what is the difference between a pitch, a treatment and concept

What is the difference between a treatment and a full pitch?

While a Treatment forms the basis of a submission, the full pitch is dependent on what each organisation requests in their guidelines. Full contact details for most production companies and television channels are listed in the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook .

What is a pitch and why do you need one?

Well, the pitch is an opportunity for your movie idea or TV show idea to shine through. It’s an essential introduction to you, your writing, your story idea and how you wish to practice and express your craft. And this is why it’s a document that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

What is the difference between treatments and scripts?

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.

What does it mean to pitch a movie?

Every time you try to convince a friend or spouse to see a movie or TV show with you, given what you've seen in the trailer or read in TV Guide, you're pitching. You're taking a little bit of info and trying to convince someone else that a really great experience will follow.

What is the difference between a treatment and a pitch?

Pitch-Deck: While often interchangeable with a bible, a pitch-deck usually is the culmination of the bible, treatment, and lookbook into a single long document. If the bible, treatment, and lookbook are individual cards, the pitch-deck is your whole hand.

What is a treatment for a pitch?

A treatment is a highly detailed outline of characters, events, and locations for a screenplay. Treatments are an essential tool in screenwriting because it breaks down the story for others who the story is being pitched to, whether it's a manager or a production company.

What is a film treatment or pitch?

A film treatment (also known as a story treatment) is a prose-based prewriting and marketing document that reads like a short story. It is generally used to pitch a film, television series, or adaptation.

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 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.

Why is a script called a treatment?

A treatment is a document that presents the story idea of your film before writing the entire script. Treatments are often written in present tense, in a narrative-like prose, and highlight the most important information about your film, including title, logline, story summary, and character descriptions.

What is a concept in film?

The concept is simply an idea of what the Movie will be about. Generally a writer or director will develop a concept. From there, if funding is required, a "Spec Script" may be written and presented to a board.

What is a treatment in production?

A treatment consists of a written condensation of a proposed film or TV dramatic production. It covers the basic ideas and issues of the production as well as the main characters, locations, and story angles. In part, its purpose is to sell the proposal to financial backers and major stars.

How long is a treatment for a screenplay?

three to thirty pagesThere's no “correct” length a script treatment/synopsis/outline should be either. It can be anywhere from three to thirty pages in length (or more), but most industry people suggest keeping them short and sweet.

What is the difference between a treatment and an outline?

As you can see, outlines are all about organizing the core of each and every scene and moment within a screenplay — whereas treatments add additional layers using prose and longer paragraphs as you "tell" the whole, complete story to someone else.

Do I need to write a treatment?

It's not really necessary to write a treatment unless it assists you in fleshing out your ideas and developing your screenplay. Many writers write treatments solely for their own purposes and, like an executive, use their treatments to determine what's working and what's not in their scripts.

Can you sell a movie treatment?

Can You Sell a Screenplay Idea? No, generally producers don't listen and buy movie ideas because of legal reasons and you cannot copywrite an idea. But if your idea has some type of influence such as a famous actor, producer or intellectual property attached with a film treatment then yes.

1. Learn the differences between a TV bible, treatment, pitch-deck, and lookbook

If you’re not sure what the difference between these seemingly interchangeable documents are, now’s the time to learn. While every pro was careful to explain that each document’s definition can change with time and with different executives cycling through power in Hollywood, here are the general definitions.

2. Learn how to structure your TV bible

Sean E. Crouch, one of the pros on the panel, shared a very useful way to structure a show bible. Start the bible with a teaser, bridge the teaser into an explanation of the world of the show, then bring in the characters, followed by what those characters will do in the pilot, concluding by teasing what future seasons and arcs would look like.

3. Perfect your logline

Writing loglines doesn't have to be a pain. In fact, that single-sentence description of what your show is about can make or break your chances of a successful pitch. As Crystal Holt (a producer and development executive) said, “The logline is the first thing I can say no to”.

4. The lookbook has to be visually stunning

While you don’t need to be a graphic designer to make a bible, treatment, or even a pitch-deck, there is no excuse for visual sloppiness in the lookbook. After all, TV is a visual medium, so making your lookbook visually cohesive and appealing is vital.

5. Research other TV bibles

While it’s easier to wing it, researching the bibles of other successful shows could be the difference between success and failure. Take careful note of how they describe their show. Remember, your bible isn’t a technical manual, it’s a work of literature.

6. Set out on firm legal ground

When you’re making any of these documents you will likely use images from the internet. Rachel Feldman made a point to clarify that using images like this is okay because you will not sell the pitch, you’re selling a show.

7. Get creative in the age of Zoom

In the age of COVID all pitches are done over Zoom or other video-calling platforms. For all we know this could be the way of the world for a long time so you should get familiar with the platform and how to use it to your advantage.

