[MUSIC] >> Before you begin to write your script,

you need to write a logline. So what is a logline? Well, this is a surprisingly

effective
tool to help you get a good grasp and understanding of what your
screenplay is all about. When I first started writing film scripts, my agent would
ask me to pitch
him the television guide listing. That is, how would this film be described
in the listings of the films to watch in such a way as to compel the reader to
choose to watch it over other options? A logline is a very short, very condensed
version of the story
that describes the essence of the movie. It's like an elevator pitch. An elevator
pitch is defined as
trying to sell your idea to someone during an elevator ride before
they reach their floor. But that would be far too long for
a logline. This is more of a pitch that you could
give to someone who is riding the down escalator as you're on your way up. It's one
sentence and one sentence only. Now I like to take Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
as an example because many of
you will be familiar with that story. The log line for that amazing play
might be two young lovers from rival families in Medieval Italy make
the dangerous decision to elope when their marriage is
forbidden by both families. I like this log line. It describes the main characters
and their
dilemma hence it perilous risk in their action, sets the families as villains,
and gives a sense of time and place. Which implies social and
cultural restrictions. And it really doesn't give away the plot,
avoids detail, and importantly does not reveal
the famous dramatic ending. Writing a logline is a very challenging
exercise, but it's important and beneficial to you as a writer. Loglines are
sometimes written
after the project is finished. But by distilling the essence of your
story into a single sentence before you begin will likely help you to gain a lot
of insight and understanding of your project before you've written
the first word of your screenplay. And this doesn't mean you've figured out
the nuances of the story or how it ends. It will simply give others and yourself a
clear understanding
of what the story is all about. Also, the logline can and probably
will change as your script evolves. Most importantly, every assignment that you
hand in after
this will begin with your logline. This will give your peers, who may be
seeing your project for the first time, some good insight into
the nature of your story. You may want to see some more
examples other than the Romeo and Juliet reference I gave you. And you can
certainly find
them on the internet, but I prefer you to be creative and
not fall into any formula. Write your own intriguing,
compelling, unique logline. You'll be tempted to write two or
more sentences, don't. Take on the challenge of crafting
your thoughts into a single sentence. So write your logline and
submit it for peer review. [MUSIC] Remember to review five of
your peers' loglines, and give them some good feedback.