Hello. I wonder if anyone have any ideas on how to write a film treatment. I'm in a process of writing a screenplay movie. The movie is called "Robotic Mom." It's about a woman who struggles to search for her long lost mother when a stalking robot instructs her. I have a breif outline of the story and I know what happens. I just want to figure out if there is any way I can expand it from a treatment. Or are there any good websties that give solid and good details on how to write one? Any ideas are appreciated.
Just Google it. I did and came up with a few alright looking websites. I mean, really it's just a short story about 15 pages long that describes what happens. I'd personally write it after I'd done the actual screenplay, though, given that I have a tendency to move away from what I originally planned. :s It's easier to shorten something to 15 pages than it is to expand it to 15 pages.
you don't [and actually can't!] write a 'treatment' until you've completed the screenplay... and then would do so only if one is requested by a producer who's interested in the project and needs one for some reason or another... a treatment is a complete rundown of everything that happens in the script, written in present tense narrative form, so you can't do that if you haven't got a finished script... i mentor many aspiring screenwriters, so if you want tips from the pros and/or help along the way, just drop me a line any time... love and hugs, maia
I just write one as a personal tool (not to show anyone) to help me to flesh my story out and get to expand the idea. I'm not sure any other ways I can expand the story unless I have an outline of what I will write. This is why I choose to write a 'treatment,' and not as a sellinug tool. But can we write one so that we would know what the script is about? Thanks for your mentor. It has helped me in the long run, but I'm not sure where to start to flesh out my story. The best way I do it is writing a personal treatment (not used for selling it). But if starting on the script first is a better method, I suppose I can try that then. Are there any other ways (I'm sure there are) that we can write a movie outline?
I might be confused but if you're writing it for yourself, then why do you need to know how to write one? If it's a summary for your own use, it can be anything you want it to be and no reason to find out the rules to a Treatment.
you seem to be confusing a 'treatment' that only relates to a completed script, with an 'outline' of some kind that can be used to lay out the elements of a story in order to help you write the script... and of course it's helpful to do up some sort of outline, or skeleton structure, before starting the actual formatted screenplay... how you arrange and write that is up to you, but it wouldn't be, by any stretch of the imagination/vocabulary, what is considered to be a 'treatment' in the film industry... i strongly suggest you get syd field's 'workbook' in which he shows how to do this... it's the best how-to on developing an idea into a completed script that you'll find anywhere... and it's easy to follow, with a full range of examples to help you get from a to z...
