log line

{{Short description|Brief summary of a television program, film, or book}}

{{for|the navigational device used to measure a ship's speed|Chip log}}

A log line or logline is a brief (usually one-sentence) summary of a television program, film, short film or book, that states the central conflict of the story, often providing both a synopsis of the story's plot, and an emotional "hook" to stimulate interest.{{Cite web|url=https://industrialscripts.com/loglines-guide/|title=How to Write Outstanding TV & Movie Loglines: The ULTIMATE Guide|date=2019-06-11|website=Industrial Scripts®|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-01}} A one-sentence program summary in TV Guide is a log line.{{harvtxt|Brewer|2014|p=29}} "A log line is a single sentence describing your entire story,"Russell, James (2000). Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets: The Writer's Guide to Marketing Scripts, p.61. James Russell Publishing. {{ISBN|9780916367114}}. however, "it is not a straight summary of the project. It goes to the heart of what a project is about in one or two sentences, defining the theme of the project...and suggest[ing] a bigger meaning."Perebinossoff, Philippe; Gross, Brian; and Gross, Lynne S. (2005). Programming for TV, Radio, and the Internet: Strategy, Development, and Evaluation, p.73. Taylor & Francis. {{ISBN|9780240806822}}. "A logline is a one-sentence summary of the story's main conflict. It is not a statement of theme but rather a premise."Steiff, Josef (2005). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Independent Filmmaking, p.57. Penguin. {{ISBN|9781592573905}}.

"A logline...helps content creators simply and easily sell their work in a single sentence, because the emphasis is on what makes their property unique...the logline provides the content creator with a concise way to focus on the three main anchors of their writing," the protagonist, the protagonist's wants (goal(s) or desire(s)), and what is at stake (risks).Bishop, Lane Shefter (2016). [https://books.google.com/books?id=RGPfCwAAQBAJ&dq=%22logline%22&pg=PT14 Sell Your Story in A Single Sentence: Advice from the Front Lines of Hollywood], {{unpaginated}}. Countryman Press. {{ISBN|9781581575101}}.

The term was introduced in 1982 to describe an entry in a television programming guide summarizing the plot of a show.{{Cite web |date=December 27, 2024 |title=Definition of LOGLINE |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/logline |access-date=December 29, 2024 |website=Merriam-Webster |language=en-US}}