When and How to Write a Treatment for a Film

by Gus | Oct 21, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Films

Sometimes the terms “synopsis” and “treatment” are used interchangeably, but a common way to distinguish them is to think of a treatment as a fleshed out outline or expanded synopsis. As such, it features the major story line of a script, but without the dialog, except for when the dialog is occasionally woven into the text to better explain or dramatize the story. A major difference between a synopsis and a treatment is that a synopsis is normally at most 1-2 single spaced pages, and more usually 1 page, while a treatment may often run to 25 to 40 pages. An outline might be 5 to 10 pages.

Commonly an outline is something you prepare for yourself to help you structure the plot of the story and build in the characters against this framework. Some writers also develop an extensive backstory for each character, which helps to create the character’s motivation and personality. Then, the writer uses that character work-up to inform them as they write the script.

Another approach writing a script is to simply start with a synopsis and use this as a guide, which is what I normally do, although some writers prefer to use the outline or treatment as their guide, and they later write the synopsis for pitching the script. There is no one way that works best, so use the approach that is most comfortable for you.

Where a treatment fits into all of this is if you want to create a more detailed outline that isn’t just a barebones listing of the major plot points in the story. Instead, you include a description of the setting along with the action, and you may provide a summary of what the characters will talk about in each scene, without providing all or most of the dialog, except in relating certain key points in the story, where a particular exchange or line of dialog is important. With this exception, the treatment is mostly a description of the story, which sometimes can read like a novel, although it doesn’t include much or any dialog or the interior thoughts, feelings, and intentions of the characters.

Often a treatment is not necessary when you are pitching a script. Besides responding to a short initial query letter or very brief phone or in-person pitch (about 250-400 words for the letter; 10-15 seconds for the pitch, producers, agents, and managers typically ask for a synopsis or if they want to see more, they may ask for the first 5-10 pages or the entire script. Potential investors will commonly ask for a synopsis and business plan in addition to the script. But asking for a treatment is less common. In fact, in my five years of pitching scripts and getting a few scripts in production or under option, no one has asked to see a treatment. They have all asked to initially see the synopsis, both the synopsis and script together, or just the script.

So why write a treatment, and when should you write one? There are a few times when it is good to do this:
– You are producing the script yourself, and you want to work out more specifically what will happen where, what characters will be involved, and what the budget might be given those details.
– You want to more precisely lay out the story line of the script, before you write the dialog.
– You are working with a co-writer or plan to hire a ghost writer, who will use your treatment as a guide to write the script; or a treatment may be a helpful guide if you want a novelist to expand your script idea into a novel and you haven’t yet written the script.
– You only have a synopsis and don’t have the time or ability to write out the script; so you want to protect the story and characters with a copyright.
– A potential partner, producer, production company, investor, or a person writing a budget wants to see more precisely what happens in the story, but you haven’t yet written the script.
– And perhaps you may think of other uses for a treatment.

In sum, while a treatment may often not be necessary, particularly if you are writing the completed script yourself, there are times it may be useful. And just like the synopsis, outline, or script itself, you can feel free to modify or change whatever you write, as you have new ideas, get feedback on ways to improve the story and script, or find that the original version is too costly to film, so you need another version that is less expensive to produce.

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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, is the author of over 50 books with major publishers, including two on the film industry: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING, PRODUCING, AND DIRECTING A LOW-BUDGET SHORT FILM and FINDING FUNDS FOR YOUR FILM OR TV PROJECT, both published by Hal Leonard. She has written and produced over 50 short films, has written 15 scripts for features, has three other films in preproduction, and has one feature film she wrote and executive produced in post-production for release in November 2014. She also writes scripts for clients, and has several film industry Meetup groups which have meetings to discuss members films.

Creating a Synopsis or Treatment for a Film

by Gus | Oct 21, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Films

In addition to writing a complete script, you should create a synopsis or treatment, since many producers, agents, and managers, as well as potential investors if you become a producer, will want to see this. A synopsis or treatment is a way for them to see a little more about the project to help them decide if they want to see the full script.

