Here's a logline for my screenplay SYLVIA: Based on the true-life story of the best-selling author, Sylvia Brown hides from her psychic abilities, focused on raising her son as a single-mother. When an opportunity comes to launch her own psychic foundation, Sylvia is pushed into the public sphere, thrust into a world of celebrity and scandal, where she must fight to find her own purpose and identity, allowing her to become one of the world’s most renowned psychics.
When asked for comps all I've come up with is BIG EYES directed by Tim Burton with Amy Adams because it's the story of a woman competing in a Man's world. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
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Sounds like it could be structured like a music biopic, so I’d look at those. Elvis. Rocketman.
What does the success of being a world-renowned psychic look like? Having a successful 1-900 number business like Dione Warwick? Having a TV show like John Edward?
Even having success like that, you’re not going to have respect from everyone, since half the population will think of you as a phony.
You might want to look at stories of preachers and their rise and fall. Elmer Gantry.
How does it end? Nightmare Alley has a fake-psychic murderer who rises to success but is doomed to pay for his sins.
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Hi, Larry Woldenberg. I'm not sure what comps would work for your script, but I think your logline is too long. Here’s a logline template that might help:
“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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Cut, cut-icky, cut.
The true-life story of Sylvia Brown, best-selling author, single-mother and her scandals, paving a way for her to become one of the world’s most renowned psychics.
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Have you already written the screenplay? I’d suggest thinking about comps BEFORE writing. Not that you’d be copying literally, but it can help you think about genre and structure.