| There are reasons for writing a treatment or | | | | People develop their own preferences when |
| outline based on your brilliant original movie idea. | | | | writing a treatment. You’ll be surprised how |
| Simply put a movie idea or concept cannot be | | | | quickly you’ll find yours as you go through the |
| copyrighted. Idea theft isn't widespread in the | | | | process. |
| movie business, but there is always that remote | | | | At this point, if you've done a little reading on |
| possibility some intellectual property thief hears | | | | screenwriting you'll be looking at your treatment |
| your movie idea, loves it, and develops their own | | | | to make sure it follows the Three Act Structure |
| script or movie based on your idea. Not many | | | | as advised in many books. The First Act (the |
| aspiring writers, directors, or producers have deep | | | | beginning), the Second Act (the middle), and the |
| enough pockets to get into a costly court battle | | | | Third Act (the end). I respect the principal, but do |
| over an idea. Writing a treatment and submitting it | | | | not apply it as a hard and fast rule to my scripts. |
| to the U.S. Copyright Office protects your movie | | | | All good stories will always have a beginning that |
| idea. | | | | hooks people, a middle that keeps people |
| It is possible to sell a script treatment, but usually | | | | interested in how the whole thing will turn out, and |
| that's reserved for Hollywood insiders or | | | | the end where you give the viewer the big |
| established screenwriters with a proven track | | | | payoff. |
| record. Not for newcomers on the scene. Hashing | | | | When you write a script trying to force your idea |
| out solid a script treatment greatly increases the | | | | to conform to the Three Act Structure your |
| chances for a tight well written script to be born. | | | | story can lose zip. It might be your story has |
| This article is mainly for those aspiring | | | | four or five acts to get to the end. When I look |
| screenwriters that have a movie idea they are | | | | at my treatment I ask myself one major |
| going to eventually write themselves. | | | | question; would I watch this movie? Movies, in my |
| A treatment is a full narrative description of the | | | | opinion, are for entertainment. If you tell a good |
| story. This happens, this happens, and finally this | | | | story that will keep people entertained and |
| happens. It can include bits of dialogue or not. | | | | watching you'll do fine as a filmmaker. With a |
| Length can vary from 1-25 pages or more | | | | treatment done I always feel more confident |
| depending how involved you want to get. I'm | | | | going in to write a full script. Think of a treatment |
| usually able to get a real good handle on my script | | | | as your road map of where you want the story |
| idea within 6 pages of a treatment. | | | | you script to lead. When you're done with your |
| I myself do not write out scenes on index cards | | | | treatment you're one step closer to making your |
| to follow as a road map for my scripts. I heard it | | | | movie, not just talking about it. Good writing! |
| works for other screenwriters, but I can't share | | | | Hopefully you found this article useful. Learn more |
| with you a technique I personally do not use. I | | | | about making movies by picking up The First |
| also do not write detailed biographies on | | | | Movie is the Toughest is packed with no nonsense |
| characters to get into their heads. If I created | | | | advice, help, and entertaining stories about making |
| them I better know what motivates them and | | | | movies outside of Hollywood on limited budgets. |
| what makes them say or do the things they do | | | | This book is for aspiring Screenwriters, Directors, |
| in the script. I use a simple script treatment to | | | | and Producers along with the casual movie viewer |
| flesh out my movie idea into a tight story. Writing | | | | with their own great story idea for a movie. No |
| a shorter treatment is my personal preference. | | | | hype. No bull. |