What is the difference between a treatment, a synopsis, and a logline?

A logline is one sentence that captures the hook. A synopsis is a short summary (often half a page to a couple of pages) covering the main plot and ending. A treatment is a longer prose document (several to many pages) that tells the whole story scene by scene in present tense, conveying tone and structure.

How long is a film treatment?

Treatments vary widely — from one or two pages for a brief pitch treatment to 20 to 30 or more pages for a detailed one. The length depends on its purpose: selling the concept versus mapping the full story.

Does a synopsis include the ending?

Yes. Unlike marketing copy, a synopsis used for pitching or submissions reveals the ending — the reader needs to know how the story resolves to evaluate it.

Film Treatment vs. Synopsis vs. Logline: Knowing the Difference

Treatment vs. synopsis vs. logline explained: what each document is, how long it should be, and when to use it. The three ways to summarize your story on paper.

Three documents, three different jobs, endlessly confused: the logline, the synopsis, and the treatment. Each summarizes your story at a different zoom level, and knowing which a manager, contest, or producer is asking for — and how they differ — is basic professional literacy. Here's the breakdown.

The three zoom levels

Document	Length	Job
Logline	1 sentence	Hook — make them want more
Synopsis	½–2 pages	Summarize the whole plot, including the ending
Treatment	~1–30+ pages	Tell the full story in prose, conveying tone and structure

Think of it as three levels of zoom on the same story: the tagline, the summary, the map.

The logline

One sentence: flawed protagonist, goal, conflict, stakes — plus a hook. Its only job is to make someone want to read on. Full guide: what is a logline and writing a logline that sells.

The synopsis

A short prose summary of the whole story — typically half a page to two pages. Crucially, unlike a trailer or back-cover blurb, a synopsis reveals the ending. The reader is evaluating the story, so they need to know how it resolves. Cover the main plot, the key turns, and the resolution; skip minor subplots and most dialogue.

The treatment

The longest and most detailed of the three: a prose retelling of the entire film, usually in present tense, walking through the story more or less scene by scene. A treatment conveys tone, voice, and structure — it reads like the experience of watching the movie, compressed. Lengths vary hugely by purpose:

Pitch treatment — 1–5 pages to sell a concept.
Full treatment — 20–30+ pages mapping the whole story, sometimes written before the script as a planning tool.

When to use which

Query letter / first contact → logline (plus maybe a synopsis).
Contest or fellowship submission → often a synopsis; sometimes a treatment.
Selling a concept / attaching talent → treatment.
Planning your own script → a treatment for yourself, to map the story before pages.

Write them from the same source

All three describe one story — so they should stay consistent as the script evolves. Drafting your logline, synopsis, and treatment beside the script and outline they describe — as Scriptease allows in one offline project — keeps your pitch materials in sync with the actual film.