If you’re wondering how to write a film treatment, you’re not alone. Whether you’re writing a screenplay treatment for a feature film, TV show, or short, a professional treatment can help pitch your concept to studios, producers, or investors. If you’re just starting out and wondering how to write a treatment for film, this guide will walk you through each step with clarity and examples. This post will explain treatments and how you can use one to sell your concept. Producers love a person who has a clear idea for a film or television show, and nothing will help you more than that clarity.
Watch: Anatomy of a Screenplay — Ultimate Guide
SCREENPLAY TREATMENT
Story treatment overview
Story treatments are created to help you get your idea in front of successful industry decision makers so that your idea can have the best chance to end up on screen. These are very focused documents, and they have their structure. If you’re not sure how to write a screenplay treatment, understanding this structure is the essential first step to getting your story pitch-ready.
STORY TREATMENT DEFINITION
What is a story treatment?
A film treatment (or story treatment) is a detailed summary of your film. It should communicate all scenes in a style that evokes the tone and theme of your idea. These are key elements of a film treatment that producers look for. The purpose of a treatment is to entice buyers and producers into reading or developing your idea.
What does a treatment do,
- Summarize the plot and characters in your idea.
- Communicate the tone and theme of your idea.
- Entice buyers and producers into developing your idea.
Sounds simple, right?
Writing a treatment is harder than it looks. You need to identify the heart of your story and cut out everything else.
If you haven’t already written your screenplay, this can be especially challenging because you have nothing to work from.
As mentioned, film treatments have a particular structure and some “rules” to abide by. But before we get into that, we should take a look at the story you’re pitching.
But don’t worry, just download this film treatment example that we have prepared and follow along.
Download your FREE Film Treatment Template
Before you write your screenplay, you need a solid film treatment template to clearly outline both plot and structure.
Film Screenplay Treatment
Talk to buyers
The easiest way is to go directly to the buyers.
But where are they?
Buyers are often at film markets such as AFM and Cannes. Once there, you can hone in on what type of screenplays fit the needs of current film distribution. You can also apply for screenwriting internships, get a job as an assistant, or hang around the trendy restaurants around Hollywood.
The buyers will help you understand big market needs, but they aren’t going to spoon-feed you a great idea like The Big Lebowski.
That’s your job.
How to write like the Coen Brothers • Subscribe on YouTube
Most will happily explain the flavor of the moment. If you’re quick, you can then come up with a movie idea that fits the market trends.
This can be tricky, of course, as the film industry is notoriously fickle, and in many cases, the ultra-focused trends are here today and gone tomorrow.
But who knows? Maybe your zombie movie that was originally a vampire movie can be switched to a dystopian superhero movie.
Movie Treatment Examples by Genre
Talk to producers
Producers are the most likely people to buy your movie treatment. Sharing a well-structured film treatment example during a meeting can instantly show them you know what you’re doing.
Producers take pitch meetings at studios and production companies. Meet them where they are and spark up a conversation. Find out what kind of movies they’re looking to produce next.Mastering The Screenplay • Subscribe on YouTube
When filmmakers pitch their projects, they discover firsthand what executive producers and studios want. They’re navigating the same challenges as you—aligning their vision with the needs of these larger entities, who ultimately aim to satisfy audience demands. That’s why filmmakers can help you identify what will be marketable.
RELATED POSTS
How To Write A Treatment
Talk to viewers
Distributors and producers aren’t simply making this stuff up. If contained thrillers are a big deal today, it’s because there’s an audience that has demonstrated an interest in them.
Follow box office trends (and not just at the top tier). Figure out what types of films are making money for their distributors and studios.
Horror movies can make a lot of money if they’re produced cheaply enough.
Bottom line: follow the money. You’ll know what types of films the studios and production companies are looking to create.
Movie Script Treatment
What is “high concept”?
If you want your movie treatment to sell, your movie or show will often benefit from being “high concept.”Generally, this is an idea with an enormous crisis, an established ticking clock, and can be boiled down into a clear, concise sentence.
This sentence is known as the logline.What Is High Concept? Opposing Thoughts On Big Movie Ideas
A logline gives a precise sense of the genre, central conflict, and tone of your film or show idea. It should be fun to say as well. We recommend that you read this article: How to write a logline that producers love? Let's look at Alien logline to give you an idea of a compelling logline.
