I was wondering, what hope is there for screenplays that don't rely on a high concept hook or gimmick?, their loglines are usually flat, the beauty is in the telling. (not just as queries but in general) Most of my favorite films don't have very exciting loglines. Some examples: lost in translation, adaptation, midnight cowboy, adrift in tokyo, the graduate, american beauty. In fact, I'd love to hear this covered in a post as I'm sure it's on a lot of writer's minds considering the direction cinema has taken over the past decade. Thanks!

Where do you get all the email addresses from? I haven't managed to find anyone's email address, and if I try to use Twitter to contact industry pros, I get ignored...

I don't know a sane writer who doesn't hate loglines, but they are the stone we sharpen our concept on. Kicking and screaming, I've come to realize how valuable they are. Ripping my hair out, I've discovered how many different opinions there are on loglines. Suggestion? Write them several different ways until they flow like poetry and deliver a punch like a boxer. When they do, you've got your story. In the month of August there's a blog doing a logline challenge with the hashtag #loglinechallenge. I tried it today, posted the logline I came up around the prompt, got some feedback on Facebook and knew I had to change my concept if I wanted the logline to work. Trying to fit a logline around a faulty concept is like shoving a wicked stepsister's foot into Cinderella's shoe. You can do it, but it ain't pretty. I went back and worked on the concept and got the logline to follow the work. Now I've got a short script to work up over the weekend and possibly expand into a full length feature. I hate it; I need it. As one person remarked on FB, it's a trauma. Indeed it is because it brutalizes you with the weakness of your concept. I told myself to get over myself and get into the work. It was worth it. If anyone wants to join in this act of masochistic, monumental growth spurt, you can find the list of prompts at: http://bit.ly/16FViLv I'll also add that I've found a great logline for a great concept should be something that stands on its own, as it will need to do for competitions, but can also slip into a conversation without sounding like a prepared logline. Happy grinding out the finer parts of your craft, and don't forget there's always help on the Black Board (just click the word on the lefthand side of your screen and you're there). It's a very helpful community.

There are some eQuery services that have already compiled a list of agents, producers, managers, et cetera out there. But, you'd have to research to find the legit ones. Sellascript.com used to be good, but I don't know what their rep is these days. Some management and production companies, as well as the mid level agencies, have online submissions on their websites. But, not many.

What you are describing is what you'll often hear referred to as "execution dependent". And there are many amazing films out there that fit this description. But, if you knew nothing about the film and just read the logline you might say, "Meh." Example: After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own. If you're a manager or an agent and that shows up in your inbox do you think you're going to be in a rush to contact this writer? But, David O. Russell and his cast did an amazing job. Another example in this genre would be "Up In The Air". Or take a hugely successful action film like "Taken". Logline: A retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris. We've all seen this movie before at some time in our lives. But, Luc Besson and Liam Neeson knocked it out of the park! It was executed perfectly. There are ways in for every script. You could write an amazing execution dependent script and find your way in with a producer attached if you happen to know one. Or go the independent route. But, in my opinion, if you're trying to break in with no previous track record or name recognition, the logline has to be something that makes the reader say, "I want to hear more about this story."

I got in through logline. Can't stress the importance of it enough. I was fortunate enough to be married to the owner/operator of an eQuery service. It's shut down now. I was the last script to go out. It got sent to 1000 people. 100 people opened the email. 5 people requested it. Only one of them was legit. Circle of Confusion. Exactly, one year to the day of my (now) manager requesting it, I sold it to Screen Gems where it is now in development. There is still a bit of luck and a bit of "right place, right time" involved. But, your script has to stand up on its own. And you, as a writer, have to be able to deliver on notes and navigate the waters of development. But, none of that is possible if no one wants to hear more about your story. In a query letter, you live and die by the logline. My opinion of course.

Calvin, congrats on your success. And your point echoes mine: Logline is crucial in any query. Moreover the central conceit of the logline is THE critical component of your logline. It's just the way it is.