Synopsis
Whether submitting to companies, contests, agencies, or individuals, you'll need a synopsis -- a concise, catchy, compelling one-page summary of your story that everyone has time to consider.
Sample
From the synopsis written for "Full Court Press" (screenplay by Tom Markert)
After a tragic accident kills his wife and children, the life of former basketball star MATTY McMAHON is thrown into disarray. Drifting between superficial relationships, he has given up on love and life. When Matty goes to St. Anthony’s Parish for confession with his long-time friend and mentor FATHER JACK (70s), he learns that this beloved church is slated to be closed by the diocese. But Father Jack has devised a plan to save the parish and absolve Matty's sins: if Matty can turn around the ragtag basketball team and improve their profile, it might convince the diocese to keep the church open. Matty is reluctant about taking charge of an underdog team of rebellious teens, but Father Jack compels him to accept the challenge...
From the synopsis written for "One Million and a Crime" (screenplay by Benjamin Ray)
Within the frenetic world of Wall Street, ANDY OPHI (30s), a pushover cog-in-the-wheel, makes his way through the slick streets of the financial district toward his squalid apartment. En route, he passes bombshell temptress GEORGIO ROSE (20s), whose hips say more to him than her perfect lips. These two creatures operate within a world of legalized crime; when every motive is purely for money, no one can make a clean million. As a lower-rung player, Andy is driven by something else – in a seedy flop house, he pops pills to drown his ennui. In Andy’s painfully mundane suburban home, his submissive wife prepares for the day while Andy eats his breakfast like any normal businessman. Their routine is interrupted by a knock at the door...
From the synopsis for "Human Resources" (screenplay by Keil Troisi)
It appears to be a skyscraper like any other – but within this mass of metal and glass lurks an unsettling presence: this corporate headquarters is haunted by the ghosts of people killed by the company’s inhumane business practices. When a headstrong woman in human resources discovers her employer’s exploitation, she begins to see the ghostly manifestations of their actions. Unable to ignore these injustices embodied by the disembodied, she sets out to reveal the truth...
Material on this page used with permission from the author(s) © 2010