Synopsis

A synopsis is the short prose summary of your screenplay — usually one page, occasionally two — covering the complete story, ending included. Unlike marketing copy, a synopsis never teases. The reader deciding whether to spend two hours on your script needs to know the whole shape, twist and all.

The synopsis is a workhorse document: it rides along with submissions, gets forwarded when a producer pitches your script upward, and often becomes the top section of internal coverage. Write it badly and it becomes the ceiling on your script's momentum — nobody forwards a muddy synopsis.

What separates a professional synopsis: it leads with the protagonist and their want, it tracks cause-and-effect rather than listing scenes, it names only three to five characters (every extra name costs comprehension), and it lands the ending with the same confidence the script does.

Keep it distinct from a treatment, which runs longer and sells voice as much as story. A synopsis optimizes for a fast, clean read.

When you submit a script for coverage, a tight logline and synopsis also sharpen the AI's read on intent — the scorecard measures your pages against the story you claim to be telling.