GlossaryDocuments & drafts
Synopsis
A synopsis is a brief prose summary of a screenplay's story, usually a paragraph to a page, that captures the premise, the main characters, and the arc through to the ending. Unlike a logline it includes the resolution, and unlike a treatment it stays high-level rather than scene-by-scene.
A synopsis sits between the logline and the treatment in length. It gives a reader the full shape of the story — including how it ends — without the scene-level detail of a treatment.
Synopses are requested by contests, agents, and production companies as a quick read to decide whether to request the full script. Because it reveals the ending, a synopsis is an internal sales tool, not marketing copy.