Recommended Screenwriters
ISA Interviews Hal Croasmun about Loglines
- June 12, 2010
- Posted by: HalCroasmun
- Category: Articles
Craig James here from the ISA. I recently had the chance to interview Hal Croasmun of ScreenwritingU about loglines and felt this was so good that I just had to share it with our group.
CRAIG: Hey Hal, you’ve met a lot of producers and pitched scripts. What are the basics that have to be there in a strong logline.
HAL: Basics on loglines? Character, main conflict or goal, and a sense of the story. We need to know who the main character is that we’re going to follow through the story. Then, what is the difficult situation they are put in — main conflict, dilemma, or goal that is threatened? And then something that makes this story special — could be a unique strategy, an incongruent pairing, a cool antagonist, or giving us the irony of this story.
CRAIG: That’s a lot to put into a logline. Can you fit that into 25 words?
HAL: No. You don’t want to fit ALL of that into a logline. You want to highlight the thing that makes your story amazing. Really, success at writing great loglines comes from writing a lot of bland loglines. Each one tells the story in some way, but highlights something different. You may write 10 or 20 versions before you find the perfect combination that gives a sense of the story and lures a producer or agent to request your script.
CRAIG: Okay, you’ve also coached writers on their loglines in your classes. What do you focus on during those calls?
HAL: Mostly two things: clarity and what’s special in the story. Clarity means they instantly understand the story. There’s no confusion. If an agent or producer is confused for a moment, it’s over. They assume there is something wrong with the writing. Clarity is number one. Confused producers don’t make $10 million decisions and confused assistants don’t recommend a script to their boss.
Then, you want to get really clear on what is special about your story. I’ve seen so many writers write a great story and then forget the part that makes it special in their logline. That part is what sells the script. For example, if you take the “boss from hell” out of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, that movie wouldn’t have been made. If you take the “roofied and can’t remember last night” out of THE HANGOVER, that would have just been another “going to Vegas and doing crazy things” movie that died at the box office. You’ve got to find that special part that will get people excited about it.
You’re just looking for what is most interesting or special about your story. And then, the job is to express it clearly and in a waythat creates interest.
CRAIG: Any reason that someone might not express that special part?
HAL: Usually, it is because they are so into the details of their story that they can’t see the forest for the trees. You’ve really got to look at the script from an overview. You’d be surprised how many times I’ll read a logline and synopsis and find out that the writer left the most important part of their story out.
The other reason is a myth that is out there that says “Don’t give away your ending.” But if your ending is the most unique part of your story, then you’re in a dilemma. What if your story is the SIXTH SENSE and the best part is the ending? If you leave that out, all you’ve got is a kid who sees dead people and the psychiatrist who is helping him. But add in that ending — that the psychiatrist is actually dead the whole time and the kid is really helping him cross over — and you’ve got a unique story.
My advice is this: Don’t hold back. If you want your loglines to produce a result, give us your best part and increase the chance that an agent or producer will want to work with you.