Based on real events, in 1984, a gay anti-apartheid activist is arrested for high treason; faced with the death penalty; he comes out to his party in prison, lobbying the ANC to amend the Constitution banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.
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Based on real events, in 1984, a gay anti-apartheid activist is arrested for high treason; faced with the death penalty; he comes out to his party in prison, lobbying the ANC to amend the Constitution banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.
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The revised draft of the logline is confusing as it mentions too many actions and goals:
Reducing his death sentence, coming out to his party, challenging the ANC and bringing about a constitutional ban? on discrimination based on sexual orientation. All of these can make for good goals on their own accord, but together in one logline they muddy the waters.
There is a lot going on in this concept, and there is an obvious personal connection to the setting/subject matter, all of which is good for a writer to have as it will show in the script. However, it reads as if, in your mind, these are all parts of a single flow of events playing a part in a continuum, but to someone else the logline can read as fragmented plot – it lacks a unity of action across the many events.
As previously mentioned the stakes are high and clear, which is good, you should set aside your attachment to all the plot points and focus on a single line of action – one clearly defined goal. If his goal is to bring about a constitutional change, then all the actions leading up to this need to serve it. In other words, the inciting incident needs to motivate him to achieve this change so that if he fails the consequences are dire and immediate.? The other goals can be plot points or objectives in the script but not described as equal primary objective goals in the logline.
I agree with Dkpough1 that the logline should focus on his long term objective goal .? Proving his innocence after his arrest would be a complication in his struggle to realize that goal.
I also think that AIDS ought to be in logline as well as the time frame as South Africa is now in the post-apartheid era.? And finally, that it’s based on real events to give the premise more credibility. So
Based on real events, in 1984, an anti-apartheid activist with AIDS must come out of the closet to get the ANC to support a Constitutional? ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation.
(32 words)
I used ANC instead of “his political party”.? If the story is being pitched to South African movie makers, they will know what it refers to.
Other than the word count I think it is pretty good. However, for the logline, I suggest choosing one thing, either changing the constitution, or proving his innocence as the thing you focus on. Just for the logline.
Here’s my try(changing constitution): An anti-apartheid activist must come out of the closet in order get his political party to change the constitution.?(~19 words)
Proving innocence:
When an anti-apartheid activist is arrested for treason, the gay black man must come out of the closet in order to prove his?innocence.?(~24 words)
Of course that bring up the question of how coming out proves his innocence.
Both of mine are kind of weak, but they cut down the length by focusing on one goal.
As it stands the concept has clear stakes.
What is it exactly that the gay man wants to achieve? Avoid the death penalty?
If so he needs to choose between saving his life and coming out as gay – the choice is pretty obvious? whats the worst that will happen if he comes out as gay? He’ll be ridiculed by bigots BUT HE’LL LIVE.
Point is that his dilemma is not quite a dilemma, therefore best to make his fight for survival the focus of the logline instead. I believe his sexual orientation may not be necessary in the logline, for a black person to be arrested in South Africa during the Apartheid is a major inciting incident with clear stakes and obvious obstacles. The added burden of his sexual orientation at this time of intolerance can be a detail left for the synopsis and script.
I know this is based in a true story but you should?still adjust the events and descriptions to benefit the drama. What if he is in denial of his own sexuality? This way you can use that as a character flaw and therefore justify it being mentioned in the logline.
This also reads much like a court room drama, how does the man avoid the death penalty? Is it in court or does he break out of jail?
If it is a court room drama here is my try:
After a black, and in denial, gay man is arrested in 1984 Cape Town, he must defend him self on his own against?the?Apartheid attorney?in order to avoid the death penalty.
Looks interesting.? Too many adjectives to describe the activist.