WHAT IS A TREATMENT

A treatment is a relatively brief but detailed, loosely narrative, written pitch of a story intended for production.

Written in user-­friendly, dramatic and highly visual prose, the treatment highlights in broad strokes and moment-to-moment detail your story’s hook, primary characters, acts and action line, set­ting, point of view, and most dramatic scenes and turning points.

A treatment both describes everything the viewer will see and hear in the movie to be with the overall aim of helping the writer’s audience visualize the story and become involved with its emotional content.

It is loosely narrative because its point is to get across the story in an engaging way, describing everything that will be seen and heard in the film-to-be.

Think of it as a vivid and intense letter to your best friend relating a series of amazing events that you experienced.

The treatment fails if it is not dramatic. That means identifying the conflict in each and every scene — showing the main character wanting something, going after it and encountering obstacles to obtaining or achiving it.

Dramatic qualities include focus intensity, concrete characterization and most of all action.

Phrases like “the story starts with” or “in this act we see” serve no purpose. Instead, a treatment might start like this:

The black limousine hurtles around the corner and slams to a stop at the front steps of the courthouse.

It’s not “a” limousine or “a” corner, but “the” limousine because your intention is to make its readers believe that this story, with all its concrete details, is coming to life before their eyes as they read.

Treatments should be:

• straightforward – The language should be unpretentious; its sentences forceful and declarative. The lan­guage draws no attention to itself, intent upon presenting only what will push the action forward.
• highly visual prose – Remember, your purpose in a treatment is to show us the pictures or scenes by which this story can be brought to life. Use your skill to evoke these pictures in as few words as possible.
• present tense – Writing in the present tense places your audience immediately in the action rather than distancing them. In the example given, note that the limousine “hurtles” and “slams to a stop.”
• highlights – The treatment needn’t include every single detail that the screenplay will spell out. It must include all the highlights, the necessary details (often called “obligatory scenes”) without which the story makes no sense to the audi­ence or reader. Highlighting must be positive. The treatment is not a critique and should contain no qualifiers or uncertainties.
• broad strokes – Please don’t kill us with detail. The human mind can only absorb so much new information at a time. Stay focused on the most important elements of the· story, remem­bering that your purpose is to tease your reader into asking for more detail–or for the screenplay.
• hook What makes this story’s approach to its subject mat­ter different from other stories on the same subject? That dif­ference or angle is what will hook your audience and, for that reason, your buyer.
• primary characters, acts and action line, setting, and point of view – By the time your prospective buyer has fin­ished reading your treatment, they should clearly understand the main character or characters, the general shape of your story.

How to write a treatment

This two-page max document should be written in simple, nontechnical language (ie no camera angles, transitions, etc.). Write in the active voice using present tense. Tell the reader what they will see and hear on the screen as it unfolds dramatically, from beginning to end.

Describe the overall story and introduce any relevant characters. Be specific about what you think you will find, even if you are not sure the final outcome. What will we have learned by the end that we didn’t know in the beginning? Why is this story important? Why now?

Make human truths emerge through images–not just verbal description. This is a film treatment, not an essay.

NARRATIVE TREATMENT:

This two-page max document should read like a short story and be written in the third person, present tense. It should present the entire story including the ending. Do not write in screenplay form unless necessary to present key scenes and dialogue from the screenplay it is based on.

While it should read like a short story, keep in mind that it is not a short story. It is a film. Write down ONLY what the audience will see and hear.

SOME CONVENTIONS:

• Introduce Characters in CAPS, followed by age in parentheses:
  • JOHN (22) flags the BARTENDER (50s). Orders a drink. John toasts the bartender.
• Describe only what is seen and heard on camera—no desires, emotions, or thoughts of characters.
• No extensive backstory that describes what happened before your story starts
• Do not describe camera directions.

ELEMENTS OF A STRONG TREATMENT:

• A clear beginning, middle and end.
• The treatment should have a theme – a premise that creates the structure of the narrative, or a theme that emerges from the story’s resolution.
• The main idea should be clear – what is your story about?
• Who is the main character and what does he/she want? What is his/her goal? What is the impediment to that goal (conflict)?
• What are the stakes?
• What action does the character take?
• How is the conflict resolved?
• How does the character change?
• What is different at the end of the film?

A treatment tells a story visually. When writing a treatment, always ask yourself what the audience will see and hear.

Is the story impactful? Is it memorable? Try to write from a place of personal experience.

Use ACTION words. Film captures the actions of characters. Add DESCRIPTIVE WORDS to create images
that will stay in the mind of the reader.

Avoid stereotypes and clichés. Characters should have clear and logical motivations and goals.

Sample Treatments for Documentary Scripts:

See additional treatments here (Candor in Comedy), here (Blue Water Hunters), and here (The Last Conquistador)