This morning, I saw the title of this article and was intrigued. MEET THE READER: The Six Axes of Screenplay Analysis, Part 1. http://www.scriptmag.com/features/career-features/using-script-consultants/meet-reader-six-axes-screenplay-analysis-part-1.
It occurred to me that in spite of the current knowledge I possess about the screenwriting craft, I've never delved into, much less heard the word axis used before. With minimal research, I quickly determined the writer, Ray Morton (Brothers) was not referring to the X,Y or Z axis in mathematics.
Then I stumbled upon an article written by Blake (Save the Cat) Snyder referring to the importance of the B-story axis (see article) http://www.savethecat.com/todays-blog/the-theme-statedb-story-axis-of-me.... The first article deals defines axes as vital components of your screenplay such as premise, story and characters. The second article by BS addresses developing your b-story.
The first article by Scriptmag contributor Ray Morton calls axis 1 the premise, which interestingly enough sounds very much like a logline to me. For example, he offers this premise from Jaws.
A small town sheriff teams with a scientist and a fisherman to catch the giant great white shark that is terrorizing a beach community.
At 24 words, this premise smells very much like a logline.
Here is the definition for premise:
“Premise” comes from two Latin words, meaning to put before. ... This premise is the underlying idea of your story-the foundation that supports your entire plot. If you can establish what your premise is at the beginning of your project, you will have an easier time writing your story.
Now here's the definition of a logline:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log_line
A log line or logline is a brief (usually one-sentence) summary of a television program, 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. A one-sentence program summary in TV Guide is a log line.
So what's my point here? It's that Ray Morton may call his axis 1 a premise, but I think he more accurately means a logline. And, Ray thinks you can't really have a good screenplay without one. A premise that is.
However, I know many people that will write an entire screenplay with crafting a logline before their script is done. However, in their mind they may be thinking. I'm going to write a movie about "A life or death struggle with a big shark." And, my more concise statement could function as a premise that could be developed into a Jaws style screenplay. So to me, a premise should be a short concept sentence, as opposed to a summary, which is what a logline is.
Of course a writer should have a premise before they undertake writing a screenplay. Of course there should be a beginning, middle and end. And your characters should have more personality than a soap dish, if you want to interest someone in making your script into a feature film or television pilot.
So use whatever terminology floats your boat when crafting a screenplay. My simple advice is don't bore the shit out of your reader.
