Screenwriting : Period Piece Logline Competition by Jill A. Hargrave

Here's the link, Jill A. Hargrave: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5fy9WCysRgIXyDNFOe-VoacbAaINi...

Thanks, Maurice.

What period story are you working on, Jill A. Hargrave?

You're welcome, Jill A. Hargrave.

Thank you Maurice.

You're welcome, Asmaa Jamil.

@Maurice Vaughn Thank you for the link.

You're welcome, Anthony Murphy.

Maurice Vaughan Is there a link to check if the logline successfully uploaded and read other submitted loglines.

I think you'll get a confirmation message after submitting a logline, Anthony Murphy. Stage 32 had similar logline contests in the past, but there wasn't a place to read the submitted loglines. You could email the Development Team (success@stage32.com) to be sure.

The winners will be announced live on Instagram by some of Stage 32's top historical industry pros, Anthony Murphy (www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Period-Logline-Contest-Get-your-log...).

So let me kick off.

Just submitted the logline to the feature screenplay "The Final Solution" that I co-wrote with Jerel Damon.

Inspired by an eyewitness 'incident' at a deathcamp:

Logline:

"After an SS officer's family is accidentally sent to Treblinka, he must save them before the commandant dismantles the camp and kills all inmates."

After watching this movie you ask your shrink "why, o why did I root for this Nazi family to survive," but your shrink had seen it too.

I'm confused by two things.

(1) The page says the period piece contest is launching November 6, but the logline deadline is Oct. 22. Which is it?

(2) Do you have to have a screenplay finished, or is this just judging loglines?

This is hilarious. Nobody will read my period pieces no matter how much I love them! :)

They will if you pay them John.

How many entries do we get? I have about 3 period pieces.

November 6 might be a typo, Mike Boas. The deadline is October 22nd at Midnight (PT). I'm not sure if the script has to be finished or not. The Development Team should know.

Someone will definitely read your period piece if you win the contest, John Connell! At least the first 10 pages if you're the third-place winner.

You can enter as many loglines as you want, Anthony McBride. It says "This contest is FREE to enter and you are able to make as many entries as you like!" on the contest page.

I submitted my 3 projects.

Maurice - you are fantastic to be on top of all this and help others navigate the process. Kudos!

Thanks, Maurice...

And Jill Hargrave - I have missed you!! Glad to see you here.

Thanks, Deborah Jennings. :D

You're welcome, Anthony McBride.

Okay, you convinced me. I submitted my 2 projects. You may congratulate me now. :)

Congratulations, John Connell!

Congrats John!:)

I have little faith that a logline can tell you if it’s going to be a good story. Any good writer should be able to sum up their script, and those pitches are going to be equally compelling. Rather, I’m starting to think of loglines as a sort of intelligence test. If you read a logline that is vague or has poor grammar, the script is going to be poorly written and a chore to read.

Anyway, I submitted twice. :)

Interesting ideas Mike! To start with the second part of your thread. I remember a small production company (or at least they wanted to act like that) who said that if you couldn't come up with a solid logline of 20 words or less, you did not know what you were writing about, did not know your theme. Nonsense, but nontheless interesting. Of course they wanted to take the Spielberg 24 words or less (self proclaimed) rule to the extreme. Hilarious! After reading hundreds of loglines and scripts attached. I conclude that most bad loglines that are vague or have poor grammar DO guarantee for mediocre scripts. I said most, NOT all!

The other way around.

Can a logline 'always' tell you if the script is going to tell a good story, NO. With one of my loglines I was one of the winners of a former Stage32 logline comp , the attached script was ok, but much work to be done!

In other words, a good logline can guarantee that a written script, after x rewrites, has the POTENTIAL to become a great script!

The "inteligence test" thingy (on itself), I'm not going to discus -- too easy to empirically prove wrong.

Thanks Rutger! Yes, I was using the term “intelligence test” in a shorthand way. I don’t literally mean someone is dumb if they can’t write a grammatical sentence… only that they’re likely going to have grammar problems in the script itself. Plenty of smart people aren’t the best writers.

Jill, I couldn't help it!

I've completed fourteen historical screenplays...and I just got through submitting all their loglines (nine on 10-11-2023, five today).

Stage 32, thank you for coming up with a period piece logline contest!

Oh, Mike Boas...I took 11-6-2023 to be the opening date for Stage 32's period piece script contest.

Here's wishing everybody who's submitted period loglines all the VERY BEST!

Hey, Rutger Oosterhoff, the WW2 Nazi predicament sounds really interesting. Good luck!

Robin, thanks! We could do a swap if you like to enjoy each others screenplays. (That as far as a scrupules holocaust screenplay can be enjoyable)

Hi Mark, go to your logline, click on the green edit button, scroll all the way down, click on your screenplay pdf, click on the "trash bin," button right below to delete, then click again on what once was you pdf button, choose your screenplay pdf file on your computer, double click to upload and click save changes.

Stage 32 is announcing the winners live on Instagram today, everyone. 10:00 AM PST. www.instagram.com/stage32

... and???!!!

Here's the recording, everyone. www.instagram.com/reel/Cy6QzmwOjGF

My 1/2 hr dramedy NICHE MARKET got an Honorable Mention! Very happy!

Loved that logline Erick Buckley , well done!

Maurice Vaughan I never got a confirmation message, so I'm not sure if my logline was ever successfully submitted or not. I forgot about it until I saw this today. Is there a master list of submitted loglines?

So many voices talking through the whole thing.Hopeless!

If Stage32 can simply post the 3 winning loglines here, that would at least be something, not much, but something.

Great idea Anthony, complete list of send loglines.

Congratulations, @Erick Buckley!!!

I'm not sure if there's a master list, @Anthony Murphy, but here are the winners: www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Period-Logline-Contest-Winners-Anno...

Maurice Vaughan Yeah, I saw the list of winners. Were emails sent confirming entry? I never got one if there was. Thanks.

Maurice Vaughan My logline was submitted. Thank you.

I'm not sure, @Anthony Murphy. I didn’t enter the contest. If I remember correctly, during the last logline contest there was a confirmation message on the webpage after entering. I'm not sure if there was a confirmation email.

Ok, @Anthony Murphy. You're welcome.

I entered and I did see a message after confirmed my submission was received. I also received an email after the announcements with a discount code. The email confirms my submissions were received.

Ok Rutger Oosterhoff, I'd love to see what ya got. Mine isn't presentable yet, but I appreciate the offer!

Hi Robin,

That you want to read the script is great! It's not up to par yet, but we're wotking on it.The lead, Baldewin, I feel is not 'ACTIVE' enough tryimg to save the day. It feels there should be more 'interaction' between the family members in the camp; but both realistically are almost impossible. Also it feels like there should be a few (more) scenes to show the 'day to day life/work' in the Ghetto part of the Living Camp. That would make you feel we are talking about 'six months' in the camp.

Don't expect too much of the story, but it's slowly getting there.

I think if you feel you're not ready yet to let other people read your screenplay is smart, you should do what you can to get it 'up to par', which means it's ok, and then you do an other few rounds to get it good, maybe even great. Jerel and I are working on three features for over 7 years now. Although perfecting scripts for this long I would not advise either. PM me to what email address I can send the script. Best, Rutger