4.concepts & final_treatment_guidance

CTK – A2 Media: Unit G324 Advanced Portfolio Coursework
CONCEPTS & FINAL TREATMENT
TASK: Concepts & Final Treatment
SOFTWARE: PowerPoint
DESCRIPTION: Having explored up to four original narratives for your film, you must now produce 2
PowerPoint’s for two main concepts/idea, and present them to your class. Your class
will then vote on which concept they feel will make the best trailer (you will have to
make a trailer for this concept). The final task for the development stage will be to
create a FULL treatment sheet for your teaser trailer concept. You must include:
 Production Team Logo
 Film Title
 Film Tagline
 Target Audience
 Certificate
 Sub-Genre
 Theme
 Synopsis
 Prop Theory - Character Profiles (Principle Task)
 Todorov Theory (Equilibrium + Disequilibrium + Resolution)
OBJECTIVE: To visually display your final film concept for the examiner
A-GRADE
EXAMPLES:
http://brainshakesproductions.weebly.com/final-treatment.html
http://scratchstudios.weebly.com/treatment.html

Concepts
The concepts task requires each production team to pitch two possibleideas for a film(teaser trailer).As a
group, you present each concept to your class in as much detail as possible,ensuringthey are clearly and
concisely explained.Itwill then be down to your classto vote for their favourite concept, and it will bethis
winningidea that becomes your trailer.
Individually, you should all have one concept that was constructed during the AS/A2 induction to pitch.
Pitches must include:A working title, sub-genre of horror, tagline,filminfluences,synopsis, and character
overview (Propp’s theory applied), equilibrium/disequilibrium/resolution (Todorov’s theory applied).
Remember, the examiners want you to be as creative as possible: PowerPoint’s, images, videos, sketches etc.

Treatment
WHAT IS A TREATMENT?
A treatment is essentially a breakdown of your movie/TV production. It can be anything from a singlepage,
to twenty pages (or even more, depending on the density of the script).A treatment is a blueprintfor a
screenplay.In essences, a treatment is a Short Story, coveringthe basic ideasand issues of the production
as well as the main characters,relationships,locations,and story angles.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A TREATMENT?
There are two major purposes of a treatment. Initially, as a devicefor the writer to organisetheir thoughts
and develop the texture of a script.Secondly, to sell the proposed movie to a commissioningeditor,
financial backers,or major stars.Itis often presented in the form of a pitch, which explains why proposed
financiers should investtheir money in to an idea.It has to be impressive! Treatments arewritten in the
present tense, are concise,grab the attention, and are interestingto read.
HOW TO WRITE A TREATMENT?
Your treatment should read as a short story, in detail,stage-by-stage as itunfolds. It reveals the full story
sequence and its structure, key scenes, the main and secondary character personalities, relationships, and
how they change and develop. Treatments have different functions:a writer may compose a highly
detailed treatment in preparation for the firstdraft,but this will haveto be scaled down to meet
requirements of busy producers and development execs.
TREATMENT CHECKLIST
 Production Team Name: IncludeLogo
 Movie Title (Working Title): Title can change through Production stages.
 Tag Line (If Appropriate): Quote, one line/phrasefrom/aboutthe film.
 Format: TV program, video, film,trailer,advert etc.
 Genre: Includesub-genre if appropriate.
 Tense: Always present tense.
 Intended Audience: Who do you think will enjoy your proposal?

 Synopsis: Outlineof story/angle/summary of main events/similar to the back of a DVD (50 words).
o SAMPLE - ROCKY (1976):Rocky Balboa is a struggling boxer trying to make the big time. Working in
a meat factory in Philadelphia for a pittance, he also earns extra cash as a debt collector. When
heavyweight champion Apollo Creed visits Philadelphia, his managers want to set up an exhibition
match between Creed and a struggling boxer, touting the fight as a chance for a "nobody" to
become a "somebody". The match is supposed to be easily won by Creed, but someone forgot to tell
Rocky, who sees this as his only shot at the big time
 Characters: Profiles and relationships between other characters.
o SAMPLE: ROCKY (1976): Robert Balboa is a Roman Catholic Italian-American boxer, living in the
slums of Philadelphia in 1975. ‘Rocky’, as he is known, begins dating Adrian Pennino, a shy pet shop
worker. Rocky worships her and will do anything to give her a better life. Adrian is the younger
sister of Rocky’s best friend Paulie. Paulie is a drunk, and is often horrible to both Adrian and Rocky.
Despite this, Rocky will always look out for him. Lastly there is Rocky’s trainer Mickey Goldmill.
Mickey is old, but an expert within boxing. Rocky greatly respects and cares for him. Rocky gets his
big break to fight the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion, Apollo Creed. Although Rocky
respects Apollo as champion, their relationship becomes strained as Rocky feels he can not only
compete, but win.
 Dialogue: None!
 Style: Concise,vivid,evocative; keep the text simpleand visual.AVOID:abstractlanguage,camera
movement/angles etc.
 Length: Hours/Minutes of proposal.
 Ratio: If your scriptis 100 pages and your treatment is 10 pages, then 1 page of treatment = 10
pages/minutes of script.Keep to this proportion.
 Rewrite: As with a script,you need to do a number of drafts of your treatment. Each draftshould
concentrate on cutting away all unnecessary detail and makingthe story as vivid and engagingas
possible.Less is more!
 Locations: Possibleearly thoughts on places to shoot.
WHAT THE PRO’S SAY
 “The most common phrase in Hollywood is not ‘Let’s do lunch.’ the expression you’ll most often hear
in production, studio, and agency offices is: ‘OK, send me a treatment.’ Michael Halperin - Writing the
Killer Treatment
 “Treatments can be a poisoned chalice. They are enormously difficult to write, a nightmare, &they
only give you a sense of the movie. The problem is: you can’t write a script before a treatment.” Adrian
Hodges - Screenwriter
 “This treatment not only tells the story, but it sells the story. It is a market piece. You write it for
producers, talent, and directors - you want them to love the story. You want them to say, ‘what a
great concept! Let me read the script!’” David Trottier - The Screenwriter’s Bible
 “A treatment may not get a project made, but if it’s good and interesting it will at least get you an
interview with the powers that be.” Allon Reich - Channel 4 TV/Film
 “An outline is for you; a treatment is for them… the creation of a treatment is almost a required step in
selling your script.” Howard Jay Smith - Opening the doors to Hollywood
If you are serious about making a successful film, you must master the craft of writing treatment

4.concepts & final_treatment_guidance

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