[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: Does every story begin with a log line?
Jen Grisanti, Speaker/Story/Career Consultant, Author: Loglines are a writer’s friend and I think log lines give the framework of the story. So many writers are resistant to the logline. The logline tells the executive (tells anyone who’s asking) what the story is, what the framework is and it shows that the writer has thought out the concept. Value the process of doing a logline because when you go to the page from the logline it will be so much easier. When your logline doesn’t work, your story doesn’t work. If you go to the page and discover that the story is not working it starts with the logline.
Film Courage: How does a logline determine whether the story will work?
Jen: A logline, if you have the right components, the writers that I work with I utilize a formula to help them which is setup of:
–Who
–Create empathy
–Dilemma
–Action
–Goal
–Twist of irony
I have so many writers who will say Oh my God, I can’t put all that in a sentence but when you do it puts everything in order. It tells you what is going to work and what is not going to work.
One of the tools that I learned helps writers is when the adjective describing the central character at the beginning of the logline is something where we get a sense of the void that creates empathy for the character. We see how the goal is a chance for transformation.
Film Courage: Wow, all that! You like to give how many sentences?
Jen: I like them to do it in one sentence, however, two sentences work. There are many people in the industry who are fine with…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BIO:
International speaker Jen Grisanti is an acclaimed Story/Career Consultant at Jen Grisanti Inc., a 13-year Writing Instructor for Writers on the Verge at NBC, and a former 12-year studio executive, including VP of Current Programming at CBS/Paramount. Jen is the author of three books, Story Line: Finding Gold in Your Life Story, TV Writing Tool Kit: How To Write a Script That Sells, Change Your Story, Change Your Life: A Path To Your Success.
Grisanti started her career in 1992 as an assistant to Aaron Spelling. He served as her mentor for 12 years. She quickly climbed the ranks and eventually ran Current Programs at Spelling Television Inc., covering all Spelling’s shows, including Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, and Charmed. In 2004, Grisanti was promoted to Vice President of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount, where she covered numerous shows, including Medium, Numbers, NCIS, 4400, and Girlfriends.
In January 2008, Grisanti launched Jen Grisanti Inc., a highly successful consulting firm dedicated to helping talented writers break into the industry. Drawing on her experience as a studio executive, where she gave daily notes to executive producers/showrunners, Grisanti guides writers to shape their material, write from their emotional truth, hone their pitches, and focus their careers. Since launching the consulting firm, Grisanti has worked with over 1000 writers specializing in television and features. Due to her expertise and mentorship, one hundred and six pilots have sold, including ten that went to series, and one hundred fifty-two writers have staffed.
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