The main points of the script are explained in a treatment.It gives a good description of the main characters.Shorter treatments are usually better.Treatments act as an extended pitch to a film maker for the writer.
Step 1: Two-five pages is the goal.
The length can be adjusted based on your audience and script.Aiming for two pages keeps things simple and focused, while five pages is the maximum to stay under.It is more likely that someone will read the whole treatment if it is kept short.If you keep it under five pages, the chances of it being read increase.Basic information like the title, logline, characters and plot summary, one page or less for each of three acts, and an extra page to spare, is a possible page breakdown.
Step 2: The sentences should be one line or less.
Use details and a good description as you describe your script.To find out if the sentences are easy to read, read them aloud.It is too long if you have to take a breath.Phrases that are less than 18 words are ideal.Sometimes it is necessary to write longer sentences.Gene strolls down the sidewalk, and he stops to look at a trinket in a store window.
Step 3: The paragraphs need to be short and direct.
The paragraphs should be three to five sentences.Don't write large blocks of text because you will lose interest.The number of sentences depends on what part of the plot you are describing.If you only have eight words to say, put more than 10 in the paragraph.A paragraph that is barely two lines long is not what you want.
Step 4: The treatment can be printed on white paper.
Don't try to make your treatment appealing to the eye.White paper and black ink are the easiest to read.The place for festive color schemes is not your treatment room.Stick with the basic 812in X 11in letter size paper.Don't use legal size, or other types of paper.
Step 5: The text should be in New Roman, Arial or Calibri.
It is important that your script is easy to read.If you make it harder to read, you will make your content look more appealing.If you feel strongly about using a certain style, make sure it is easy to read.
Step 6: Look closely at the treatment.
You need to check the treatment a few times before giving it to someone important.You should have a friend or two read it to make sure you don't miss anything.It might be worth having a professional look at it.Content isn't the only thing that matters.Even if the story is great, the reader will catch your errors and turn them off to your script.
Step 7: Put your name at the top of the treatment.
It's easy to see that the script title and your name are obvious.The filmmakers will refer to the treatment with this information.The first page of the treatment has it in the top center.For feature-length movies, the titles should be italicized or left in regular style.They shouldn't be put in quotes.
Step 8: An interesting logline can be created.
The summary should be one to two sentences.A description of the main character, the goal they are pursuing, and the conflict they face should be included.This is the reader's first look at your script, so make it count.This is the simplest way to describe the full story of your script.For example, if you wrote a logline about a young girl facing the prejudices of small-town America as her father acts as a lawyer for a black man accused of indecent relations with a local white girl, it would be well-known.
Step 9: The main characters should be introduced.
Start with the main character.Give a description of their appearance as well as their main character traits.Discuss the main characters in the story.If there is a primary antagonist, be sure to include it.The ones that are important to the main story don't need a full list of everyone in the story.You have freedom with your character descriptions, but aim for two to three sentences that are full of detail for each character.
Step 10: The logline should be expanded in five to ten paragraphs.
Write your script in a way that makes sense to you.Tell the story in chronological order from the beginning to the end.Swindlers should not be included in your treatment.In a three act format act one establishes the characters and basic setup, act two brings in a major conflict and act three resolves the conflict.The climax and resolution should be included.This is not the place to hide the big finish for the screen.Give the reader the end of the treatment.
Step 11: Write to your audience.
The treatment may be written for a producer, director, or even an actor.Write it for that person.The way you present it should be based on who it is for.If you know the reader, adjust based on that.The way each scene looks and what set pieces are involved are important for a director.If you want to write for an actor, give more attention to their role than to the other characters.
Step 12: The treatment needs to connect emotionally.
The treatment has to hit the reader with real emotion no matter what genre it is written for.You can make them feel fear, sadness, or joy by describing the characters and the story in a certain way.The reader is forced to connect with the story.Don't give something that is different from your script.The emotion that is part of the story should be brought out in the treatment.Showing how characters react conveys emotion.He turned his face away, which shows he is hiding something.A character will start crying if they look at a photo for a few seconds.A man look in the mirror and shrug, a woman brush off a man's touch, and a child step back as their mother reaches toward them.
Step 13: The story should be written in present tense.
The audience will see your treatment.Everything should be described as it happens, not as if it has already happened.It is not always your first instinct when it comes to this.You should check your writing for tense shifts.Don't write "She stopped and thought about her day" because that shifts to past tense.
Step 14: The script's genre should be reflected in your treatment.
The movie should be described in a similar way to how people will feel.Make the treatment instill fear if you want the film audience to be scared.If you're pitching a comedy, make the reader laugh.Important aspects of the genre are important in the treatment.It's important to keep the tropes of the genre in mind.Don't rely on them, but use them when you must.