TVC director’s treatments are their own unique artform, often going into a lot of technical detail that isn’t necessary in a film pitch deck. Movie and TV treatments on the other hand are much more detailed in terms of character development, story arcs, conflicts, and tonality. In this article, we’ve compiled examples of the best treatments for film and TV to inspire you.
Written Examples of Film Treatments
Particularly for film and TV projects, a treatment serves as a creative sales pitch that helps get the project funded and made.
This is the proposal that’s designed to get folks excited about the concept, the story, and oftentimes the creative team involved. Think of it as more of a sales document, allowing the reader to get a strong sense of story, mood, characters, and setting.
But these treatments aren’t all the same, and for good reason. Also, every project is different. There are a few different types of pitch decks or ‘bibles’ with no real hard and fast rules about length and structure, however. Some are incredibly detailed. Conversely, some film treatments work more as a visual accompaniment to the script. Likewise, there is a huge difference between the featured examples of TV treatments and the featured treatment examples.
Meanwhile, here’s an example of a particularly strong writing:
Other Examples of Film Treatments
Also, here’s another classic example of a film treatment for The Terminator. Along with being unusually lengthy, this movie treatment is undoubtedly a treatment outline, focusing exclusively on the flow of the story. The reader can clearly understand how the narrative works, beat by beat.
However, more and more, written treatments aren’t selling projects anymore. Seemingly, they’re a dying breed. The reason why? Technology, of course.
Technology Influences Everything, Including Film Treatments
One thing to note though, since this treatment was put together, studios and production companies have begun to expect much more sophisticated visual treatments. Seldom will you see a treatment these days that is purely text on a white page. Competition is fierce, and film is a visual medium, so make sure you make a bold first impression.
Visual Examples of Film Treatments
More and more these days visual treatments are the preferred medium in the industry. Also, with the amount of content so readily available – the bar continues to rise higher. It’s equally important to watch the industry and keep up on trends. After all, you don’t want to fall behind your competition, right?
Meanwhile, here is an iconic example of a pitch deck or ‘bible’ for Stranger Things, which at the time was being shopped under the working title Montauk.
Notice how the visual aspect of the document allows the reader to get a palpable sense of the influences and tonality the filmmakers had in mind. Likewise, the writing is terse and even more effective as a result. There’s a tendency, particularly with a first film project, for the filmmakers to want to give the audience all the exciting details. It’s an understandable urge, but realistically, that’s what the screenplay (or the teleplay) is for.
A growing trend we’re seeing in various examples of film treatments is the rise of the vertical film treatment. Perhaps that’s in part thanks to the Stranger Things example above. Additionally, this can be a great way to allow for a lot of text and to give the document a movie poster feel. This treatment for Yellowjackets is an interesting example. Read the PDF over at No Film School.
The Importance of Design in a Treatment
Creating a stunningly visual document that helps tell the story and evoke the mood can do a lot of heavy lifting. Great design can quickly get the reader excited about the project. A strong visualist, specializing in researching and designing director’s treatments, can bring a lot to your vision for the project. We personally believe that’s what made these examples of film treatments stand out so much.
Additionally, visual reference, as well as helping communicate the aesthetic, is also a great way to give the reader a sense of the characters and possible casting. Shotdeck is a great place to start looking. However, it’s even better to hire a specialized visualist to find visual research and craft a layout.
Another reason design is so important in film treatments: it allows the reader to get an overview of the characters and their connections in a visual way.
As a rule of thumb, try to keep the reader moving through the document. A specialist designer knows how to carefully craft the flow. This quality in a strong film treatment comes from a combination of incisive writing and on-point design.
When creating your own film treatments, don’t overlook the treatment design process. A slick and insightful treatment will undoubtedly boost your chances of getting the project made. Plus, it can help clarify and communicate your vision powerfully. Having someone else bring their references and ideas to the table can be a highly rewarding process too.
Where Can I Find More Examples?
Since a lot of un-produced film treatment examples are of course under strict NDA, it’s not easy to find them online. And, unlike screenplays which are often published, treatments are often internal documents.
Screencraft.org is a great resource for outlines, treatments, and scriptments.
What About Other Types of Treatments?
Here at The Collective Pitch, our writers and designers have helped filmmakers successfully pitch their film, TV, TVC, music video, and even VR projects. While we keep our examples of film treatments close to our chests, we’d happily talk you through the process.
TVC director’s treatments are their own unique artform with tons of technical detail that aren’t necessary in a film pitch deck. You can find tons of examples of TVC treatments below:
Need Help Crafting a Treatment or Treatment Outline?
Our team here at The Collective Pitch specialize in crafting director’s treatments. While most of our work is for TVC projects, we regularly collaborate with producers, directors, and even studios to help write and visualize their treatments. We’d love to help you bring your vision to life.
We are a boutique creative agency of ghostwriters, researchers, designers, and mood reel editors. You can book our talent directly on our site.