“A deadly Alien is loose aboard a stranded spaceship.” - Alien
This logline doesn’t say anything about Sigourney Weaver or chest bursting or androids—but it’s exactly the kind of idea you’ll find in strong movie treatment examples that sell.
It also paints a picture of what the film marketing will look like.
Low-concept films (like heavier, Oscar-primed dramas) get made all the time, but it’s much harder to sell those with a story treatment alone, and those are far harder to get made without years of industry contacts.
Unless you have these strong industry connections, you might consider writing the script first. That way, if it is brilliant enough to attract a star actor or director, they might throw their weight behind it.
Want more inspiration? Browse our curated list of movie treatment examples below, with film treatment samples across genres like horror, drama, and sci-fi:
Script Treatment
Screenplay treatment structure
A movie treatment describes your movie’s story, not just the story basics. If you want to learn how to write a film treatment that hooks producers, structure is where it starts.
But cinematic stories must have a carefully defined structure, because they need to reach as many people as possible, and they’re expensive to make compared to a novel or even a podcast.Dan Harmon Story Circle: 8 Proven Steps to Better Stories • Subscribe on YouTube
A sequence of events is not a story unless it has the shape of a story.
Start by breaking your story into three acts:
- Beginning: where characters, setting, and conflict are set up
- Middle: where characters traverse the setting to reach their goal
- End: where characters face the consequences of their actions.
Two of the more popular books on screenplay structure:
The Writer’s Journey — Christopher Vogler
The rules laid out in these screenwriting books aid the writing of a film treatment by breaking down narratives into more than just the three act structure, and they are often the same books you will find in a producer’s office. You’ll see their influence in countless successful movie treatment examples written by pros.
Whichever narrative theories you subscribe to, make sure your plot structure is properly reflected in your movie treatment. Reviewing a sample script treatment can clarify how those theories are applied on the page.
Understanding plot structure is a key component of any successful film treatment. Great treatments don’t just summarize the story—they convey the emotional arc and marketing hook.
Writing A Movie Treatment
How to write a story treatment
Writing a treatment is more science than art, but you still need to be a writer. Knowing how to write a treatment for film means balancing clarity with creativity. The first thing to remember is that stories are immediate.
They are happening now.
So write your film treatment in the present tense, the same way that you’d go about writing a movie or TV show script.
You need to convey the entirety of your narrative in a few paragraphs. Don’t spend too much time on details. Just write what happens.
A treatment is not a series bible or novel that digresses into the nooks and crannies of a story. Reviewing a film treatment sample beforehand can help you keep your writing tight and on point.
Before you start writing, clarify your story idea, genre, and character motivations. A strong film treatment format helps organize your scenes and keeps your concept pitch-ready.
One page is enough if you can convey the entire heart of your story.
Introduce your central characters as soon as they appear in your film treatment. In many professional movie treatment examples, this is where the reader first connects with your story’s emotional core. Do this like you would when writing a movie script: name (age), brief description, and first action.
For example:
“Jack (40s), a competent stay-at-home dad, secretly yearns for an opportunity to return to work.”
It’s okay to hype things up in your film treatment, too. If your movie’s climax centers around a chase sequence, don’t write “Mildred chases Andy through Venice.”First Step In Writing A Screenplay by UCLA Professor Richard Walter
Instead, consider “In a high-speed, frantic chase, Mildred pursues Andy across the rooftops and through the canals.”
Find opportunities to give your film treatment a unique voice.
Give it personality without making it too bloated.
You’re a screenwriter, right? So make sure you write it right, otherwise we may have to write up Steven Wright to make it right, correct?
Don’t think of your movie treatment as an advertisement.
Think of it as the product itself. The strongest film treatments feel like the opening pages of a story you can already see on screen.
That means the beginning, middle, and end need to be strong.
Get the passion going.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Film Treatment
Red flags in a film treatment
Even the best story idea can fall flat if your film treatment isn’t dialed in. Your screenplay treatment should read like a story, not a sales brochure. Avoid these common pitfalls:
Active versus passive voice
Use active, present-tense language, just like when writing a script.
