I haven't been on in awhile, so I missed out on the whole Avatar stuff. I really loved the film and a little treat for you guys, is the treatment that was taken "offline".

http://www.mediafire.com/?nmyrqh2tzne

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Don's Edit: an undated, unspecified draft of the script is available from 20th Century Fox here.

Thanks Aaron.

Anyone know why the treatment would be taken offline, but they are fine for the script to be shared around?

Not sure.

And you're welcome, interesting that Cameron first named Jake Sully "Josh Sully". Jake fits better I think.

I think Fox had the various websites take the scriptment down to protect the movie once Cameron got serious about making the movie, which was, what, 3-4 years ago or something like that.

I don't think Fox is worried about the scripment now (unless it contains something that's gonna be in the sequel of course). Cameron might still want to protect it, though.

Cheers for that.

How common is it for people to write these kind of things?

I wasn't expecting something the length of a script. It's practically a novella.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films How common is it for people to write these kind of things? I wasn't expecting something the length of a script. It's practically a novella.

I remember reading this a few years back.

It is an odd beastie called a "Scriptment", Dec.

But I have never seen one before or since, quite frankly.

Goes to show that, if you are big enough, you write however you damn well please and still get looked at.

Rules?  Haha -- no rules for Mr. Cameron, apparently.

Quoted from bert I remember reading this a few years back. It is an odd beastie called a "Scriptment", Dec. But I have never seen one before or since, quite frankly. Goes to show that, if you are big enough, you write however you damn well please and still get looked at. Rules?  Haha -- no rules for Mr. Cameron, apparently.

It's a good idea I think.

Maybe not necessarily so detailed.

Have you ever read a book called: On Filmmaking, by Alexander Mackendrick?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Mackendrick

Probably the best book I've read on screenwriting. He was a proper old school writer and he talks about writing during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

He says they would never let anyone start writing a script from scratch because it's too difficult. You always had to develop the story and characters in prose form first.

It makes a lot of sense. He reckoned that way you could work on the characters internal thought process and then when it came to writing the script you just found ways of making it visual, whereas if you started straight on the script, you'd likely end up with 2 dimensional characters because you are skipping a stage.

It's always stuck with me that, because it's something I've not seen other guru's mention, but I think it's great advice. He also suggests writing the story from the point of view of each character in prose, that way you understand their motivation at all times.

Anyway, a slight diversion there.

Its always been said that Mr Cameron can do whatever he wants. If he wants to write a script in crayon, on toilet paper, he can and someone will read it.

His script for Titanic, which i've read a few times, is chock full of stuff that no beginning writer, at least on SS, could ever do.