
How long should a treatment for a TV series be?
There are no hard and fast rules as to what a Treatment for a television series should contain and its length depends on the complexity of the story being proposed and the production company it is being sent to. However, anyone reading it should come away with a clear understanding of the basic storyline, setting and the main characters involved.
How do you write a good TV treatment?
The world of television is visual – so enjoy being visual and bring in to your treatment images that help aid and describe the world and the tone of the world, in which your characters live. Try to be as expressive as you can in as few words as you can.
How many times has our TV treatment example been viewed?
As of September 2021, our tv treatment example has been viewed and downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. In an average month, our how to write a script for a tv show pdf receives ~1,500 downloads from all over the world. We created the Live Free or Die! TV treatment example to help writers create their own TV show treatments.
What is a film treatment?
Let's learn how to write a treatment! What is a film treatment, and how do you write one? It's a multi-page document written in prose, that tells the story that happens in your screenplay. It is a synopsis, with action, sparse dialogue, and works as a roadmap for the reader, producer, and writer.

How do you write a treatment for a TV program?
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.
What is a treatment in the film industry?
A treatment is a short document that presents an idea for a film in a clear, concise, dramatic and persuasive way. It's designed to grab the attention and excite the interest of a producer, commissioner, director or other collaborator, and to 'sell' the idea and it's creative and commercial potential.
What's the difference between a script and a treatment?
A script synopsis is a short overview of your plot that could be used in part as a pitch to producers, managers, or agents. A script treatment is a longer overview of your script that's often written before the script is completed.
What does treatment mean in video?
A film treatment (or simply treatment) is a piece of prose, typically the step between scene cards (index cards) and the first draft of a screenplay for a motion picture, television program, or radio play.
What is a visual treatment in film?
A treatment is a common device used to pitch a director's idea. Synopsis, outline and summary are all often used interchangeably with the term treatment throughout production for both film and TV. Ultimately, a great director treatment can convey the director's vision to not only the client, but the crew involved.
Is a treatment a pitch?
A treatment is a detailed overview of a screenplay or script idea written in prose form that is used as a marketing tool for both spec and for-hire screenwriters to sell their project. It is sometimes referred to as a written pitch.
How long should a film treatment be?
between five and ten pagesA film treatment should be fall between five and ten pages, twenty max. There are extreme examples where people argue they can be 60 to 70 pages (James Cameron is notorious for long-winded treatments), but as a rule of thumb, less is more. In fact, some executives and producers ask for a one-pager.
How do you write a treatment?
How To Write The TreatmentFind A Title. Whether the screenwriter is creating a new story or writing a treatment based on an existing script, the first step is to make sure that the screenplay has a good title. ... Write a logline. The second step is to write a logline. ... Write a synopsis. The third step is to a synopsis.
What is a creative treatment?
A creative treatment is a pre-production document that summarizes a video's concept and defines the creative slant of the final product. Often included in a treatment are the program's overview and objectives, the creative concept, technical approach, potential contributors and project timeline.
Who writes the treatment for a film?
screenwritersMost screenwriters create film treatments for one of two purposes: Working out a complex idea: Writing a film treatment allows you to structure the story and find issues with the plot. It can also help with world-building and developing compelling characters.
What is treatment in animation?
A treatment is a type of document commonly used in film, television and animation. It provides a basic outline of the idea for a media production. A treatment is usually short and allows the reader to understand what the media production will be about, without having to read a completed script or storyboard.
What does Title treatment mean?
What is a title treatment? It's just a fancy industry term for a movie logo. When it comes to a good title treatment, it needs to have just enough personality without being busy and cluttered, and the best ones have some sort of clever allusion to the storyline of the film.
Is this a good idea for a tv show?
So it happened. Inspiration struck and now you have the best series idea ever. It's a show that the world has got to see. It's going to be huge!
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Is TV a growing market?
You don’t need me to tell you television is a vast and growing market. The number of channels and variety of programmes available is mindboggling. Aside from established broadcasters such as the BBC, RTÉ, Channel 4 and the ITV group, numerous independent production companies have sprung up in recent years, alongside cable and satellite channels.
Do you submit scripts to an existing show?
Equally, do not submit scripts to an existing show. Not only do such submissions date very quickly, script editors are not interested in your ability to imitate other writers – they are only interested in your own original writing talent and creativity.
Is treatment the same as treatment?
The word ‘Treatment’ is used interchangeably and doesn’t always mean the same thing. Some Treatments, like the one I sold to Warner Bros TV, are designed to help sell an idea and are sometimes accompanied by a script, while others are part of the production process. The main difference between the two is size.
Global Engagement
We created the Live Free or Die! TV treatment example to help writers create their own TV show treatments. We hope our tv treatment example will help you with your own scriptwriting efforts.
Live Free or Die!
Our tv treatment example is a great resource for anyone interested in how to write a script for a tv show.
What is script treatment?
Wrapping up script treatments. A treatment is a great way to organize your thoughts about a project. While they may not be the most commercially viable things, they’re great ways to get on a development executive’s good sides and to see if your idea is worthwhile in the marketplace.
What does treatment give a writer?
A treatment gives them some bit of hope, a scrap of paper to put into their file, something tangible to hold onto. And I suppose treatments do offer some small insurance, to all involved -- if the writer is way, way off, it's probably better to know that sooner than later.
What is a synopsis in a screenplay?
It is a synopsis, with action, sparse dialogue, and works as a roadmap for the reader, producer, and writer. This is your story, broken down into an easy-to-follow document, that anyone who picks it up can grasp immediately.
The Idea Vetting Process
What to Include in The Treatment
- Knowing how to write a treatment for a TV show is really about hammering out all the fine details of your idea and how you can deliver those details in a way that will cause the reader of your treatment to jump and want to take action. Television producers are looking for short, succinct treatments (typically 10 pages or less) and they want it to b...
How to Write The Treatment
- Knowing how to write a treatment for a TV show is really about practice and trial and error. When you submit a treatment to a producer, keep in mind that they may not have interest in your story, or it’s possible that a lack of interest is due to how your treatment is written.