Shakespeare in Love
JBLogliner
When a passionate playwright finds his muse in a romantic, young woman, disguised as a male actor, they engage in an affair behind the scenes of the production of Romeo and Juliet under the jealous suspicion of the annoying noble to which her aristocratic family has betrothed her.
Share
Shakespeare in Love:
Young Shakespeare, suffering writer’s block and eclipsed by his rival Marlowe, is swept up in a passionate romance that inspires and mirrors the break-out play he’s struggling to write, “Romeo and Juliet”.
(32 words)
What needs to be in the logline is the name of playwright and the title of the play because that’s the conceit, the sizzle, the hook that sold the script. ? (IMHO,?anyone who doesn’t ?”get” that hook, doesn’t ?know the plot of ?’Romeo and Juliet’, doesn’t belong in show business.)
dpg has done a far clearer and much more concise rewrite, but lakes a clear goal and obstacle. It’s all set up. I would try:
A young Shakespeare, struck with writers block, meets his muse that inspires him to write the play that will become ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and begin an affair even though she is promised to another.?(34 Words)
That was much more challenging than I’d expected. That’s the best I can do and every one of ours is vastly different but based around the same story. Strange.
Agreed with most of what DPG and Moses99 wrote, but I think the logline can indicate more action:
After Shakespeare hits a writer’s block he must find?inspiration in a passionate affair with a young royal, betrothed to another, if he is to write Romeo and Juliet.
By the 45 minute mark of the 2nd Act the affair is underway; Will has found his muse and the inspiration to write the play. ? So if finding inspiration is his objective goal, he’s achieved it. ?Mission more than accomplished.
But finding inspiration is not his objective goal. ?What Will must do is write the play. ?That’s his objective goal. The muse is his means to that end, to give him the inspiration to realize his objective goal.
But complications ensue such that his love life ?not only inspires but mirrors the love story — that’s the hook that sold the script. ?And it’s the conceit that ?makes the film so funny and engaging to watch.
I think the objective goal of ‘Shakespeare in love’ is paying off his debt.
He must write a successful play ‘or else’ (Goal)
but he has writer’s block (Obsticle)
He discovers his muse and a forbidden love in an aristocratic lady posing as a male actor (Possible second inciting incident)
In order to succeed, her gender must be kept a secret. (Possible second obstacle)
I can see why it might be a little difficult to write a concise logline for “Shakespeare in Love”