THE STAGE 32 LOGLINES
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INTO THE ABYSS:
By Samantha Fair
When her abusive ex and estranged father join forces in a chilling plot that threatens everything she loves, a guarded designer who thought she’d escaped her past makes her own plan to keep herself and her son safe.
SYNOPSIS:
Delaney Jones has spent her life surviving the unthinkable: childhood abuse, domestic violence, and the psychological scars left by her brutal father, Arthur. But just as she begins to rebuild her world—with a new love, a child she adores, and the dream of peace—her past resurfaces in the most harrowing way. Carson, her charming yet controlling husband, refuses to let her go, and Dimitri, a calculating predator from her past, returns with a vengeance. When a devastating betrayal rips her family apart and her young son becomes a pawn in a twisted game of revenge, Delaney is forced to confront her deepest fears.
As the walls close in, Delaney uncovers shocking secrets, including a dangerous connection between her tormentors and a larger, hidden force pulling strings in the shadows. With her sanity fraying and her trust shattered, she must navigate a gauntlet of manipulation, legal battles, and physical threats—facing down her demons with only her inner strength and a handful of loyal allies.
Into the Abyss is a chilling, emotionally charged thriller about survival, reclaiming power, and the brutal truths that bind families together—or tear them apart.
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Into the Abyss sounds like an interesting Mystery Thiller, Samantha Fair! Delaney's abusive ex-husband working in secret with her estranged father on a sadistic plan. That's really messed up! I've never seen that in a movie before.
Your logline is more of a short synopsis. Here’s a logline template that might help: After/when ______ (the inciting incident/event that sets the plot in motion), a _______ (the main flaw the protagonist has to overcome in the script or an adjective that describes the protagonist’s personality) _______ (the protagonist’s title/job/career) tries to/attempts to/fights to/struggles to/strives to/sets out to/fights/battles/engages in/competes/etc. _______ (goal of story and try to add the obstacles here) to/so/in order to ________ (stakes).
The inciting incident can also be at the end of the logline: A _______ (the main flaw the protagonist has to overcome in the script or an adjective that describes the protagonist’s personality) _______ (the protagonist’s title/job/career) tries to/attempts to/fights to/struggles to/strives to/sets out to/fights/battles/engages in/competes/etc. _______ (goal of story and try to add the obstacles here) to/so/in order to ________ (stakes) after/when ______ (the inciting incident/event that sets the plot in motion).
Loglines are one or two sentences. A one-sentence logline sounds better, and it takes less time for a producer, director, etc. to read it. Try to keep your logline to 35 words or less. Long loglines can make producers, directors, etc. pass on a project.
Avoid using “must” in loglines. “Must” usually means the protagonist is forced to do whatever they need to do in the story instead of doing it willingly. You might need to use “must” in a logline though, like when the protagonist is forced by another character to do something. Using “must” to choose between two options is fine.
Names in loglines are usually for biopics, well-known stories, and franchises (like Mission: Impossible).
Sometimes I put the location and date that the story takes place in instead of the inciting incident if it’s a Period Piece script.
All stories don’t follow this logline template. Biopics, documentaries, and Experimental scripts might not follow the template. The series logline for a TV show can follow this template, but the pilot logline and episode loglines for the show might not.
1 person likes this
Maurice Vaughan- I shortened it.
Your logline is better, Samantha Fair, but I think the structure still needs some work. And I suggest changing "Delaney Jones" to "a _______ (the main flaw she has to overcome in the script or an adjective that describes her personality) _______ (her title/job/career)." It'll give the reader more insight into her character.
Something like: When her abusive ex and estranged father join forces in a chilling plot that threatens everything she loves, a _______ (the main flaw she has to overcome in the script or an adjective that describes her personality) _______ (her title/job/career) who thought she’d escaped her past makes her own plan to keep herself and her son safe.
The last part of my logline might not match your story though.
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