How to Write a Logline, With Examples, and How to Pitch a Show
What a logline has to carry, six original logline examples broken down, how to pitch a TV show out loud, and what actually goes in a film pitch deck.
How to Write a Logline, With Examples, and How to Pitch a Show
A logline is your script in one sentence. It is the first thing a reader, manager or producer sees, and often the only thing. This guide shows what a logline has to carry, six original examples broken down, and how to turn it into a pitch, using Skrib.
What a logline has to carry
- A protagonist with a defining trait.
- A goal they must reach.
- Stakes: what happens if they fail.
- An obstacle: what makes it hard.
Keep it under 35 words. No character names unless the name is famous.
Six logline examples, broken down
- Last Ferry: On the night her ferry route closes for good, a stubborn captain must carry her estranged son across a fogbound bay before either of them admits why he came back. (Protagonist: captain. Goal: the crossing. Obstacle: the fog, and the past.)
- Low Water: When the lowest tide in fifty years uncovers her brother's car, a harbourmaster must prove he wasn't driving before the town closes the case.
- The Salt Crown: When a salt-raker tastes a memory that proves the Crown drowned her village, she must feed the truth to a whole city before the Queen binds it away.
- Second Helpings: A burnt-out chef must run her late gran's seaside cafe for one summer, or lose the lease to the baker across the road.
- The Orchard: A woman who has never asked for help must save the family orchard before harvest, while her brother is secretly selling it.
- The Held Breath: A lodger who fears he is unremarkable is overheard confessing to something he never did, and must choose between clearing his name and the most interesting thing anyone has ever believed about him.
Do it in Skrib: keep the logline as a note next to the beats it summarises, so when the story changes, the pitch changes with it.
How to pitch a TV show out loud
A verbal pitch is usually short. A common shape: why you, the logline, the world, the main characters, the pilot story, and where the seasons go. Practise it until you can say it without notes.
What goes in a film pitch deck
A pitch deck is a short visual document: title and logline, synopsis, characters, tone and visual references, comparable titles, and why now. Keep it short.
FAQ
How long should a logline be? One sentence, about 25 to 35 words.
Write your logline in Skrib
Copy the free Story Planning Toolkit for Screenwriters: logline, characters and structure in one board. It is free to start.
Copy the Story Planning Toolkit for Screenwriters
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