How to Write a Good Synopsis
Interested in submitting your project for the Screenlife Contest? Among the materials we’d love to see, please include a one-page synopsis. Don’t make it include every single detail of your story but make sure it has the following: the beginning, middle and end of your story.
We would love to see how your story will come together, what are its main dramatic beats and what kind of characters jump out at us from your page. Please think about how you can get across the main character arcs. Do all your characters want something? Who is the hero of this story?
If you have a feature film, please break your synopsis down into acts (1,2 and 3). We’d love to know how the plot unfolds. For a series, please provide a synopsis of your pilot and a paragraph describing where the series will go in future episodes. Where do you see this adventure headed?
For a documentary project, your synopsis should reflect similar dramatic concepts to a feature film but also mention – do you have access to your proposed subject? How feasible is it for you to produce this? Why is it timely?
It’s often the case that if the story doesn’t work in a short one-minute presentation, it won’t work as a full-length project. That’s why boiling it down in a solid synopsis can be very helpful for expressing to us (and yourself) what your project is all about and where its emotional appeal lies.
Write on!
