what is a written treatment
There is controversy about the length a treatment can be. Some say up to 60 pages, but the point of the treatment is to communicate your story as quickly as possible, so brevity without sacrificing juice is the key here.
There seem to be three opinions about what a treatment is.
One opinion is that it is a one page written pitch. The second, which I agree with, is that it is a two to five page document that tells the whole story focusing on the highlights. The third opinion is that a treatment is a lengthy document that is a scene by scene breakdown of a script. I consider this an outline, and a waste of time as a marketing document, though it can be an important step in the creation process In my experience, the two to five page version works best, and an example is included in this article.
There seem to be three opinions about what a treatment is.
One opinion is that it is a one page written pitch. The second, which I agree with, is that it is a two to five page document that tells the whole story focusing on the highlights. The third opinion is that a treatment is a lengthy document that is a scene by scene breakdown of a script. I consider this an outline, and a waste of time as a marketing document, though it can be an important step in the creation process In my experience, the two to five page version works best, and an example is included in this article.
how to write a written treatment
This two to five page document should read like a short story and be written in the present tense. It should present the entire story including the ending, and use some key scenes and dialogue from the screenplay it is based on.
In order for it to be good quality it should contain the following:
Questions that I will have to answer on the proposal:
In order for it to be good quality it should contain the following:
- A Working title
- The writer's name and contact information
- A short logline
- Introduction to key characters
- Who, what, when, why and where.
Questions that I will have to answer on the proposal:
- What my documentary will be about.
- Who will be involved as cast and crew.
- What the style and format will be.
- How I will market and distribute it.
- How I will obtain the funding I need.
used links
- http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/how-to-write-a-treatment.html