What a Great Logline Looks Like: October 2017 Edition

The October Logline Competition results are in! Check out these great examples of how to write a logline:

THE WINNER

Our winner is Nicola Ralph with her logline for THE BURDEN, a horror:

“A family on the brink of financial ruin inherits an estranged uncle’s home, but they discover too late what led to their uncle’s untimely end when a demonic presence in the home begins feeding on their terror.”

This is a solid contained horror idea. We like the idea of a demon that feeds off of people’s terror — the potential for intense terror here is excellent.

About Nicola (@NicolaRalph1 – [email protected])

Nicola Ralph is UK screenwriter of Sci-Fi/Horror. She was a 2015 Quarter Finalist in the ScreenCraft Sci-Fi Screenplay Contest and a Finalist in the New York Screenplay Contest — a contest in which she reached the finals three times with different screenplays.

THE FINALISTS

First, we have Ryan Austin with his logline for FIRST DATE, FIRST CONTACT, a sci-fi rom-com:

“On the worst first date ever, an overly-sensitive man and a gruff Texas woman get abducted by aliens and must help the invaders reconcile with another war-hungry alien race in order to save the galaxy — and finally part ways.”

This one is a lot of fun, and we love how it combines sci-fi with rom-com. That genre mashup alone makes this feel fresh, and the idea itself has great opportunities for both comedy and romance.

About Ryan ([email protected] – @ryan_r_austin)

Ryan Austin is a writer focused on telling stories about love. No genre is safe from an uplifting, positive injection of romance.

Next, we have J. Jermaine Jones with his logline for THE KANDAHAR MAN, a horror:

“After the massacre of her patrol unit by a legendary wild man, a critically wounded battlefield medic must find a way to radio for help before she bleeds out — or gets discovered by the wild man — in the deserts of Afghanistan.”

This idea feels terrifying, and it’s also contained. We love how it brings together the genres of war films and horror. Another fresh mashup with all sorts of potential!

About J. Jermaine ([email protected])

J. Jermaine Jones is a Lowndes County, Georgia, resident who has been writing for over twenty years, including screenplays, graphic novels, and short stories. He has aspirations of being a heavy-hitter writer/director in Hollywood to bring more influential stories to the big screen and inspirational change to people’s lives.

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The November Logline Competition is now open! We have wonderful prizes from Script Pipeline, Virtual Pitchfest, WeScreenplay, The Hollywood Pitching Bible, and Talentville. Get your loglines in for detailed feedback and a chance at great prizes.