The synopsis is commonly a 1-2 single-spaced page document in which you feature the highlights of the script. Preferably keep it to 1 or at most 1 ½ pages, and if there is a second page, print out any printed copy back to back, though usually you will send this in a PDF format via an email attachment.

The treatment is basically an expanded version of the synopsis in which you write out the main action in the script without dialogue – or occasionally include dialogue in a paragraph describing the action to help dramatize the story. Perhaps consider this like a condensed form of the script featuring the story-line, without the dialog. . I have personally found treatments unnecessary, since typically, after seeing an introductory letter or having a brief phone or in-person discussion of the project, the producer, agent, manager, or other party will ask to either see a synopsis or the full script, and some will want a synopsis along with the script.

You can write this synopsis before or after the script, and you can always adapt and modify it should you change the script. I commonly write the synopsis before I write the script, since this then becomes an outline I use as a guide for writing the script, though I sometimes make changes as I go along, as the story and characters suggest other directions. Then, I revise the synopsis as I make these changes or at the end of writing the script. Others prefer to write a separate more detailed outline to guide them, while some expand an outline into a treatment that they use to write the script. Still others may write a script with only a general outline of what to write and do the synopsis at the end.

Use whichever approach works best for you. The point is to have a short synopsis you can use when you pitch your script to producers, agents, managers, and possibly investors, whether you use this as a guide for writing your script or not.

There are several ways to write a good synopsis, just as there are several ways to write a good query letter or treatment.

One approach is to create subtitles for the different parts of the synopsis, which generally include these:
Logline – a one-sentence 20-35 word summary of what the film is all about, plus include a phrase about you as the writer if you have industry credits, such as by the writer of (NAME OF FEATURE FILM).
Genre – a phrase featuring the main genres (ie: drama, comedy, sci-fi, etc.)
Synopsis – three or four paragraphs highlighting the major plot points
Appeal of the film – a sentence listing the film’s main audience (ie: women, sci-fi fans)
Author’s Bio – a one paragraph summary featuring your industry credits

Finally, conclude with a call to action by inviting the contact to ask you for further information or see the synopsis or treatment (if you have one) or the completed script.

Another approach to writing the synopsis is to feature these main sections, but combine them into a series of paragraphs. I prefer this format myself, since I like the continuous flow of one idea into another.

If there are many characters or subplots, focus on the main characters and central plot of the story, and include a reference to other plot lines in a sentence or short paragraph that sums up the subplot and relates it to the central plot. For example, you might write something like: “Meanwhile, as Jeremy was going through a series of challenges in seeking to stop the reservoir from overflowing in order to save the town, his fiancée was plotting with her secret lover to stop Jeremy, because they were partners in a scheme to develop the property after the homes were destroyed.”

One of the big mistakes that writers make in writing a synopsis is to cram in all the details about all the plot’s twists and turns created by different characters, which can become confusing and difficult to follow. Leave the extensive plot details for after a film industry professional has asked to see more.

The other big mistake writers make is being too vague or leaving the reader guessing about what happens in the end of the story. While it can be fine to tantalize the prospective viewer with this uncertainty, agents, managers, and producers generally want to know the ending. Some writers try to leave things very vague since they fear someone stealing the story. But the way to protect yourself is by filing a copyright on the script, and if you make the synopsis appealing enough, film industry pros will want to contact you and see the full script, rather than trying to steal the idea from you. Then, too, if your synopsis is so vague that it just seems like an idea, you can’t protect it, since ideas cannot be copyrighted. So don’t just say something like “Jerry received a warning which turned his life around and led to everything else that happened. “ Instead, say what this warning was for and describe what happened to change his life and what he did then.

Once you have a completed synopsis, you are ready to start pitching your script to agents, managers, or producers or you can pitch a completed film based on your script to potential investors.
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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, is the author of over 50 books with major publishers, including two on the film industry: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING, PRODUCING, AND DIRECTING A LOW-BUDGET SHORT FILM and FINDING FUNDS FOR YOUR FILM OR TV PROJECT, both published by Hal Leonard. She has written and produced over 50 short films, has written 15 scripts for features, has three other films in preproduction, and has one feature film she wrote and executive produced in post-production for release in November 2014. She also writes scripts for clients, and has several film industry Meetup groups which have meetings to discuss members films.

