how to write a treatment for a docu-series

Tips for writing a documentary treatment

1. Use the active voice and present tense. Tell the reader what they’ll see and hear on the screen as the documentary...
2. Be specific. Your treatment needs to describe situations, locations and characters in precise detail to make the...
3. Use nontechnical language. Not everyone reading your documentary treatment will be a...

Full Answer

Can you write a treatment for a documentary?

You’ve got an idea for a documentary, but you need funding. Writing a treatment is an essential part of fundraising. Top image via Ad Week / Alex Weprin. Writing treatments is not the most glamorous part of the filmmaking process. However, they demonstrate your grasp of the story and its production.

How to write a good film treatment?

Every treatment needs a coherent beginning, middle, and end. A proper treatment should have an overall theme that communicates the structure of your story. If you are unsure about what the theme of your story is, identify it in the resolution. The theme of the film should be clear in the story’s resolution.

How do you write a treatment for a story?

Something to keep in mind is that a treatment is creative. Don’t write it like you would an essay in high school. Write in a captivating and entertaining manner. This is the first chance your reader has to see your narrative voice in action.

What is a treatment in screenwriting?

A treatment is a narrative screenwriting tool that helps you explore ideas, flesh out various story possibilities, and develop your characters. What Is a Treatment? A treatment is a document that presents the story idea of your film before writing the entire script.

What does a documentary treatment look like?

Documentary Treatment – The treatment is almost like a script, detailing exact scenes, characters and story structure. This is a constantly developing and organic document, adjusting as the story unfolds. This document is sometimes requested by large funding agencies.

How do you write a documentary treatment or proposal?

4 Tips for Writing a Documentary ProposalBe as thorough as possible. This isn't a time to be general. ... Be realistic with your film budget. Along with a documentary treatment, you also need to develop a realistic budget for your film. ... Determine your fundraising strategy. ... Stay confident in your project.

How do you structure a documentary series?

Ken Burns's 7 Tips for Structuring a DocumentaryEmbrace the laws of storytelling. ... Keep rearranging structure until it works. ... Hook your audience immediately. ... Introduce large stories through small details. ... Use chronology as a compass. ... Boil the pot. ... Send them home safe.

How do you write a treatment?

The point of writing a film treatment is to:Set up the world you want the reader to envision.Lay out the structure of your whole story.Help you identify plot holes, or parts of the film you're missing.Flesh-out characters and figure out the importance of each role.More items...•

What is a treatment proposal?

Treatment Proposal means the written document submitted by Provider that includes: treatment options with benefits and implications, an outline of the procedures to be used and a description of the condition they are intended to correct, an estimate of the time that will be required to complete the treatment, and a ...

How do you write a short synopsis for a documentary?

How to format your synopsisWrite a header. At the top of the synopsis, write your script's title and state that it's a synopsis. ... Include your contact details. ... Write the logline. ... Introduce the main characters and setting. ... Summarize Act 1: The Setup. ... Summarize Act 2: The Conflict. ... Summarize Act 3: The Climax.

What are the 5 elements of a documentary?

Elements of a Documentary FilmSubjects. The subject is what your documentary is about. ... Purpose. The purpose is what the filmmaker is trying to say about the subjects of their film. ... Form. The form is the formative process of the film. ... Production method and technique. ... Audience experience.

What are the three key elements of a documentary?

Documentary Structure The Three-Act DocumentaryBeginning | Act One. The beginning of the documentary needs to capture the audience's attention. ... Middle | Act Two. This is the main guts of your story. ... End | Act Three.

What are the 6 modes of documentary?

Nichols (1991, 2017) identifies six modes of representation in documentary films. They are the expository, participatory, observational, performative, reflexive and poetic modes.

How long should a series treatment be?

But generally, rule of thumb, a treatment is no less than 4 pages and now more than 10. The key here is to get all the information down, as interestingly as possible, as economically as possible, with as much clarity as possible and not to over write. You make each word, each sentence, each image, each page, count.

How do you write a treatment summary?

How To Write A Therapy Case Summary1 | Therapy Case History. ... 2 | Systemic Client Assessment. ... 3 | Treatment Focus and Progress. ... 4 | Client Strengths and Supports. ... 5 | Evaluation.

What is the difference between a synopsis and a treatment?

Treatments Are Longer Than Synopses Remember, a synopsis is a short but succinct description of your plot, main characters, and fictional world. It tells the whole story from beginning to end but in a breezy, brief, easy-to-read sort of way. Treatments give you more room to write, so they're naturally longer.

Essential terms to know

When you start reading about documentary treatments, you’ll see a lot of similar terms. Namely: documentary proposal, documentary synopsis and documentary logline. While there’s a lot of overlap between these terms, it’s good to know the differences.

