There is no magic formula for writing a film treatment format. Format the film’s treatment according to your target audience. There are two main audiences, the audience that will ultimately see the film, and the person or persons in the audience who will initially judge its merit. In addition, the executive will seriously consider how well the audience will like the completed film.
The following elements of the film treatment format were considered:
• Name and font size, spacing
• Language
• Page numbering
• Treatment duration
• Quotation marks
• Character names
• Margins
• Binding
• Information contained on the first page
Font: Adopt an easy-to-read font in the movie treatment format. Most well-established producers prefer the 12 point Courier New typeface, although Times New Roman or Arial will also suffice. Do not indent the paragraphs, just include a double space between them. Simple space is used everywhere.
Language – Use the present tense at all times and write in the first person. Use powerful words that convey a lot of meaning. Make the reader feel like they are watching a trailer for the script and not reading a treatment. Write in paragraphs as opposed to scripts which follow a defined structure. The treatments reflect the tone of the script, be it humorous, romantic, ironic, etc. The film treatment format requires that each paragraph be short and light.
Page Numbering – The page number should appear as a header in the upper right corner. The first page is left unnumbered.
Length – Ideally, the length of a treatment should not exceed 15 pages. The accepted standard is 5-12 pages. There are variations on this depending on the type of treatment. A drama can be longer, while a comedy is shorter. It all depends on how much detail you would like to include, which in turn depends on the purpose of the treatment.
Quotes: Unlike hyphens, quotes are used to display dialogs in treatments.
Character Names: The first time a character’s name appears, it must be in all capitals.
Margins: Like a screenplay, the film treatment format also requires writing on 81/2 x 11-inch three-hole punched paper. The top and bottom margins range from 0.5 to 1 inch, the left margin from 1.2 to 1.6 inches, and the right margin from 0.5 to 1 inch. The extra inch on the left side is to give a balanced look to the print. There are no hard and fast rules regarding margins.
Binding: The three holes are used for binding with brads.
First Page – Should contain vital information such as a job title, author name and contact information, WGA number, a record line, and the total number of pages.
Executives are busy, so keep the treatment short and include only all the key points. Don’t go into unnecessary details. A couple of carefully chosen words will be enough to get the story across to these people. In case you’re planning to use it as a roadmap or for a friend you’d like to involve, be as descriptive as possible, without being too strict about following established industry norms.
