Writing A Treatment

The development of your idea from the proposal is called the treatment, and should include an indication of the size and content of the project, an initial script and/or storyline, an estimated cost for production, an idea of the personnel involved in the project, a contingency plan and any research carried out for the production.

In more detail, the introduction is a small opening paragraph of the treatment that summarises the first, original proposal, and also the approach that you will take to develop the idea further. This opening section is once again used to sell the idea, and attempt to attract and interest the producer, or whoever are going to be financing the film.

You also need to outline the script in order to understand what resources you will need within the production, and also the timeline of your work. This brings together the ideas into a way that can easily show how the product will progress during the different stages, and what it will look like when it is finished. You should have a clear picture of your project within your outlining script, in order to help things run smoothly.

As well as outlining the script, you also have to outline the budget of your production. It is essential that you understand the budgetary requirements of the planned project, as you will have to produce a realistic budget for the production. You should use real examples of equipment hire, and other costs when developing your budget, as well as stating ways and ideas that you are using to reduce the the price of the production in total.

The talent section of the Treatment is stating who is doing what. This should state who is acting in your production, as well as voice-overs - such as narrations - if they are used. Presenting this will give your client a clear understanding of how your production will look in the final stages, and also who is going to be involved during filming.

A breakdown of the production staff should also be included. These people are everybody in the crew, such as camera operators, directors, runners etc., who will be involved with the project.

Making a contingency plan is extremely important as it acts almost as a safety net, just incase things go wrong during the production, as there are a huge amount of different problems that can occur. All productions must include a contingency plan, otherwise the production could easily fall through during later stages, such as filming. This contingency plan should include ideas on how you will combat these problems, or prevent them from happening in the first place. Things that should be continued are ideas like if the client changes their mind about the contract of the project after an agreement has been reached, or even if the price of materials and/or equipment changes after the production has begun. If an actor is ill, or is unable to make the filming due to other commitments, this should also be taken into consideration, and have a back-up plan created in case such a thing happens - and the same goes for if a piece of equipment breaks down during shooting, or the weather is too severe to film, or a change in the weather half way through filming making the continuity difficult to maintain.

Research should also be included in the treatment. If any research has been conducted - such as looking at similar products, online research of articles, or even surveys should be added in and explained within the treatment.