Why you need a documentary treatment

Your documentary treatment is a written document that describes your entire documentary project. As a filmmaker, it’ll help you get all your ideas on the page, working through potential themes and story angles. So it’s an essential part of the development process.

How long should a documentary treatment be?

While there are strict rules for how long a spec script should be, documentary treatments can vary quite a lot. Your treatment needs to be short enough to be snappy and engaging, but long enough to cover all the plot points and sell the story.

What to include in a documentary treatment

When formatting your documentary treatment, you should write it in the same way that you would write a present-tense short story. It needs to include the key plot points and give a flavour of the tone you’re shooting for, but it shouldn’t be overly stylised—like a novel, for example.

Tips for writing a documentary treatment

Naturally, every documentary treatment is different. But there are a few golden rules that’ll ensure your treatment’s up to industry standards.

Get feedback

Once you’ve got a first draft of your documentary film treatment together, it’s time to show it to some people. Hold off on sending it to funders or interviewees until you’ve had a friend or collaborator cast an eye over it, though. They’ll probably have useful feedback that’ll make your treatment even better.

How long should a synopsis be?

It should be no more than ​ three ​pages long . If you can communicate your story in fewer pages, don’t be afraid of having an even shorter treatment. The more airtight your synopsis is, the better.

Is it necessary to include every detail of a story?

Not every detail of the story is necessary to explain the plot of your concept. It is unnecessary to include details that do not directly move the plot of your story forward. A way to avoid irrelevant material is to stay away from using dialogue in your treatment or getting to detailed with character interactions.

How many pages should a treatment be?

Treatments vary in length – it depends on what your project really demands. But generally, rule of thumb, a treatment is no less than 4 pages and now more than 10.

Is the backdrop the same in the precinct?

The backdrop remains the same and is returned to each week. This is also called ‘the precinct’. There may be several stories per episode which are resolved, but the series storyline, that which is carried by the core returning cast, remains open.

Is tone important in treatment writing?

HONE THE TONE: Tone is very important in treatment writing. Full English is clearly a light hearted with an edge character driven piece. But if I were writing a treatment for a Medical series, I would adopt a totally different tone in the writing. It would not be wry or heightened.

How to write a treatment for a movie?

A script treatment comes earlier in the writing process, before any actual scriptwriting, which allows you to sort out the necessary story elements you need. The point of writing a film treatment is to: 1 Set up the world you want the reader to envision. 2 Lay out the structure o

What is a treatment in a story?

Treatments contain detailed descriptions of the setting, theme, character roles, and plot in order to show how the story will play out for the audience. There are four main things a treatment should contain:

How can treatment help you find your film?

Treatments can help you find your film’s story, while simultaneously helping to raise money. The research for both treatment and film involves gathering the same facts, talking to the same individuals, and shaping the same story. By figuring out how to communicate your passion, knowledge, and vision on the page, ...

What is treatment in filmmaking?

A treatment is a narrative screenwriting tool that helps you explore ideas, flesh out various story possibilities, and develop your characters. Jodie Foster Teaches Filmmaking. Jodie Foster Teaches Filmmaking. In her first-ever online class, Jodie Foster teaches you how to bring stories from page to screen with emotion and confidence.

Why are treatment scripts and spec scripts confused?

A treatment and a spec script are sometimes confused because both serve to help writers hash out screenplay ideas and potentially sell a film or TV show. A treatment comes earlier on in the development process and provides a detailed summarization of the characters and events that will unfold throughout the film.

What is a script treatment?

A script treatment comes earlier in the writing process, before any actual scriptwriting, which allows you to sort out the necessary story elements you need. The point of writing a film treatment is to: Set up the world you want the reader to envision. Lay out the structure of your whole story. Help you identify plot holes, or parts ...

How to write a logline?

Compose your logline. A logline is just a brief sentence (or two) that captures the general premise of your movie. In your log line, include who the protagonist is and what they’re up against in their world. This condensed summarization of the overall concept of your film should make the reader want to see the rest.

Why do we need to write a treatment before writing a screenplay?

Writing a treatment before you write your next screenplay can help you work out problems and determine whether your story idea is a diamond in the rough, or just a lump of coal. The goal is to combine stories told from the heart with a deep understanding of what other people want to see.

What is the second step in writing a screenplay?

The second step is to write a logline. Preparing a log line for your screenplay is a basic marketing tool that I have repurposed for developing treatments. It is similar to the summary given in TV Guide. It is a technique for boiling down a plotline to its essence that has been described as trying to vomit into a thimble.