What are the standard short development documents for a screen story (logline, one-paragraph and one-page synopsis, outline, treatment, scriptment, bible, scene breakdown) and what is each one for?
Screen Australia's public info guide (header July2018, served 2026) defines eight document types and says the names are used loosely in the industry, so its definitions are one agency's usage. Each rung is a tool to find problems before drafting: logline (one specific dramatic problem), one-paragraph synopsis (genre/theme, opposition, goals/stakes, inciting incident), one-page synopsis, outline, treatment, scriptment, series bible, scene breakdown. For its development funding the agency requires a longer "story document" (outline, treatment, scriptment, mini-bible or draft script) and says a synopsis is not enough.
Screen Australia's public info guide (header July2018, served 2026) defines eight document types and says the names are used loosely in the industry, so its definitions are one agency's usage. Each rung is a tool to find problems before drafting: logline (one specific dramatic problem), one-paragraph synopsis (genre/theme, opposition, goals/stakes, inciting incident), one-page synopsis, outline, treatment, scriptment, series bible, scene breakdown. For its development funding the agency requires a longer "story document" (outline, treatment, scriptment, mini-bible or draft script) and says a synopsis is not enough.
Curator qualifications: Eight document types as problem-finding tools before drafting; the guide notes 'a great deal of variation and debate about what is meant by terms such as Treatment, Bible, Scriptment, Outline' (producer paraphrase 'used loosely' is supported).
Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.
Structured fields
{
"citations": [
{
"url": "https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Documents-Drama.pdf",
"note": "candidate evidence excerpts"
},
{
"url": "https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/FAQ-Narrative-Content-Development.pdf",
"note": "candidate evidence excerpts"
}
]
}Evidence claims
- [sourced_fact] Screen Australia's public info guide (header July2018, served 2026) defines eight document types and says the names are used loosely in the industry, so its definitions are one agency's usage. Each rung is a tool to find problems before drafting: logline (one specific dramatic problem), one-paragraph synopsis (genre/theme, opposition, goals/stakes, inciting incident), one-page synopsis, outline, treatment, scriptment, series bible, scene breakdown. For its development funding the agency requires a longer "story document" (outline, treatment, scriptment, mini-bible or draft script) and says a synopsis is not enough. · locator: candidate evidence excerpts source
Rights
| component | license | hosting | redistribution | modification | training | Evidence and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| documentation | unknown | permitted | permitted | unknown | unknown | Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources. |