In this article we outline a few key points that can help you write and design a stunning movie treatment.
Every Movie Treatment is Different
Chances are, if you’re looking to make a movie, a treatment is going to be a helpful tool in terms of securing financing. If nothing else, it forces filmmakers to crystalize their vision for the project.
With the proliferation of streaming and online content, movie treatments have changed drastically over the last few years. In general, they’re becoming less verbose and more visual. As always, clear and persuasive writing goes a long way.
Every movie is different. Likewise, every film treatment will have its own structure and flow. There are no unbreakable rules. Except one. Christopher Hitchens was right when he said the one unforgivable sin is to be boring. Make that your mantra.
A good film script should be able to do completely without dialogue.
Great Writing Stands Out
Lure the reader in with your words. Build intrigue. Ask questions. Make sure the writing in your movie treatment is as engaging and exciting as possible. You don’t need to be incredibly florid or detailed in your writing. Quite the opposite. Get to the point.
What is a Logline?
A logline encapsulates the premise of the film in one carefully crafted sentence. Spend as much time as possible perfecting your logline. Think of it as the seed from which everything grows. Likewise, in your movie treatment, a great logline helps the reader understand the film at the very start of the pitch deck.
How to Write a Strong Logline
A strong logline will usually have four clearly defined elements, although their order in the sentence can vary. Think of it as an equation.
PROTAGONIST
+
PROTAGONIST’S GOAL
+
INCITING INCIDENT
+
CENTRAL CONFLICT
An Example of a Movie Treatment Great Logline
A young man is transported to the past, where he must reunite his parents before he and his future cease to exist.
What is a Tagline?
A tagline meanwhile is a punchy and provocative statement, designed to entice and intrigue. Taglines are more commonly used to market a finished film, although it’s a great idea to formulate one for your pitch deck.
17 year old Marty McFly got home early last night. 30 years early.
Getting Started
Find Your Structure
Different stories call for different structures in their movie treatments or pitch decks. Make sure your structure is clear and easy for the reader to keep track of. Don’t go overboard with the number of sections. Keep it simple. Tell the story. Respect the reader’s time.
Often this structure will evolve as you write, but having a clear roadmap helps avoid rambling writing.
An Exercise in Brevity
As a fun but simple exercise, try writing in bullet points. Get the basic structure of your movie treatment laid in using a brutally terse style of writing. Likewise, try to describe the major plot points with a minimum amount of words. Then, expand the writing from there. This technique forces you to build upwards from a clearly defined outline.
The Synopsis
A synopsis, also known as a plot summary, briefly expands upon the logline, without going into too much detail. Keep this section snappy and easy to read. Your main goal here is to give the reader an enticing overview of the story that makes them want to know more. A synopsis can be broken up into Acts, although that isn’t always necessary.
Establish Characters
Establish who your characters are, what they want, what is driving them, and what is standing in their way. In this section, it’s important to also communicate their character arcs: how they grow and change through the course of the story.
The Story World
What makes your story world unique and intriguing? Let the reader know where and when the story takes place. This gives context in terms of the setting and the timeframe that they can draw upon as they explore the Acts of the story.
Act by Act
The Meat of the Movie Treatment
This part of a movie treatment takes the reader through the narrative Act by Act. This part of the film treatment is akin to a short story. Emphasize key plot points and turning points in the story. While it is tempting to add a wealth of detail, keep in mind that you don’t want to daunt the reader with too much information. This is where it can be helpful to begin with bullet points and expand from there.
Epilogue
The final part of a movie treatment story briefly summarizes the narrative and ties up any loose ends. Here you should speak to the ending and how it links back to the premise. Let the audience know the fate of the characters and what they have learned.
MOVIE TREATMENT PITCH DECKS
Today's Pitch Decks are Highly Visual
Sure, words matter a lot, but so do pictures. After all, pictures are worth a thousand words.
Thanks in part to the niche industry of TVC director’s treatments, stunningly designed visual movie treatments have become the norm. Having a stylish and beautifully researched document to accompany your script or idea helps solidify the vision for the reader. Don’t underestimate the importance of great design.
The Collective Pitch specializes in pitch decks and ghostwriting. Chances are we can help bring your ideas to life in a compelling way.
Bring the dialogue to life visually
A trick often used by layout artists is peppering in elements of dialogue into the movie treatment. This creates a connection between the screenplay and the reference imagery and allows the reader to get a sense of how characters speak.
Consider a sizzle reel
Sometimes a well-cut sizzle reel or mood film can help evoke the tone of the movie or TV show you’re looking to make. These can be a great tool if you’re going the Kickstarter route, but less common when pitching to studios.
Instead of a mood reel, think about creating an online treatment that features GIFS and other interactive elements.
Movie Treatment Pro Tips
Writing is Re-writing
You have a strong logline. A punchy synopsis. Character sketches and explorations of tone. Now, try whittling them down just that bit further. Ask for feedback and don’t be afraid to be brutal with your final pass of editing and rewriting.
Understand the Genre and the Market
Every film project exists within a niche and the movie treatment is an opportunity to express that you know a lot about the genre and the market. Speak to the potential as well as the limitations of the genre, and how your project is uniquely positioned to make clever use of both things.
It can be a great idea to reference other films with adjacent themes, styles, or even budgets. Be realistic but optimistic.
Make it Malleable
Chances are, you’ll be knocking on more than one door on your journey to getting a film or TV project made. So, make sure you write and design your pitch deck so that it can be easily adapted to different audiences.
Hype the Team
Filmmaking is a collaborative art and it’s important to have the right team around you. Where it makes sense, sell in yourself and your team alongside the story.
Read it Out Loud
One of the best ways to test if your writing is flowing well is reading it aloud. You’ll quickly realize when sentences are too long. You’ll get a feel for paragraphs that feel monotonous. Treat it like music. Bring variations into the cadence of the writing. Punctuate key points.
Make It Fun
Chances are, the person reading your document is busy and their attention is in-hot-demand. Make sure the time they spend digesting this pitch deck worthwhile and enjoyable. Make sure they get a clear idea up-front exactly why this a film that they want to make. Ensure they can flick through the document and then get a clear idea of where the story goes. Make sure it looks UTTERLY PROFESSIONAL.
Fine Tooth Comb It
Nothing breaks the spell like a clumsy spelling mistake or a sloppy design. Get meticulous with the details before you hit send. Consider hiring a designer to give the layout the love it deserves.
Ask For Help
The Collective Pitch is a boutique agency. We represent ghostwriters, researchers, editors, and designers and can help you take your movie treatment to the next level. You can book us directly on our site or reach out to find out more about what we do.