to decide on which scripts to shortlist for the next round of the contest.
A poor logline can really let you down.
READ MORE: What is a logline?
How Do I Write a Logline?
Writing a logline is a skill in itself and you need to contain four core factors to make it stand out. The first part of the logline needs to show what the movie is about, who the protagonist is, and their goal.
You’ll then need to include the inciting incident, mixed with the conflict of the movie.
Four key ingredients:
- Who is the protagonist(s)?
- What is their goal?
- What is the inciting incident?
- What is the conflict?
Read our ultimate guide on how to write the perfect logline. Then scroll below for some of the best logline examples. These loglines have tempted millions to view their movies and you should definitely deconstruct them. It’s a fun exercise, and you’ll start to understand the formula to an iconic logline.
What is a logline example?
A logline example is any logline that has been written for a TV show or FIlm; to be honest, it doesn’t even need to be a real show. Logline examples show you what a great logline looks like and then deconstructed to show you how to follow a winning formula to create an exceptional logline.
The example is there for you to relate to and understand how the logline creates intrigue and excitement, willing a potential viewer to sit down and watch your film. It needs to be snappy, eye-catching and sum up the movies in a matter of words.
Here’s a quick video with 3 logline examples:
You may also be interested in The perfect movie synopsis: How to write a synopsis that sells
What Is the Difference Between a Logline and a Tagline?
Loglines and taglines are slight similar as they both look to spike the interest of the reader in your movie. Still, they use different formulas, and ultimately they have different purposes.
A logline, for example, is a description of the premise of your movie. You use this to attract the interest of a producer or production company to sell your screenplay.
Whereas the tagline is a short, snappy slogan used to advertise or promote the finished product. An example we love to use as famous logline examples is the original Blade Runner (1982).
Blade Runner’s Logline:
“A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space, and have returned to Earth to find their creator.”
Blade Runner’s Tagline:
“A chilling, bold, mesmerizing, futuristic detective thriller.”
What is a good logline?
A good logline is a logline that lays out the narrative of your screenplay and captures the reader’s attention, leaving them to want to read it. It persuades the reader to read your script and entices them to engage with it.
You never reveal the ending within the logline as it will stop the producer or production assistant from reading your script. You want to hook them in, leaving them wanting more.
Use descriptive, exciting language to keep them entertained and engaged with your film treatment.
The most iconic movie logline examples
Let’s have a look at some of the most iconic films and the loglines that accompanied them. These iconic logline examples will give you an idea of how to write your own logline and an idea of what can sell a movie to a producer.
The logline is the gateway to reading your script, it needs to be compelling and tell a story within itself. The Matrix logline really stands out to us, and as we’ve seen throughout the years it went from an idea to a full franchise, the importance of perfecting the logline was just the start.
Without it, we wouldn’t have that epic series.
Here are a few of the best logline examples, enjoy!
The Godfather
“The ageing patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.”
The Matrix
“A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.”
The Shawshank Redemption
“Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.”
See where The Shawshank Redemption was filmed.
The Lion King
“Lion cub and future king Simba searches for his identity. His eagerness to please others and penchant for testing his boundaries sometimes gets him into trouble.”
Reservoir Dogs
“After a simple jewellery heist goes terribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.”
The Hangover
Three buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. They make their way around the city in order to find their friend before his wedding.
The Terminator
A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity’s future salvation.
Entourage
Movie star Vincent Chase, together with his boys Eric, Turtle, and Johnny, are back – and back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold on a risky project that will serve as Vince’s directorial debut.
The Jungle Book
Bagheera the Panther and Baloo the Bear have a difficult time trying to convince a boy to leave the jungle for human civilization.
Finding Nemo
Nemo, after he ventures into the open sea, despite his father’s constant warnings about many of the ocean’s dangers. Nemo is abducted by a boat and netted up and sent to a dentist’s office in Sydney.
American Beauty
Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after becoming infatuated with his daughter’s attractive friend.
Excellent TV Show logline examples
Here are some exceptional logline examples for TV shows. TV shows differ slightly from a movie; the logline focuses more on the pilot episode and the first series. You need to hook the reader in, and there’s no guarantee for a second series, so it follows the same formula as writing a logline for film.
Here’s a list of our favourite logline examples from some incredible television series.
London Spy
In London, a gay man discovers his MI6-operative lover dead. He suspects a cover-up, but with the conspirators seemingly all-powerful he has to sacrifice everything to discover the truth.
The Office
A mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium.
The Game
In 1970s London, a KGB defector warns MI5 of a Soviet plot to destabilise Britain. With MI5 infiltrated by a KGB agent, the service’s operatives must decide who they can trust, discover who is betraying them and somehow stop the plot.
The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners follows four friends and their antics during their final years of school.
Restless
In 1976, an elderly and paranoid spy recalls how she was sent to the USA before World War Two as an agent provocateur and how the betrayal that has haunted her ever since needs revenge in the present.
Spies of Warsaw
As the Second World War approaches, a French spy in Poland discovers German battle-plans, and has to fight off Nazi and Soviet assassins as he tries to alert both countries to the danger.
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We hope this article on logline examples was of interest, do you have any examples of logline? Let us know in the comments what you think! For more screenwriting resources and tips on how to perfect writing loglines, scroll a little further!
