But it can be a useful exercise to sum up your script in a handful of phrases. Imagine trying to sum up the plot of The Godfather or The Matrix in a couple of paragraphs! Economy of language and description is something that comes more easily to advertisers than to writers, who naturally tend towards volume and eloquence rather than terseness and economy. For this reason, some screenwriters find composing a synopsis more taxing than writing the original script.
(Never underestimate movie people's distaste for reading things.) Unless you have written an extremely basic script (i.e., Clerks, Stranger Than Paradise), a synopsis will have to omit most of the action and focus on the main points. SynopsisA synopsis generally implies something much shorter than the average treatment, probably a page at the most. This is mostly a matter of taste, however some treatments are just highly detailed synopses. Unlike the script itself, which should be prosaic to a fault, a certain amount of poetic or colourful prose is permitted, even recommended, in a treatment, in order to make it more "persuasive." While your screenplay should limit itself to describing in simple terms what needs to be shot, a treatment is allowed to speculate (or fantasize) about how the finished movie might look, to discuss the overall effect you are shooting for, and to dramatize, not just describe, the action. Its purpose is to create curiosity and enthusiasm for your script while describing the basic elements: leading characters, key scenes, overall storyline, mood, tone and/or genre of the piece, and any themes to be developed or explored. The TreatmentA treatment is generally more inclusive than a synopsis (which condenses the story into a few paragraphs), and also more dramatic. Also, a treatment can be a useful means to work out your ideas, characters, story, structure, and themes, before putting pen to paper. Loglines, synopses, and treatments are designed to generate interest, and give you the option of doing so before you have even finished writing your script. While in some cases interested parties will want to get straight to the finished script, some do request a treatment or synopsis (and invariably a log-line) first. This may be up to several pages long, depending how thorough it is. Before even embarking on the script, many writers begin with a treatment: a summary of the action, themes, and style of your movie.