Feature Treatment Examples anywhere?

[Nektonic]

I don't think I've ever heard of anyone preferring to read a treatment when the script itself is available. Is this something you've encountered? It seems like working backwards to get a treatment would be relatively pointless when you're already that close to an actual script.

You're right, but what I meant was that for someone who hasn't written the script yet, but doesn't like writing treatments maybe a scriptment would help them get the story down quickly. After that the writer could just remove some of the stuff that doesn't belong in a proper treatment like random bits of dialogue for example.

I think a treatment or scriptment can be worth creating because for some writers a treatment is merely a means to an end, the first draft script. It allows us to get the basic plot down into something more detailed than an outline or one page summary.

If you already have the script written then maybe the treatment probably isn't necessary. I've heard of studio execs and producers occasionally preferring to look at the treatment first. It was in a Creative Screenwriting article a few years back. I doubt it is a common thing though.

I would imagine that if you had the script completed and someone was interested in reading a treatment, that it wouldn't be that difficult to write a basic treatment in a few days time.

 

[dougspice]

I think a treatment or scriptment can be worth creating because for some writers a treatment is merely a means to an end, the first draft script. It allows us to get the basic plot down into something more detailed than an outline or one page summary.

If you already have the script written then maybe the treatment probably isn't necessary. I've heard of studio execs and producers occasionally preferring to look at the treatment first. It was in a Creative Screenwriting article a few years back. I doubt it is a common thing though.

I agree with all this. I think if you have a script, you may need something shorter for people to read just to see if it carries their interest, but you probably don't need a full treatment. In that case you would probably do best with a one-page synopsis or at most a brief 3-4 page treatment, accompanied by the reminder that you have the script in hand any moment they want to read it.

Or, like Nektonic says, wait until someone asks you for it and then rip through it under the gun. I do my best work under the gun, but your mileage may vary.

 

[Nektonic]

Sounds good dougspice. That's what I was thinking. Treatments are a funny thing because they can be short, 3-4 pages like you said, or longer. James Cameron's Terminator treatment is around 42 pages.

I know what you're saying about writing under pressure. I can come up with good stuff but not necessarily polished stuff when under the gun.