Turning Your Script into a Film: From Idea to Synopsis and Script

by Gus | Oct 21, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Films

This will be the first in a series of articles on how to go from an idea to a completed film or TV show, whether you find an agent or manager, a producer or production company to take over your project, or decide to raise funding to produce the film or series yourself. These articles will become a book once completed.

The first step is coming up with the idea and deciding if it merits being turned into a script or TV treatment. Think of your idea like a logline for a film or TV show – a one sentence description of about 20-35 words that sums up what your idea is all about.

At this idea stage, it is good to get feedback from others, and also do a little research to see if the idea is new and hasn’t been done before or at least represents a novel twist on something that has been successful in the past. You can do this research by putting words related to your idea in the IMDB or other search engine. This process will also help you avoid using a title for a film that has already been made. While no one can protect a title, unless it has become a trademark, such as for a franchised series, you don’t want to use a title of something that has been done before. Even though your title is simply a working title, since any company that produces your film may decide on the name, sometimes with input from distributors, you still want to call your film by a new name.

When you run your idea by others, it is best to limit this feedback to trusted people you know, since an idea by itself can’t be protected. You have to develop a synopsis, treatment, or script in order to create a copyright and later register you can register this with the Copyright Office (and some scriptwriters also register the script for 5 years with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), though you actually get the best protection with a Copyright. Once you do have a written synopsis, treatment, or script, you can hear what others think of the idea, and they may even give you some input on how they see the scenes developing, which you can use or not.

Another approach I have found helpful for getting input on ideas or on the later phases of development for a script, film, or TV show is a small focus group of associates in the film industry. While friends and family might be supportive in giving you opinions, the danger is that they may be too receptive to your ideas, because they want to be nice, rather than giving you honest feedback. Also, associates in the film world are usually a good source for feedback, because they are already generally familiar with what works and doesn’t work.

If you aren’t already connected to some people in the film industry, a good way to start is through some local film groups, which may be affiliated with a local art school, college or university with film programs, or a Meetup group for films in your area. Or start a local group yourself and reach out to others in the local film community who may want to participate in such a feedback group. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, I already have some Meetup Groups that have a meeting called a Film Exchange about once a month (www.meetup.com/bayareafilmandtvconnection ; www.meetup.com/filmandbusinessconnection; and www.meetup.com/sanfranciscofilmindustry, and I have two groups in L.A. as well, which have assistant organizers.

Then, at the meeting, ask what people think of your idea and take notes. You can pass out a description or read it aloud for feedback.

If you have several ideas, you can use this feedback to decide which idea to pursue next. In this case, you might list a series of short descriptions on a single sheet of paper and pass this out to others individually or in the group, and ask them to tell you which they like the most or don’t like. One good way to do this is to ask them to rank the ideas on your list from 1 (the one they like best) to the highest number on your list (the one they like least). Either let them read the list themselves or read it aloud with them. Finally, review the responses and see which idea or ideas got the highest ranking. If it’s not immediately clear, you can get averages for the rank of each idea by adding up the numbers and dividing by the number of individuals in the group. That’ll give you the average ranking, with the lowest number the most popular idea.

Then, based on this input and your own feeling about which idea you like best, start by developing that. The next phase is to create an outline for your script, and that can be further developed into a synopsis or treatment. Or if you have a more intuitive fluid approach to writing, use your initial idea as a guide to writing the script and develop the synopsis or treatment after that.

In short, find the idea you want to work on, and the next step is to write a synopsis or treatment or write the script. In either case, if you are an unproduced writer, you will generally need a completed script, whatever steps you take next to get there.

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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, writes frequently about social trends and everyday life. She is the author of over 50 books with major publishers and has published 30 books through her company Changemakers Publishing and Writing. She writes books and proposals for clients and has written and produced over 50 short videos through Changemakers Productions. Her latest books include: HOW TO FIND PUBLISHERS AND AGENTS AND GET PUBLISHED and THE BATTLE AGAINST INTERNET BOOK PIRACY.