Preproduction- The Treatment

Planning or preproduction is the key to success of all your film projects. We all start with a plan that covers the basic elements of our stories and frees us up to focus on the details of production. It is in the planning stages that it's easiest to revise and refine our ideas.

Planning helps us avoid unnecessary work either in re-shooting a scene or extra post-production work. Planning also allows us to refine our ideas and shoot compelling shots that blend seamlessly in the edit and improve the dramatic value of our stories.

The following are the basic stages we use in preparing our story concepts for production:

1. The Treatment

2. The Script

3. Story Boards

4. 2 Column Shooting Scripts

5. Location Diagrams

A Treatment is a detailed version of your story that "SHOWS" us the action.

1. A treatment is designed for a busy person (a producer) to read it at a glance. Avoid any uneccessary complications.
2. It is written from ACTION to ACTION--it follows the action with a minimum of description.
3. There is NO camera description. It does mention what the actor is thinking or feeling as he moves through the piece, because by doing so it helps the reader imagine the scene.
4. The verbs it uses are ACTIVE: he moves, he climbs, he opens, he goes, he runs, etc. Everything is kept in the present.
5. Sentences suggest a series of shots, separated in terms of location and scenes (that’s why they are separated.) The treatment must be VERY easy to read.

 

SAMPLE TREATMENT: THE ESCAPE- a Tyson Siddle’s four minute film

An empty dartboard, scarred and beaten up from use. Three sets of voices are heard in background. A parent’s voice lists errands and chores, a teacher reprimands a student for his lack of responsibility, and a group of students gossip.

A dart hits the board. The voices of the gossiping students disappear. Another dart hits the board. The teacher’s voice disappears. An intense young man lifts a dart and aims. The dart hits the board and the parent’s voice disappears. The room is quiet.

The young man seems relieved, as if some weight has been lifted. He closes his eyes. It’s quiet at last, he thinks. He looks toward a window. Outside branches of trees move in the wind.

He goes to the window, stares out, raises it and climbs through.

He stands a minute, relieved to be outside. He watches the branches move up and down.

He slowly climbs down a ladder which is propped against the roof. At the bottom he stands looking at the ladder, which fades and vanishes. Happily he touches the wall where the ladder was leaning, amazed at his power, and that things have started to go right for him. He moves with more energy.

He rounds the corner of the house, quickly making his way down a narrow path at its side. He’s going to get out of this place! He runs up to the gate, pulls it open, and moves outside. His face freezes. He’s not outside. He’s not free. He’s standing at the door of his room---his face is a jumble of emotions, mostly disappointment.

He pushes on the door. He walks in dejectedly, stands for a minute. He can’t believe he’s failed so miserably. He turns slowly as he hears the voices returning. He covers his ears. He looks at the dartboard.

It’s empty.

Step 1- Write a treamtment for one of the following loglines:

• Two people confront eachother on a public sidewalk.
• A woman treats her dog like a human being.
• A boy fails horribly at trying to impress a girl.

 

Step 2- Once done, review your treatment by answering the following questions to see how you have incoroporatcd the following Story Elements.

 

A Theme & Genre- What's the big question, problem, issue you want to discuss- Boredom, Vanity, Consumerism? What details give a sense of genre or style to the film? How could this be refined or enhanced?

A Hero- Who is your main actor/protaganist? What physical attributes do they have that reveal character?

A Goal or Conflict- What's their mission? What do they need to deal with over the course of the song?

An Adversary - Who's going to stop them or give them problems....is it someone or their own problems? What complications do they encounter?

A Tragic Flaw- No one's perfrect, so what's your hero's tragic or comedic flaw?

Trials and Apparent Defeats- We all fail on the way to achieving our goals, so what are the hero's stumblings or setbacks? Often they imagine success but just can't get there.

A Final Conformation - What's the climatic moment the sums it all up?

Self-Revelation - What does the hero learn or fail to learn

A Resolution - What does your audience walking away feeling? How does it wrap up?