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How to Write an Executive Summary for a Screenplay

An executive summary is written for a bust executive who does not have time to review a longer document. In terms of a screenplay, an executive summary whittles the information about a film project down to a few pages and helps sell the project. Here are some helpful steps for writing one regardless of who is doing the writing and presentation to attract investors to a script.

Instructions

    • 1

      Identify themes and major plot events. Turn part of an executive summary into a display of how the film's premise can be made attractive to audiences and even commercialized. This is one area where investors will want to see some specifics.

    • 2

      Show how the specific project interacts with its industry background. Besides its own selling points, detail how the film would fit into the ongoing chronological trends and line-up that is so much a part of the film business.

    • 3

      Describe the players. Show the names of writers, people involved in promoting the project and any casting information you may have that would be helpful to investors.

    • 4

      Detail the possible funding for parts of the project and how available funding may be used. It can be helpful in some cases to focus on the greatest challenges of a project and illustrate how they could be supported with creative purchasing or special deals.

    • 5

      Include contingency planning. Beyond just showing the strengths of a project, a comprehensive executive summary also (if briefly) addresses possible risk and how the project might be salvaged in the event of any foreseeable (or unforeseeable) problems.

Screen Writing

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