Film Synopsis' - Research

Film Synopsis Research

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Caption: : By Charlie Quirk

What is a film synopsis?

A film synopsis is a brief retelling of story that takes place within a film. A film synopsis is key for any film as it is used to create extra interest in the film and give the audience a brief idea of what to expect from the full film. For example in the synopsis for a film, the makers of the film may choose to keep most of the plot secret so they don't spoil the film, however on the other hand, some film makers may use the synopsis as its main way to gain more followers before the films release.

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War Dogs - Synopsis

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Caption: : War Dogs - Film Synopsis

As you can see, this is the film synopsis for 'War Dogs' which is based on true events. The first thing that stands out in this film synopsis is the introduction to the main characters in the film and the actors who portray them, which in this case includes both Miles Teller and JOnah Hill. In addition to this the synopsis for War Dogs also gives a small amount of information on the characters in the film, furthermore the synopsis then goes on to give a brief retell of the films events which is used to help give the audience an idea of what expect from the film. Finally, the synopsis also uses key phrases, for example at one point it says "they eventually get in over their heads". This tells the audience that the main characters will potentially find themselves in a struggle which is what the main plot of the film may be about.

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Caption: : The Girl on the Train - Film Synopsis

The Girl on the Train - Synopsis

This is another example of a film synopsis. This time the film is a psychological thriller compared to the action comedy that War Dogs is. The synopsis is slightly different compared to the previous film synopsis as this one does not list the actors who will be portraying the characters in the film. Secondly, the film synopsis also tells us that the film is based on the thriller novel written by author Paula Hawkins. It then goes on to list several of the achievements that the book managed to gain since its release. By showing the books accomplishments, it may make more people want to watch the film due its various awards. In addition to this, due to it being based on a best seller novel, the readers of the book may also go on to watch the film when it finally releases in cinemas.

Rogue One - Synopsis

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Caption: : Rogue One - Film Synopsis

The final example I am going to be looking at is the upcoming Star Wars Anthology Series film 'Rogue One' which is set to released on December 16th 2016 (which is stated in the films synopsis). This film synopsis gives no detail on the films characters, nor does it focus on the plot of the film. This is interesting because the previous 2 film synopsis' to give us some indication on what the film will be about, whereas this synopsis will leave the viewers with little details about the film until its release. One thing it does do is focus on who made and contributed to the film, for example it says "produced by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy". This informs the audience who is the main driving force behind the film and give the audience a sense of expectation for the film. 

Final Thoughts

After doing this research one 3 different film synopsis' I have learnt a few things that can be took into consideration when it comes to writing our own synopsis for our upcoming Crime Film. Firstly, I believe it is important to state who worked in the film, see the 'War Dogs' synopsis, which tells the audience who acted the main characters in the film. Secondly, I also believe it is important to state what type of film this is, for example it may be a good idea to include the genre of the film. Therefore when we write our film synopsis, we may include the genre of our film which is Crime. Overall I believe that film synopsis' are very important, and they also play a huge part in whether a film is successful or not.Charlie!