How to create a logline that hooks people's emotions in a sentence or two. Go to story.makingafilmmaker.com for more
"A recovering alcoholic wants to get clean but has to become a bartender to in order to support his sick dying mother"
Like the above example, give the protagonist a task they must do to attain their goal that GOES AGAINST THEIR NATURE. This is the best way to communicate conflict in the least amount of words.
Why this strategy works is because we immediately experience the CONFLICT that the screenplay is about and that's what gets us intrigued enough TO ACTUALLY READ THE SCREENPLAY. Which is THE ENTIRE POINT OF A LOGLINE.
I've noticed everyone's obsessed with loglines. Loglines are like worrying about the logo for your company before actually creating anything that works. But if you're ready to create one, consider the following strategy:
Write down a 1) character, 2) Their social role/relationship, 3) their want, 4) Their Task.
Describe the character emotionally. (lonely, violent, shy)
Character's primary social role or relationship (ex-cop, gamer, son)
Goal in line with their emotional nature
Task that goes exact opposite to their nature
