Do you know, how to write a film treatment?
Suppose you have written a film or television program script. After that what will you do? Do you know the next step is crucial and more challenging? The task is writing a film treatment. Let’s know first what is a film treatment?
Table of Contents
Exposition
A film treatment is a brief summary of your actual screenplay. It is more detailed than an outline but more concise than your entire script. It just runs through the main events of your film. Simpler than a script and without all the dialogue or detail screen direction, a treatment is easier to read than a script.
They are often used to sell the concept and then to start film development. A good film treatment can give the buyers or producers a sense to experience the film. If they can visualize or communicate with your idea then there is a high possibility to buy your script. A film script is actually sold on the basis of a good treatment. Therefore, it is really important to know how to write a suitable film treatment.
What Does a Film Treatment Do?
A film treatment mainly does following tasks. Such as,
i) It minimizes the film story and highlight main characters and synopsis.
ii) It communicates the tone and theme of your idea.
iii) It convinces the producers to invest their money on your idea.
iV) It plays a vital role when comes the time for fundraising.
v) Through a good film treatment, producers are able to draw a clear picture of your written story.
How to Write a Film Treatment: Basic Guidelines
Writing a treatment may look simple but believe me writing a good one that can satisfy producers/ buyers is that much difficult and challenging. Maybe your film story is unique but if you are failure to uphold it to producers through your treatment then the whole script is useless.
So, let’s learn how to write a good film treatment. The basic structure of a film treatment requires five elements. They are:
- Title: Provide a suitable title in your treatment. A catchy headline may draw attention of buyers. First impression is the last impression and so a good starting is needed. A standard title contains one/two words or maximum three words. But it is not a fixed rule. A big title can be good also but brief one is smarter.
- Logline: Then it comes about the logline. Logline is consisted by one short sentence that summarizes your main theme of the story.
- Plot Summary: In this section try to enlighten the main events of the whole script. The length of plot summary depends on the writing skills. Some writers can finish their storytelling within one page while some use 70 pages to tell their film’s story. I am mentioning again the shorter the smarter. But keep in mind, key points should not be missing also.
- Key Characters: Give a short explanation about key character’s and their role and in the story. In this section it is also written how characters are developed gradually.
- Epilogue: The final paragraph of your treatment wraps up the narrative. State clearly how you conclude the story, what happens to the all characters and what is the hidden message that you want to convey through your story to your targeted audience.
Additional Tips
- Start with imagery, not with the information.
- Explain briefly key sequences.
- Label the story structure smartly.
- Engage your readers in the treatment.
- Make sure your character explanation is clear and consistent.
- Avoid indulgent elaboration. Never ever bore your readers.
That’s all about today’s topic. I hope you guys have enjoyed the content and found it helpful. Try to keep in mind the tips and follow the key instructions. More interesting film-related articles are upcoming! If you are excited about it then keep your eyes on this website. Best wishes for your future treatment writing.
