Write A Film Treatment

By Author: Dennis Russell
Total Articles: 38
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When screenwriters write a film treatment, they synthesize what will be approximately 100 pages into a 2-6 page document that flows along the same lines as the full-length film script will. The producers, studios, and agents are inundated with dozens of scripts everyday for which they do not have enough time to read, which is why the screenplay writer is advised to write a film treatment.
It is important to write a film treatment, but it can be written either before or after completing the screenplay. Executives can evaluate the writing prowess through the treatment. The elements that make a treatment worth reading and perhaps filming it include the following:
- Write a film treatment that is brief. Decision makers are constantly running against the clock. With so many treatments at hand, the chance of catching their eye is very rare. Asking them to read 25-30 pages is asking too much. A page-turning treatment with a crisp logline, and relevant information with the right formatting and printing will act as a natural hook.
- Avoid too many adjectives or filler words. Do not stray from the main components of ...
... the story. If all the main components are included, then the shorter the treatment the better.
- Mention all the key scenes and characters.
- Write fluid sentences when writing a film treatment.
- Write in prose form, using present tense and active voice. Divide the work into short paragraphs. You could consider grouping several scenes with a single header to organize the main sections and transitions.
- Have a simple tone, with forceful and declarative language that conveys vibrant visual effects.
- Highlight the major events of the story with the minimal dialogues.
- A clear-cut plot and sub-plots, a protagonist, hook, central conflict, climax, and end must be present when you write a film treatment.
- The script will pass through many filters before reaching the hands to the top decision makers. This lays greater emphasis in creating a literary masterpiece, which persuades and works its way up the chain of command.
- Point out the script's commercial potential. This is good selling point for film makers and investors looking to make money by earning a return on their investment.
- 95 percent of the scripts fail because they are poorly written and lack commercial value. Try to make your treatment different and fall within the remaining 5 percent of successes.
- Add only non-technical information in the treatment you write.
- Treatment can woo investors to get engaged in your project, so bring out the best of your writing aptitude for creativity.
Professional script evaluators are hired to scan each treatment and give their honest opinion, dashing the hopes of some writers and building confidence of others. Well-written treatments are a pitch, which may catch the attention of movie makers who will purchase it and developed into a screenplay, or request the film treatment writer to expand it.

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