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This skill provides logline (hook) writing techniques for screenplays. Covers the four components (characters, conflict, setting, action), formulas for effective loglines, and common mistakes to...
Apply this skill when:
A logline (also called a "hook") is a one to two sentence description of your movie that captures the essence of the story in a way that makes people want to see it.
Per WTFB methodology, every effective hook contains these four elements:
[ADJECTIVE] [PROTAGONIST TYPE] must [GOAL/ACTION]
when [INCITING INCIDENT/CONFLICT],
or else [STAKES].
When [SETUP], a [PROTAGONIST] must [OBJECTIVE]
before [ANTAGONIST] [THREAT].
A [GENRE] about [PROTAGONIST] who [SITUATION]
until [CATALYST] forces them to [ACTION]
against [ANTAGONIST/OBSTACLE].
"An archeologist is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis."
Breakdown:
"A Roman general is betrayed and his family killed by an insane emperor. Now a gladiator, he comes to Rome for revenge."
Breakdown:
PROTAGONIST: ___________________________________
(Be specific: not "a man" but "a disgraced surgeon")
GOAL: ___________________________________
(What do they actively pursue?)
ANTAGONIST/OBSTACLE: ___________________________________
(Person, force, or circumstance opposing them)
STAKES: ___________________________________
(What happens if they fail?)
UNIQUE ELEMENT: ___________________________________
(What makes THIS story different?)
Draft 1 (Basic):
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Draft 2 (Add specificity):
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Draft 3 (Add stakes):
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Final Logline:
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
| Mistake | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too vague | "A man faces challenges" | "A retired hitman hunts the men who killed his dog" |
| Too long | Multiple sentences | Cut to one powerful sentence |
| No conflict | "A woman discovers her past" | "A woman must confront the cult that raised her" |
| Passive | "A story about love" | "A dying man races to reconnect with his estranged daughter" |
| Lists events | "First X, then Y, then Z" | Focus on central conflict |
| Theme not story | "An exploration of grief" | "A widow must solve her husband's murder" |
Share your logline and ask:
If "no" to any, revise.
