A treatment is a narrative document that tells your film''s story in prose form — not screenplay format. It is the bridge between your logline and your screenplay, used to pitch producers, secure funding, and align collaborators before committing to a full script.
What a Treatment Is (and Is Not)
It IS:
- A prose narrative of your entire film, written in present tense
- A storytelling document — it should be engaging to read, not dry
- A pitch tool — producers and financiers read treatments to decide whether to invest
- A creative alignment tool — ensures director, writer, and producer agree on the story
It is NOT:
- A screenplay (no formatting, no dialogue except occasional key lines)
- A synopsis (more detailed and longer)
- A beat sheet (more narrative, less structural)
- A shooting script (no production details)
Treatment Structure
Cover Page
- Title
- "A treatment by [Your Name]"
- Genre and estimated runtime
- Logline (1-2 sentences)
- Contact information
Opening
Set the world and introduce the protagonist. The first paragraph should hook the reader the same way the first scene of your film should hook the audience.
Act 1
- Introduce the protagonist, their world, and their ordinary life
- The inciting incident — the event that disrupts everything
- The protagonist''s initial response and decision to act
Act 2
- Rising action — escalating obstacles and complications
- Key relationships and character dynamics
- Midpoint shift — something changes the game
- Darkest moment — everything falls apart
Act 3
- The climax — the final confrontation or decisive moment
- Resolution — how the world has changed
- Final image — the emotional takeaway
Writing Style
Present Tense, Active Voice
Write as if describing the film as it happens: "Sarah walks into the room" not "Sarah walked into the room."
Engage the Reader
A treatment is a storytelling document. Use vivid, specific language:
- Instead of: "They have a conversation about their relationship."
- Write: "Over cold coffee and a shared ashtray, Sarah tells Mark that love is not enough — that she needs someone who shows up."
Selective Dialogue
Include only the most critical lines — moments where what a character says defines the scene. Most of the treatment is action and description.
Show the Tone
Your writing style should reflect the film''s tone. A horror treatment should build dread. A comedy treatment should be funny. A drama treatment should be emotionally resonant.
Length
| Type | Pages | Words | |------|-------|-------| | Short film treatment | 1-3 | 500-1,500 | | Feature film treatment | 8-15 | 4,000-8,000 | | TV pilot treatment | 5-10 | 2,500-5,000 |
The Sundance Institute and most grant applications request treatments in this range. Shorter is usually better — respect the reader''s time.
Common Mistakes
- Too much detail — a treatment is not a scene-by-scene recount. Hit the major beats and skip transitional scenes
- Too little emotion — if the treatment reads like a plot summary, it fails as a pitch document. Make the reader feel something
- Screenplay format — no sluglines, no formatted dialogue blocks. Prose only
- Burying the hook — the most compelling aspect of your story should appear on page 1, not page 5
Develop your story in Seikan — write your treatment, then seamlessly transition to screenplay format with auto-formatting and scene detection. Free to start.