Recommended Screenwriters
Why Isn’t This Logline Getting Script Requests?
- September 24, 2010
- Posted by: HalCroasmun
- Category: Articles
I talk with other producers on a regular basis and yesterday, I had one ask me if I ever read the loglines listed on the Net. He was talking about a service that lists loglines and sends them out to producers.
Here was his comment:
“I found a couple of good ones, but I had to go through more than 100 very bad loglines first.”
I know that comment sounds harsh, but it is pretty accurate. Most producers I know say about 1% to 2% of the loglines they see are good.
That is both good news and bad news.
GOOD NEWS: You can easily stand out from your competition just be writing a great logline.
BAD NEWS: If you are not getting a lot of script requests, your logline is probably not as good as you think.
Rather than get mad, let’s get you into the top 2% and get your script read.
Here’s a strategy that works…
I know how frustrating it is to complete a screenplay and then have no one in the business want to read it. I’ve seen that happen to far too many screenwriters. So what I’m about to tell you can increase your chances of getting your script read by two to ten times, maybe more.
First, let’s get to the heart of the matter here. I think screenwriters have been misled about loglines. Not because someone is trying to trick you, but because most of the teachers don’t understand what causes a producer to want to do business with a writer.
IMPORTANT: If you are writing a logline to lure a producer to request your script, it has to be written in a way that makes the story attractive to the producer.
First Key: MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE to a producer.
To do that, you need to understand producers and how they perceive loglines. Here’s a quick overview:
1. Anyone in a production company is short on time and very careful about what they spend time on.
Therefore, they have very specific criteria for what they are looking for in a script and will quickly eliminate anything that doesn’t fit that criteria.
That is a problem because at least 90% of the loglines I see immediately disqualify the writer. They are often dull, confusing, poorly written, a cliche story, vague, etc. None of those qualities are attractive to Hollywood.
2. As a producer looks at a logline, they are only considering it for one reason — to make a movie.
That means they are thinking about a $5 million to $100 million decision and looking for stories that are strong enough to fulfill the requirements of that level of financial commitment.
Don’t minimize this. I’m telling you something you should never forget. Every time I look at a logline, I’m debating about whether that story would be worth spending two years of work, investing my money and trying to get a Studio to invest their money.
So the most important thing your logline needs to communicate is that your story will be a box office success…but you can’t say those words. The logline must be so good that a producer can’t stop fantasizing about the success your movie will have.
3. Every person in a production company pitches, including interns.
Why is this important to know? So you don’t fall for the myth that producers, development people, and even interns don’t know anything about screenwriting.
Here’s the deal. From your first week at a production company, you are taught how to pitch screenplays and exactly what the producer needs from a story. Then, every time you pitch, it is hammered into your head what matters in a pitch. If you pitch a great story, you are rewarded. If you pitch a bad story, your credibility is at stake.
Now, the intern reads your logline. If you did your job, they see an amazing pitch in that one sentence. It is perfectly designed so they can walk into the producer’s office and pitch it right then.
If you’ve written it that way, you’ll get plenty of script requests.
Second Key: Write your logline to be pitched.
There is a difference between a logline you use to explain your story and a “marketing logline.” The first serves the story and is the one you’ve heard about from your screenwriting teachers. The second *sells* the story.
Your logline should:
1. Be a hook that creates curiosity.
You need to hook us. You can write a logline 20 to 100 different ways. What you want to brainstorm different ways to write it that will create interest.
2. Have commplete clarity.
Many times, a well-written logline is worded in such a complicated way that it is difficult to pitch. It looks great on paper, but it doesn’t flow off the tongue. So you want to test it by pitching it to someone over the phone and having them pitch it back to you.
Often, the solution is to simplify the logline to make it easier to pitch.
Remember, the assistant will pitch it to the producer, who will pitch it to a Studio exec, who will pitch it to the V.P., who may pitch it to the Head of Marketing, etc.. So it has to have absolute clarity and a hook in order to get through that gauntlet.
Third Key: Tell the best part.
Consider this: if there are 200 loglines on a site or in their catalogue, how do you get yours to stand out from the pack?
I’ve seen so many loglines that hide the best part. They hint at it, but don’t say it directly, leaving the reader somewhat interested, but insecure about the decision to request the script or not.
You’re probably saying “then they should read the script to see if it fits.” But remember number 1 above — they don’t have time. So guess what happens? They eliminate that logline.
Get that? If there’s any reason not to request the script, they don’t request it.
So don’t make the mistake of hinting or being vague about the best part of your story. Give it to them with as much clarity and as powerfully as you possibly can.
And yes, there is more to know about how to structure an effective logline that truly appeals to producers, but if you follow these three keys, you’ve got a fighting chance…
… if you want to find out more, though, and really learn Marketing and how to break into Hollywood, check out our ProSeries Screenwriting Class.