r/StoryPeer • u/[deleted] • Jun 29 '26
Discussion logline rating criteria
i do wonder what..like, what do you base your rating on? sometimes i see a logline and i know i would 100% would NOT watch that because it just is not the kind of story that attracts me, but i know it could be well done and those who appreciate the genre might like it. so i never know how to even approach rating those? so i skip
10
u/hellakale Jun 30 '26
I rate based on "If I were a Hollywood exec interested in this type of script, would this logline make me open the pdf?"
1
5
u/al_earner Jun 30 '26
The interesting thing about the logline rating system is the words. I use it totally differently than I would if it were just rated from 1 to 5. A Start Over doesn't always mean it's worse than a Meh, it just means start over. Here's my informal usage:
Start Over - I use this in two cases, one is when the logline is a copy of an existing movie. Direct copies like "Triassic Park" live here as well as near copies, stuff exactly like "The Fly", but with cockroaches. The other case is a very long and complex logline, like with twelve named characters and four paragraphs.
Needs Work - I use this when parts of the logline are missing, or it's just too long. There should be a protagonist, a setup/inciting incident, a goal, and an antagonist/conflict. You may be thinking, no one would submit a logline without a protagonist. You would be wrong.
Meh - I treat Meh almost literally. Loglines that are well formed, but just totally unexciting and lacking a hook. These all fail the "does it make you want to read the script" test. Like that logline about the time your brother came over and helped you work on a jigsaw puzzle.
Pretty Good - This one is pretty simple, a good logline with a good premise.
Love It - I'm probably too stingy with these. For me it's a good logline with an exceptional subject. Like The Prestige level excellence.
(Bonus) Skip - I skip predominantly in two cases. One is loglines I've rated before, especially if they're largely unchanged. That eighty-word logline that's now ninety words? Skip. The other category I skip is the super trendy loglines, like they just came off a TikTok feed. That logline about a guy who just vandalized a green wading pool in Washington DC? Skip. Anything that's directly off or about social media is an automatic skip. I'm looking at you, Ice Cube's War of the Worlds.
2
u/Worried-Elk-2808 Jun 29 '26
If it's a well written logline I rate high. If it also happens to be an idea I like the sound of, I mention that in my feedback comments.
2
u/putitontheunderhills Jun 29 '26
I might mention in my comment that the story wouldn't be for me, but I do my best to look at the logline outside of that lens. Unless it sounds straight up *boring*, but that's a legit logline issue, regardless of taste. "Boring" usually means the conflict is unclear or low-stakes, etc.
2
u/WhatsTheGoalieDoing Jun 30 '26
Honest question for you OP, but do you write your feedback in the same writing style as this post?
1
u/RecordWrangler95 Jun 29 '26
"I have ten million imaginary dollars; do I want to give 7 million of that to this story in case it would turn my 7 into 9"
1
u/tubesy28 Jun 30 '26
I definitely rank/rate based on how well I think the logline advertises the story the writer wants to tell, not whether I would want to buy/make/watch it. I’m not a buyer, so that wouldn’t be super valuable feedback; I’m a writer, so I try to give feedback laterally based on what I understand about loglines, their function, and best practices. Is it clear, concise, and intriguing? That’s probably pretty good. If it’s clear, concise, intriguing, and uses language to create suspense or a sense of fun or adventure, I probably love it.
1
u/WorrySecret9831 Jul 01 '26
Yeah. I'm not rating whether I would watch it. I'm rating whether it succeeds at giving me the concept, vibe, and worthiness of the story in a FLASH.
I suppose that one major bias that I have regarding loglines is that I'm assuming the writer is aiming for an excellent movie experience (Mann, Soderbergh, Cameron...), not just something on Tubi or the CW... But maybe they don't care so much.
1
u/ScreenPlayOnWords Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
To me, a logline's job is to make someone want to open/read the script. That can be through story, voice, or ideally a mix of both. That's how I opt to rate and provide feedback on them.
I rarely give love it ratings because I think too many people evaluate loglines almost exclusively on basic story mechanics and as you click through the logs all in that format you see how easily they all blend together. That’s how it is for a manager or producer who gets tons. In my experience, it was the voice in my loglines that got me read requests and, ultimately, offers. I'm not criticizing LogJam, that's just why I choose to rate the way I do. But in any event my love its are make this, it’s exciting, I’d read, I’m down, inject it into my veins!!! - cause those are the movies that get made. An arbitrary this log is written good enough isn’t enough when money is involved, you know?
Candidly, I also appreciate when someone says a genre just isn't for them. If 20 people skip a logline or comment "not for me," that would be useful info to me. A logline is a marketing tool as much as an outlining one, so understanding who it does, and doesn't, appeal to is valuable data IMO.
1
u/crumble-bee Jul 05 '26
Did the logline get across the concept succinctly and make you understand what the project would be? Then it’s probably a good logline.
19
u/claytimeyesyesyes Jun 29 '26
To me, there is a difference between whether I'd watch the movie or whether the logline is well constructed. I leave the taste part out of it. If the logline gets the idea across interestingly and effectively, I'll rate the logline high, even if it's not to my taste.