As a newcomer to this platform, I have a question that may appear trivial to some, but it's been on my mind, and I'm eager to learn from your experiences. I've noticed many writers generously sharing their loglines here, and it made me wonder if any of you ever worry about the possibility of someone appropriating your ideas. I understand that ideas themselves aren't typically protected by copyright, which is why I'm keen to hear your insights on this matter.
Screenwriting : Safeguarding Creative Ideas in Logline Sharing" by Mangessh M
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I share my loglines for feedback on here fairly regularly - then I usually take them down after a while, usually because the idea evolves and the logline becomes irrelevant.
As much as the logline is trying encapsulate the story in a nutshell - I believe it is impossible that two people would write the same story based off of a logline.
However, I guess some high concept ideas could be 'stolen' by malicious, unimaginative types. Personally, I don't lose sleep over it.
In the nicest way possible, what I've discovered is that writers starting out believe in the uniqueness of their ideas more than they should. The uniqueness is in the writing, not the idea - you start to see patterns in structure and tropes after a while - the characters, the story's world and your writing voice are what can make something unique (which don't really exist in a logline)
That is my rant for the day anyway haha
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Adam Harper Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Usually, I write the whole script first and then condense it down into a logline. Thank you once again for your valuable input.
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I always start with a logline so I don't forget my ideas but they do keep changing as the idea develops :-) It is interesting to see the different approaches that people might take
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There are few things to consider. The biggest one is:
There are no new ideas. You may have an interesting take on a story but no new idea. Possible not even a new take, just difference in some details. Sounds bad, but it is true.
I am so confident in that statement. If someone tells me a new idea that isn’t like another other story ever told. I will donate $50 to a children’s hospital in your name.
As you learn to write. Your brain just generates more and more ideas. So many ideas the biggest problem you will have is sorting good from bad ideas..
Finally, if you and I had the same idea and wrote screenplays. Those screenplay would be so different people wouldn’t know they are the same idea.
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Ten years ago I worried about that, but not anymore. Mainly because after sending my books out to dozens of beta readers over the years, I've come to realize that if they like my idea that much, it's usually because it stimulated an idea for a different version of the story than the one I have written, resulting in "you should change this to that and then this and this and this, etc..." kind of feedback that completely changes the story to something different than what I had in mind (as opposed to improving on the story that I have). Which, hey, go ahead and write that story if you want. I'm happy my idea got your creative juices going!
To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever taken my idea and written their own version of it. The first book in my series was pirated once though. I had done a time-limited ebook give-away to try to get people into the series and someone in Africa took the free download and somehow managed to bypass the protections and upload it to their website that offered free downloads to member readers. I could have demanded they take it down or tried to take legal action, but I didn't. I let it go and as far as I know, it's still floating around out there as a freebie. I figured the more people who read book one, the more likely it is that I'll be able to sell more copies of books 2,3, and 4 (which I have never done a give-away for, but there's links in book one to help readers find them). Besides, whoever it was wrote a glowing review/blurb on their listing in such bad English that it gave me a good laugh. It's hard to be mad at someone who made me laugh. LOL
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They can steal my ideas but they can't steal my voice.
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CJ summed it up perfectly, Mangessh M.
Here is the logline of my dark comedy feature film- "After the death of a pulp science fiction author, his children discover that a renowned film producer is interested in making a movie based on one of his 250 novels, but they don't know which one. As they search for the book, they realize that most of their father's novels were actually penned by his servant, who happens to be an Alien."
Please share your thoughts.
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As a quick analysis of your logline - almost half of the logline is the setup of the premise and a quarter of it looks like it is giving out spoilers? Sadly, I feel the logline left me with lots of questions in an unhealthy way.
My thought is that it sounds like the main adventure is the story of a group of young siblings searching a novel written by their mysterious and recently deceased father. Would this be right?
You could have a good story but it is difficult for me to get a grasp of the story from the logline. Without knowing the story my attempt would be something like:
After their eccentric father passes away, his young siblings search for the only copy of their father's novel that is to be adapted for the screen but the search reveals a family secret that is stranger than fiction.
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I get what you're saying, but the sci-fi story written by an alien isn't the end. It actually sets the stage for a bigger conflict.
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Mangessh M the 'bigger conflict' may be what is missing from the logline - if it is the threat of an intergalactic war or they must stop the presidential candidate (who is an alien) then I would say that is the part of the story that would really sell the idea and describe what is at stake
Your logline at the moment implies that if they don't find the book then the biggest risk is that a movie based on their father's story doesn't get made. From what you are saying, it sounds like there is much more at stake than this.
When you know your story so well, it can be hard to reduce the whole concept into a sentence or two. I hope you don't think I'm being too picky, I'm just trying to help you produce the most succinct logline
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Here’s a logline template that might help, Mangessh M:
“After/when ______ (the inciting incident/the event that sets the plot in motion), a _______ (an adjective that describes the protagonist’s personality and the protagonist's position/role) tries to/attempts to/fights to/struggles to/strives to/sets out to/fights/battles/engages in/participates/competes/etc. _______ (goal of story and try to add the obstacles here) so/in order to ________ (stakes).”
The inciting incident can also be at the end of the logline: “A _______ (an adjective that describes the protagonist’s personality and the protagonist's position/role) tries to/attempts to/fights to/struggles to/strives to/sets out to/fights/battles/engages in/participates/competes/etc. _______ (goal of story and try to add the obstacles here) so/in order to ________ (stakes) after/when ______ (the inciting incident/the event that sets the plot in motion).”
And Christopher Lockhart has a great webinar on loglines. It’s called “How To Make Your Logline Attractive to A-List Actors, Producers, Directors, Managers, Agents, Financiers and Development Execs” (www.stage32.com/webinars/How-To-Make-Your-Logline-Attractive-to-A-List-A...).
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Maurice Vaughan Thanks a ton for this.
You're welcome, Mangessh M.
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First off, welcome Mangessh M. Think you're already feeling the love, support and collaborative spirit from this remarkable community.
This webinar, taught by my buddy and sometime speaking partner, Chris Lockhart is by far the best I've seen in over a decade of writing screenplays myself. It's one I reference quite often:
https://www.stage32.com/webinars/What-Makes-Your-Logline-Interesting-for...
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Richard "RB" Botto I worked with Chris at WME when i was in the Story Dept. He has a brilliant story-driven mind
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No, I'm not worried about it. So much of writing a whole movie comes down to execution. Ideas (and loglines) are a dime a dozen but fantastic screenplays are not. A lot of writers share loglines because putting them out there and sharing can garner feedback or new thoughts/opinions/ideas that can help you bolster your story.
Also, this is kind of a different thing but companies are always making similar movies. No Strings Attached/Friends With Benefits, Armageddon/Deep Impact, Olympus Has Fallen/White House Down, The Prestige/The Illusionist, Madagascar/The Wild. It happens all the time and there's often enough room in the marketplace for both.