Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone has some good advice on how to tackle a treatment for a feature? Any examples of treatments for existing movies?

Hey, Zack:

I've never written one - but there is a pretty good article here:

https://www.scriptreaderpro.com/screenplay-treatment/

At the bottom of the article it has links to treatments for existing movies.

Thanks a ton, Dave. Much appreciated. ;D

Quoted from Zack Thanks a ton, Dave. Much appreciated. ;D

No problem - good luck with it

Holy crap! The treatment for Terminator is over 40 pages long! I was under the assumption that treatments were much shorter than that.

Quoted from Zack Holy crap! The treatment for Terminator is over 40 pages long! I was under the assumption that treatments were much shorter than that.

Yep - I really never  understood why they were needed at all. Synopsis should do the trick.

Quoted from eldave1 Yep - I really never  understood why they were needed at all. Synopsis should do the trick.

According to the link you provided... Treatments, synopsis, and outlines, are all basically the same thing.

Quoted from Zack According to the link you provided... Treatments, synopsis, and outlines, are all basically the same thing.

I know - didn't like that part of the article. To me:

Outline = scene by scene summary of script in outline form.

Synopsis = High level summary of script in prose form

Treatment = Detailed summary of script in prose form

Quoted from eldave1 Outline = scene by scene summary of script in outline form. Synopsis = High level summary of script in prose form Treatment = Detailed summary of script in prose form

Then an outline is what I'm shooting for. You know of any good examples of outlines that I could look at?

And what's the difference between a high level summary and a detailed summary? Lol

Quoted from Zack Then an outline is what I'm shooting for. Another question for ya, Dave. What's the difference between a high level summary and a detailed summary?

A high-level summary is typically a one-page document that gets to the nuts of the story. A detailed summary is a scene be scene description of the story in prose format.  

Here is an example of a one synopsis I wrote for the Beginning of The End and The End.

SYNOPSIS: THE BEGINNING OF THE END AND THE END

EMILY STANTON, age 35, is a marriage counselor who lost her husband four years ago. However, she’s not a grieving widow. She is content in the fact that she at least had one shot at true love. She simply wants to focus her energies on her counseling practice located in a downtown Los Angeles office building.

One day GEORGE NELSON moves into a vacant office adjacent to Emily’s. He’s a sharp-witted divorce attorney who, after handing numerous nasty divorces, has become romantically jaded. At first, Emily’s objection to George is a professional one. She believes that having a Divorce Lawyer located next to a Marriage Counselor has to be bad for business. George, of course, sees no problem with the situation. He believes that he and Emily are just part of the inherently flawed romance food chain. She being the beginning of the end - he being the end. George wins round one as Emily’s petition to the building landlord to move George to another location provides no relief.

And that’s when the office wars commence. George and Emily battle over everything - parking spaces, noise, client stealing and other issues that eventually end up escalating into a series of sophomoric office pranks that would make any fraternity or sorority house proud. Although she maintains a public hatred for George, the office battles serve an odd purpose for Emily. They re-energize her. They convince her that she has been treading water since her husband’s death and it is time to really move on. She’s going to date again.

Her first efforts are a disaster. Not only is Emily a little out of practice, the man she dates, although very attractive, is too reserved, low energy and a just bit too polite. There’s just no spark there. Unlike there is with – damn – George Nelson? No, it can’t be. He, after all, is still the asshole that won’t move out of the building.

Due to a power outage, Emily becomes trapped in an elevator with, of all people – George.  At first, it is business as usual – nothing but sarcastic banter between them thinking that surely the power is going to be restored any minute. No luck – the outage is citywide. They are really trapped. As they enter hour four of their captivity, they start to really talk – share life experiences and start to learn a little about each other. A nice start to an adult relationship, but sadly, at the end of their captivity George can’t keep his foot out of his mouth and as the elevator doors finally open their office battles begin again.

Those battles come to a halt when shortly after their entrapment together, a fire destroys Emily’s office. George overhears Emily breaking down as the building landlord explains to her that she’ll need to vacate to allow for repairs. That weekend Emily returns to the building to remove her personal items only to discover that George has vacated the building and instructed the landlord to give his office to Emily. She is overwhelmed by the gesture.

Emily fools George into returning to the building and in cahoots with the building landlord arranges for her and George to be trapped in the elevator again. This time, they’re not leaving until they figure out where they want to go in life and if they want to take that journey together. By the time the doors open, we know the answer is yes.  
====================================================

Now, if I were writing a treatment, I would use the same prose style but do it on a scene by scene basis.

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks a ton, Dave. As usual, you've been a great help. :) Any chance I could look at the script for "The Beginning of the End and the End"? I'd like to compare the script to the synopisis you've provided.

Quoted from Zack Thanks a ton, Dave. As usual, you've been a great help. :) Any chance I could look at the script for "The Beginning of the End and the End"? I'd like to compare the script to the synopisis you've provided.

Sure. It's posted here in the rom com section

Quoted from eldave1 Sure. It's posted here in the rom com section

Thanks. You're awesome, Dude. :)

Quoted from Zack Thanks. You're awesome, Dude. :)

No problem

I do treatments like Dave, scene by scene. I hate them. They usually take around 3 hours.

Quoted from DustinBowcot I do treatments like Dave, scene by scene. I hate them. They usually take around 3 hours.

Do you think treatments help you when preparing to tackle a feature, or are they a waste of time?

Quoted from Zack Do you think treatments help you when preparing to tackle a feature, or are they a waste of time?

I don't write them before a feature, I write them after the first draft. I find that they do help as you get to see the whole script in a few pages. This makes it easier to pinpoint plot holes and logic issues for the 2nd draft. You can also see what works and doesn't much easier.

I did try writing a treatment before a script once, but the script didn't turn out the way the treatment suggested it should. Things happen, things change, and this can alter direction. I prefer to write the first draft organically.

Quoted from DustinBowcot I do treatments like Dave, scene by scene. I hate them. They usually take around 3 hours.

Hate them as well - a chore - like doing homework

Here are some treatments and pitches from pro scripts you can take a look at. Even production notes in there from one of the Friday 13s.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zFspDyBWDsQFJJr-5hi2xP-O0GS_supV

Quoted from Pale Yellow Here are some treatments and pitches from pro scripts you can take a look at. Even production notes in there from one of the Friday 13s. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zFspDyBWDsQFJJr-5hi2xP-O0GS_supV

Dena, you are a Goddess. Thank you!  :D

Quoted from Zack Dena, you are a Goddess. Thank you!  :D

Anytime Z!