By: Sarah Chaisson-Warner
Having a strong synopsis is key to effectively marketing your script to producers and agents. At Shore Scripts, our six and ten-page coverage services include a one-page synopsis. But why? What can a synopsis from Shore Scripts do for you? And how might it be helpful to you as you navigate the entertainment industry?
What Is A Synopsis?
A synopsis is typically a succinct, one-page summary of your script designed to help the reader understand the main characters, plot, central conflict, and conclusion. This is different from a logline, which is one or two sentences that tease the reader about the central premise of your story.
A synopsis is also different from a treatment. A treatment is typically up to 10 pages long, and is often written to pitch a movie idea. It includes a scene by scene breakdown, and provides more details about the plot and characters than a synopsis typically would.
How Can A Professionally Written Synopsis Help You?
A professionally written synopsis, like the kind you will receive from Shore Scripts through our six and ten page coverage services, can help you in two ways:
- Improve your script’s marketability: A well done synopsis gives the recipient of your script an overall summary of the story and helps them determine if they would like to read more.
A synopsis is critical in the entertainment industry – think of it as a marketing tool. Industry professionals have limited time, and a synopsis helps them use their time more efficiently. Most agents, producers, and other industry professionals will want to first read the synopsis before they determine if they want to commit their time to reading the full script. A good synopsis saves everyone time and helps create efficiencies in your outreach. - Ensure your story is being read and understood how you intended: Having a professional reader write a synopsis can also help point out where your story intentions didn’t quite meet the mark. A synopsis from a professional reader can help serve as a “gut-check” – if the synopsis generally matches your own, then you can largely rest assured that the story you want to tell is indeed the story that was read and received.
But if the synopsis from the reader diverges from your own in significant ways, it might indicate some problems in your script. For example, if the synopsis from the reader focuses more heavily on a subplot than your intended central plot, it might indicate that your script needs to be refocused. Similarly, if the synopsis missed out on what you felt was a key part of your story, it might indicate that the plot point didn’t have the emotional impact you intended.
What Makes For A Great Synopsis?
Writing a one-page summary of your 100-plus page screenplay can be challenging. How do you condense a 90 minute film into a three-minute read? What should you include and what should you leave out? A great synopsis:
- Is easy to read. While you may be tempted to cram as much information into the page as possible, remember to use white space to support the ease of the reader. Paragraphs should be no more than 5 to 6 lines each.
- Uses language that matches the script’s genre. A synopsis for a comedy should highlight the humor and lightness of the story, whereas a synopsis for a heavy drama should elicit the emotions associated with it.
- Is written in the present tense, using a third-person voice.
- Introduces the main characters, the central conflict, the inciting incident, and important plot points along the way to the conclusion.
- Demonstrates the main characters’ arcs throughout the story, inclusive of what they want, what is in their way, and what changes they must make to achieve their goal.
- Wraps the story up with a clear resolution. Sometimes writers try to tease the reader by not revealing the ending of their script in the synopsis. This is a big mistake! The reader needs to know how the story ends.
Want to see the above tips in action? Here is a sample synopsis written by one of our professional readers from our ten-page coverage service:
In 2055, after the end of the Second Mexican-American War, a wheelchair cowboy named Alex busses tables at a club in Tijuana. After attacking several patrons when they make a move on the bar’s exotic cybernetic dancer, Alex finds himself out of a job. The next morning, the dancer, Lana, brings a patron of the club to pitch Alex an idea. Lana brings a patron of the club, Gustavo, who wants Alex to steal intel on the latest battlefield cybernetic real-time mutations being developed by the AzureSoft company. The mutations would put the technology to work on the battlefield, helping Mexico in its proxy war against Texas. He offers to regenerate Alex’s legs as a gesture of goodwill, which Alex refuses.
- In the first paragraph, we’re introduced to the two main characters – Alex and Lana – how they come to know one another, and the central conflict. It’s written in the present tense using a third-person voice.
But then Alex witnesses the beheading of his drug dealer, Jericho, by a hovering mass transit bus. Alex tried to warn Jericho, but his lack of leg power prevented him from getting to him in time. Alex’s feelings of inadequacy finally become overwhelming. After seeing the latest regeneration advertisement and further prodding by Lana, Alex decides to go see Gustavo. Alex enters a transmutation chamber at Gustavo’s headquarters, where Alex will be under for 48 hours, undergoing the regeneration stages.
- The second paragraph introduces us to the inciting incident, propelling the central conflict further.
After an additional 24 hours of recovery, Alex wakes up to find he has two new legs. And, due to an error in the pirated technology, he also has an extra carbon-fiber toe. But, due to the technology being pirated, there is only a temporary license for what is called the SCAM technology. If Alex cannot steal the ‘master key’ to the technology, his legs will degrade, and he will be worse than back to where he started… he’ll be dead. Alex has 72 hours to get the job done. Alex and Lana recruit the unruly patrons from Lana’s bar to help them steal the master key. Tom, Jenna, and Chuck are war vets themselves. Before their mission begins, Lana shows up at Alex’s place, clearly longing for him.
- The third paragraph identifies important plot points that create urgency and highlight the obstacles in the protagonist’s way.
Meanwhile, the proxy forces of Texas and Mexico meet on the battlefield of a no-man’s land. It turns out there are three keyholders who must work in unison to reset the master key and unlock the secrets to SCAM. They are known as the Trinity. Lana seduces the whereabouts of these keyholders out of an AzureSoft exec. AzureSoft’s competitor, Amedeira, who are clandestinely supplying Texas nationalist forces with tech, are desperate to get hold of the secrets to SCAM themselves. Using scanning technology, Alex’s team is able to lock onto the electronic devices of the three keyholders and determine their next SCAM server visit. But, behind their backs, Gustavo is attempting to make a deal with the leader of the Texas nationalists that will suit his greedy business purposes. War is just a means to a profitable end for Gustavo.
Alex’s team successfully steals the SCAM technology, but they are chased out of AzureSoft by a squadron of drones. Sadly, the mission takes Chuck’s life. Thinking all troubles are behind them, Lana finally makes her romantic move on Alex. And Alex finally clocks it… Lana is his missing wife, Jessica, but cybernetically transformed! And now it turns out Tom and Jenna have betrayed Alex. Gustavo has allowed the SCAM master key to slip into the hands of the Texas nationalists. Everyone’s just a mercenary in it for the money.
- The above two paragraphs continue to demonstrate the main plot points of the script, including the plot twist that sets us up for the resolution.
But Lana/Jessica is the true key. As the brains behind SCAM, she is the true prize to be captured by either the Mexican or Texan proxy forces. With the knowledge of the SCAM technology in her brain, either Texas or Mexico could be obliterated by the other. And kidnapped she is… by the leader of the Texas nationalists, Alfred. Now, Alex’s legs are beginning to reject his body and degrade. Alex’s childhood friend and leader of the Mexican proxy force, Kukulkan, will help Alex rescue his wife. He sacrifices his own life in the process but defeats his enemy, Alfred. Alex and Lana/Jessica are in possession once again of the SCAM master key. Perhaps they can change the world for the better with it.
- The final paragraph wraps up the story for the reader, providing a clear resolution to the conflict at-hand.
Take the Next Step
Interested in learning more about our coverage services, including a one-page synopsis? Click here to view descriptions of our different coverage products and reviews from writers like you. Please note – a synopsis is only included in our six and ten-page services, not our two or three-page coverage.
