Feature Film Treatment?

moonshieldmedia

moonshieldmedia

Does anyone have experience writing a film treatment? I've found articles online about what is supposed to go into one, but since those articles sometimes contradict each other, I'd like to see actual examples if possible.

I'm about to make one that will be sent out to agencies and studios and I don't want to look like n00b.

Thanks.
 
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PrevisLab said:
You need to package. Most professionals won't waste their time if its not a script attached and package for their analyst to review and rate it.
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One of the sources who'll be reviewing my treatment is a studio exec that happens to be a friend of mine, so I know she'll make an exception and at least read it.

Are reference photos a good idea for the treatment?
 
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Your friend might be the only one reading it. My wife is a script analyst for PP. Producers receive thousands of scripts per week and they don't have the time to read all of them. They will reads people they know and what the analyst green lights and moves forward for producer to read. They will rank each script and break it down into half a page or a full page so the producers can over see and pick what interest them. Script analyst will receive each projects and if they simply don't have the right things into place it gets trashed right away and a letter mailed to writer sometimes. Presenting a treatment is presenting a startup to the shark tank and they always respond with its to soon to invest not enough info\background. I wish you the best of luck and your friend should give you best input so she can green light it.
 
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moonshieldmedia said:
One of the sources who'll be reviewing my treatment is a studio exec that happens to be a friend of mine, so I know she'll make an exception and at least read it.
Click to expand...
You have such a great opportunity here - a friend who is a studio exec who
is willing to read your treatment. A friend will read it and then you can ask
questions.

The reason you see contradictions is because there are different "treatments"
for different purposes. You say you want to send this treatment to agencies
and studios; what do you want from agencies and studios? They do different
things so your treatments will be different.
Do you want an agent to rep you based on this one script?
Do you want the studio to read your finished script?
Do you want the studio to pay you to write the script?
Do you have a completed "package" to pitch?

Each will requite a different type of "treatment". So ask your friend who is
a studio exec what she wants to see. Then take this amazing opportunity
to sit down with her and work out your pitch.
 
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directorik said:
You have such a great opportunity here - a friend who is a studio exec who
is willing to read your treatment. A friend will read it and then you can ask
questions.

The reason you see contradictions is because there are different "treatments"
for different purposes. You say you want to send this treatment to agencies
and studios; what do you want from agencies and studios? They do different
things so your treatments will be different.
Do you want an agent to rep you based on this one script?
Do you want the studio to read your finished script?
Do you want the studio to pay you to write the script?
Do you have a completed "package" to pitch?

Each will requite a different type of "treatment". So ask your friend who is
a studio exec what she wants to see. Then take this amazing opportunity
to sit down with her and work out your pitch.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the advice. The reason I said "agencies and studios" is because even though the studio exec is a personal friend, her company has a very strict "no unsolicited scripts" policy, so she suggested I send it through an agent, manager, or lawyer. Then she told me if I didn't have access to one she would make some calls to a few of them. So now I have email addresses for someone at WME and someone at Paradigm and I just want to make sure the treatment is "industry standard" before sending it.

But you are right, it couldn't hurt to ask her some formatting questions without talking about the content.
 
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moonshieldmedia said:
So now I have email addresses for someone at WME and someone at Paradigm and I just want to make sure the treatment is "industry standard" before sending it.
Click to expand...
As I said, there are different treatments for different purposes. When you see
articles that sometimes contradict each other that is the reason.

So first; is your script written? Or are you looking for an "industry standard"
treatment for a script that you will write in the future? When you send the
"treatment" to either agency do you want to see an "industry standard" example
of a pitch or a full, complete treatment that covers everything?

I am very willing to help but I need to know what you are looking for. My example
may (in fact it WILL) contradict the articles you have seen if I offer the wrong
example for YOUR purpose.
 
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