Untitled Screenplay
To salvage her disgraced career, an L.A. Chef goes to work for a Kdrama star whose temper is as challenging as the cuisine.
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Updated: When an L.A. Chef’s talents are called into question, she must redeem herself by succeeding as a private chef to a Kdrama star whose temper is as challenging as the cuisine.
I don’t understand why the chef can only redeem herself by working as a private chef. Wouldn’t she get more publicity to rebuild her reputation by working in a public restaurant? And why would a temperamental, prima donna star hire a chef with a tarnished reputation? Wouldn’t the star want the prestige of hiring a chef with the very best reputation — not one who has been disgraced?
And what does “redeeming herself” entail? It’s a vague term. What’s the visual on that? In other words, how will the audience know that she has succeeded? What does “redeeming herself” means in terms of a positive objective goal?
Chef is not a celebrity chef, so she’s disgraced among peers not publicly. Private chef job is the only one she can get in town and as a new comer, the kdrama star would not be familiar enough/famous enough/rich enough to know or demand better. In this case, keeping the job and doing it well would be a chance to redeem herself, though I get what you’re saying and certainly work on the verbiage. Thank you!
Prove herself?
Or this?
When her former employer slanders her reputation, a Los Angeles Chef manages to secure a private job with a newly arrived Kdrama star whose temper is as challenging as the cuisine he demands.
Or this?
When her former colleague slanders her reputation, a Los Angeles chef manages to secure a private gig with a Kdrama star whose temper is as challenging as the cuisine he demands.
You may rightly assume from my questions that I am blithely ignorant of the inner (and outer workings) of professional chefs.
You should also assume anyone else reading your logline will likewise be an ill-informed outsider in spite of the of halo of celebrity that now suffuses the profession. Ergo, the roles, motivations and goals driving the plot have to be clear to the ignorante.
And I still have no idea of how her desire to “salvage her disgraced career” or “must redeem herself” translates into a well-defined plot with a specific objective goal. All I see is a situation with dramatic possibilities. She “manages” to secure a job with a star. Well, that’s a 1st Act. But a logline should describe a plot and a plot is about what happens after the 1st Act. After “managing” to work for the star, what does she want to accomplish in the 2nd Act? What is her plot goal? What is at stake? That is, what does she stand to lose if she fails to do whatever it is she must do?
And critically, who is her antagonist, her nemesis? Who is actively and intentionally working to make sure she fails?
What is Kdarma?
I just googled and found out it means Korean Drama but best not to make a logline reader need to google to understand the basic premise of a story.
Perhaps best to re define the star as a temperamental soap star or just temperamental star, that alone conjures up the Norma Desmond esk characteristics.
Other wise it sounds like the inciting incident is getting the job with the star and as DPG mentions above there is no plot described passed this point. I think this is similar to The Devil Wears Prada in character dynamic. Perhaps look into de constructing that story for ideas on how to structure a plot.
Maybe the chef needs to prove to a restaurant owner that she can work for the star for at least 12 months in order to prove herself and earn a position in his 3 Michelin hat establishment.
Hope this helps.
thank you so much for all of your feedback – I obviously need it! So, I’d need to work on phrasing I think, but do you prefer this one from a content perspective?
After an ambitious young L.A. chef is abruptly replaced by a rival and former colleague, she begins a vengeful quest to find a new and better position. While searching for her ideal job, she takes work as a private chef for a visiting Kdrama star whose adverse perspectives lead her to question her own dreams.
good point – I don’t want to make anyone google – but I think part of the sell is the Korean crossover… should I say Korean soap star?
Specifying that character as a Korean Soap star would help clear up the confusion with the original lolgline description.
However that is a small problem compared to the much larger one of the plot being mostly absent.
So it seems that the Kdrama celebrity is the antagonist. But the plot is vaguely stated. (happens in over 50% of the posted loglines on this site — so you are not alone).
Maybe try something like the following: have the Kdrama star host an LA exclusive culinary event in which all of the top LA chefs will attend (including former employers of the MC). Now the difficult Kdrama celebrity, with poor food ideas, is standing between the MC and his/her redemption.
Or something along those lines.
Hope: MC wins acclaim and redeems career,
vs.
Fear: following the bimbo celebrity’s bad food ideas will result in culinary humiliation and flopdom in LA.
Kick-it up a notch: Food Network will televise the event so flopdom extends to the entire country!