Good morning, all! Anyone know if there is a singular or "best" approach to use when crafting a log line for a script based on a true story or historical personage. Thanks for your thoughts on the matter.
Screenwriting : Log lines for: :Based on a true Story" by Jon Christopher
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I simply wrote "based on a true story" after the actual logline
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Like Sarah Brockmann alluded too, loglines don't usually reference the true nature of the story. That's more a selling/marketing feature, though there are examples of it being included in the logline, such as from
- THE BLIND SIDE: "The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family."
and
- PAINKILLER (2023): "The causes and consequences of America's opioid epidemic unfold in this drama following its perpetrators, victims and an investigator seeking the truth."
Other based-on-a-true-story movies that don't reference their true nature are:
- THE ROOKIE (2002): A Texas baseball coach makes the major league after agreeing to try out if his high school team made the playoffs.
- MCFARLAND, USA (2015): Jim White moves his family after losing his last job as a football coach, and at his new school he turns seven disappointing students into one of the best cross-country teams in the region.
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Okay, thanks, All, for taking time to offer your insights.
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Anthony Murphy is right you need to say it on the cover page. As far as a logline goes do whatever you want but make sure they know it is based on a true story. If it isn't historical they will want to make sure you have the rights to it.
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The Cover Page, of course, warrants as much, however, it is, or was, the logline specifically that caused me to make this inquiry. Thanks, All for your input. I think I get it.