Treatments

Treatments are meant to be read by others outside of the creative process as a means to convince the powers that be to either consider a screenplay in question for acquisition and production or to help them understand the vision that the screenwriter has for a possible writing assignment.

What the Heck Is a Scriptment?

Scriptments are hybrids of treatments and screenplays. If you'd like to create that more entertaining and visual treatment, you can incorporate screenplay format and prose to showcase some of the bigger moments within the treatment — thus creating the hybrid some refer to as a scriptment.

Do I Really Need to Write Outlines, Treatments, or Scriptments?

Outlines are up to you and your collaborative team. If you're writing on spec on your own, outlines can be a handy tool to prepare yourself for the actual writing process — organizing your thoughts and allowing you to budget your writing time.

Caren Kennedy

One from the archives: this is by far one of the most popular articles on Writing.ie.

About the author

Caren Kennedy is the co-creator of a TV drama series optioned by JJ Abrams and Warner Bros TV (2007 – 2014) and co-author of ‘Fake Alibis’ (BenBella Books, 2009). She is currently studying for an MA in Screenwriting at the IADT’s National Film School.

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 pitch deck?

Technically speaking, a Pitch Deck is a slide presentation typically created using the Keynote or PowerPoint app. (There are several excellent design apps on the market and to list all of them and review is a subject for another column.)

What are the key elements of a pitch deck?

Here are some of the key elements you should include: Key Art. One Sheet. Log Line.

What are the skills needed to create a pitch deck?

The skill sets involved in creating a great deck incorporate the talents of the graphic artist, copywriter, narrative writer, storyboard artist, line producer, and art director, all guided by an overriding vision of the project. There are producers and writers utilizing storyboard artists and marketing professionals to create their Pitch Decks.

When was the pitch deck published?

Author: Nick Sadler. Publish date: Jul 18, 2018. The Pitch Deck is becoming an essential tool for Film and Television Writers. Nick Sadler explains what a Pitch Deck is and why you should create one.

Is there a set standard for pitch decks?

There is no set standard or formula to follow. The elements included should be true to the spirit of your project and you. As I mentioned earlier, the Pitch Deck is sometimes referred to as a Look Book. But a Pitch Deck is different in significant aspects.

By Marilyn Horowitz

I just got back from the LA Screenwriting Expo in Los Angeles. I was there to teach two classes and help some of my private students pitch, but I also did a lot of pitch coaching to the regular attendees.

About Marilyn Horowitz

Marilyn Horowitz is an award-winning New York University professor, author, producer, and Manhattan-based writing consultant, who works with successful novelists, produced screenwriters, and award-winning filmmakers. She has a passion for helping novices get started.

What is a Movie Pitch?

So what exactly is a movie pitch? Well, it’s typically a document that seeks to sell your idea, either before or after you’ve written the actual screenplay, to an executive, producer, company or studio. This kind of written pitch is also known as a ‘one pager’.

The Importance of the Pitch

So why is the movie pitch or TV pitch so important in the arsenal of skills that a screenwriter must have? Well, the pitch is an opportunity for your movie idea or TV show idea to shine through. It’s an essential introduction to you, your writing, your story idea and how you wish to practice and express your craft.

The 10 Key Steps to a Movie Pitch

So let’s look at the 10 key steps to a great movie pitch. Whilst this is largely intended to for writing a pitch document, its sentiments can be similarly applied to an elevator pitch, 20 minute pitch, pitch meeting or any similar presentation of your TV or film idea.

1. A Captivating Logline

First and foremost, you’ll need to nail your logline. This is the front and centre way in which you convey your movie idea. It will need to be pithy, capture the main narrative engine of your story, demonstrate the protagonist and lure the reader in.

2. Make the Key Moments Stand Out

As you move away from your logline and into your synopsis, you’ll need to give a sense of what the big cinematic moments will be throughout. Think of this like a trailer, which is a compilation and condensing of the story.

3. Keep Your Synopsis Short

Whilst you’re focusing on only conveying the essential, important parts of your story and creating a comprehensive overview of the plot, remember to keep it as brief as you can. This will typically be only a one page document after all.

4. Make Your Characters Stand Out and Create a Familiarity

Your pitch is where you’re introducing the producers, executives or screenplay readers to your characters. And in doing so, you want to create a familiarity with them as quickly as possible. Make it so that your characters already feel familiar to the reader midway through the synopsis.

The Difference Between Outlines and Treatments

Treatments

• Treatments are meant to be read by others outside of the creative process as a means to convince the powers that be to either consider a screenplay in question for acquisition and production or to help them understand the vision that the screenwriter has for a possible writing assignment. These documents vary in length — depending upon the needs an...

See more on screencraft.org

So How Do You Write Outlines and Treatments?

What The Heck Is A Scriptment?

Do I Really Need to Write Outlines, Treatments, Or Scriptments?