Logline

A logline is your script compressed into one or two sentences: who wants what, what stands in the way, and what happens if they fail. It is the most-read sentence you will ever write about your screenplay — it appears in queries, coverage, pitch decks, and every hallway conversation where your script gets repeated by someone who isn't you.

The working formula:

When [inciting incident], a [flawed protagonist] must [goal] before [stakes], but [central obstacle].

Diagnostics for a weak logline:

• No irony or tension — if the goal and obstacle don't grind against each other, there's no movie in the sentence.
• Vague stakes — "must find themselves" is a theme, not a stake. What is lost if they fail?
• Needs setup — if your logline requires a paragraph of world-explanation first, the concept isn't distilled yet.

Our submission form caps loglines at 300 characters on purpose: if it doesn't fit, it isn't a logline yet. The scorecard's market viability notes will often tell you whether the logline or the script itself is the weaker asset.