Instead of: “The heist is executed by Lana.”
Go with: “Lana pulls off the heist mid-rush hour.”
Too many plot points
Don’t cram every beat in. Highlight key plot points that define your arc and tone.
Missing tone or voice
Your movie treatment is a sample of your style. Match the emotional tone of the story—scary, funny, tense, or heartfelt.
Late character intros
Introduce each major character on first appearance: Name (Age), short description, and first action. It’s a key component of strong treatment examples. You can look at multiple treatment examples online to compare tone and format styles.
Sloppy formatting or a generic title
Follow a clean film treatment format, and choose a unique title. Study a film treatment sample to stay professional. You’ll see how tone, brevity, and structure work together in a polished presentation. We cover more on this in the next section.
Reviewing a film treatment example is a great way to spot these common issues before submitting. It’s also one of the most useful tools when you’re figuring out how to write a screenplay treatment that stands out to producers and executives.
Many writers over-explain or fall into passive voice. Many writers over-explain or fall into passive narration. Your screenplay treatment should read like a story, not a product description. Show the heart of your film—not just what happens.
Movie Treatment
The title of your story
This can be a working title, of course. Make it evocative, original, and appropriate for your film treatment’s genre.
Many people like ironic titles that give an idea of the story.
Some like to tease people into checking out their idea.
Others prefer to go with clear and concise titles that use very few words.
The one big suggestion I have is not to choose a title that has already been used in a popular film or show.
Jaws, for instance, might not be the best idea for your title.
Script Treatment
Basic name and contact info
They need to know who to call if they read your movie treatment and love it! Don’t expect anyone to Google you or find you on Facebook.
Make sure your contact info is printed on your film treatment so they can contact you immediately. You may want to create a writer’s email address that is separate from your address.
DO NOT ADD YOUR PHYSICAL ADDRESS
Your home address is not relevant. No producer is going to get hold of you about an idea by stopping by your apartment, unless they are creepers.
Want to write like Kubrick? Start with the tools he never had.
Before The Shining became a cinematic landmark, it started with a treatment—Kubrick’s blueprint for tone, structure, and suspense. Today, you don’t need to be a master auteur to craft something powerful. With modern screenwriting software, you can organize your vision, build structure, and bring your story to life faster than ever.
Check out this example below to see what we mean:
RELATED POSTS
How To Promote Your Script Treatment
Next steps after you’re done
Once you’ve written your film treatment, it’s time to get it out there. For those still asking what a treatment in film is—or even how to write a treatment for film in the first place— it’s your proof-of-concept, crafted to grab attention before a script even exists. If you’re still figuring out how to write a film treatment that makes an impression, don’t worry—practice and feedback go a long way.
Start by sharing it with your industry friends. If you don’t have industry friends, it’s time to start networking.
There is no acceptable avenue for unsolicited film treatment submissions to the studios or any production company worth its salt.
That means you need to know people on the inside. But even before networking, learning how to write a screenplay treatment can give you a huge advantage, it shows you’re serious, professional, and ready to pitch at a moment’s notice.
This is a legal issue, and not simply an industry nose turn.
How to write a fight scene • Subscribe on YouTube
If you’re new to networking, having the film treatment in your back pocket can be very helpful.
Next time you’re schmoozing at a networking event, tell people about your movie idea. If anyone’s interested, offer to send them the movie treatment.
Then make sure to send it to them within 6 hours!
That’s one of the great values of having a film treatment ready to go. Sharing a strong film treatment example with the right contact can be the fastest way to generate interest. You can provide immediate turnaround so your idea isn’t forgotten, and be ready to create a script if interest builds.
Once you’ve finalized your film treatment, convert it into a spec script using professional screenwriting software. That’s the next step in the development process—transforming your pitch into a full script. If you’re wondering what is a script treatment, it’s the blueprint for that next step: a powerful story summary that sells your vision.Related Posts
UP NEXT
TV Writing & Development Master Class
Now that you know more about film and television treatments, why not begin to really develop your idea? You can’t get paid if you don’t have something to show, and this is the first big step. StudioBinder has put together a totally FREE TV Writing & Development Master Class that will help you build your show idea. This is a fantastic resource that will keep you on track and help organize your idea.
Break a lens!
