Your Loglines

Students,

You all have done a great job grasping the concept of, evaluating, and modifying your loglines. This is a challenging assignment when first introduced, so rest assured that all of you that turned in loglines will get full credit for the assignment.

Remember these key principles as you conceptualize the projects you will pitch. Loglines:

1) Should be one concise sentence.
2) Should illuminate character.
3) Describe plot.

To test your success, look at your character descriptions (remember, there may be more than one). Are they generic or vague? Every character should have at least one POWERFUL adjective to describe him/her. Names are unnecessary and distracting unless it is a high concept name like Garfield or Batman in which case it might be okay ( notice emphasis on "might").

Plot should:
1) Spark interest.
2) Peak curiosity (don't give it all away).
3) Tell what happens in the first fifteen minutes.

Remember, sentence structure is important too. You don't want readers to stumble over a long, rambling sentence. Try structuring it a few different ways. At the same time, avoid being vague, general, or non-descript in an attempt to condense your logline.

AVOID PASSIVE VOICE AT ALL COST (except in rare circumstances).

Please review the following website for a great explanation of active vs. passive voice. I'm sure it will help you to have those super-polished loglines (and overall writing) that demonstrate you are educated, informed, filmmakers and valuable human resources.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_actpass.html

Go Sp08AIMoguls!

Mariah