Ask the Screenwriters | Twitter Q&A #1

"A treatment has to have as much left off the page as left on."
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[@basicinsight7214]

Dame Emma Thompson is amazing

[@FrederickDunn]

"Being forced to write a treatment" that would be me, a four-paragraph treatment is required in the class I'm taking. This is very helpful for me, thank you so much! Thumbs UP all the way.

[@drewdent9731]

That's so interesting! Honestly, I enjoy writing a ten-page treatment more than writing a one-hundred page screenplay. Love hearing other filmmakers' opinions.

[@MrMagnificentMedia]

She is so right about treatments. It doesn't do a script justice. Treatments should be more for like a Wikipedia or IMDB page when it comes to filling out info.

[@storyiseverything2219]

To me outlining is a must. I don't know how anyone can start writing a screenplay if they don't have at least a basic plan of how the story plays out. I enjoy outlining just as much as I enjoy writing the first draught.

[@skyedog47]

My life changed when I stopped outlining. I enjoy doing it more. I became way more productive. There's something about feeling a story out and seeing where it goes, that gives you more life than just planning the whole thing out.

[@SteveHovland]

Speaking as someone who designs and builds custom software, I can assure you that the best way to write a bad program is to rush into coding. Software that is created using an proper design methodology can work correctly on the "first draft" with very little adjustment. I think the same thing can be true of screenwriting. With a good outline or treatment you can write a fairly good script on the first draft. If you are having to write a lot of drafts it is probably because you are trying to solve story problems by working on the script, and scripts are very resistant to significant story changes because pantser scripts always have a few great (in your mind) scenes you don't want to change.

[@NickSheridanVids]

"Then... Because... But" is a variation of "Unfortunately... Fortunately... Unfortunately"

[@NostalgiNorden]

Lull = to cause (someone) to fall asleep or become sleepy Why the hell would you want that in a script?

[@Rebellwarrior]

What is a treatment?? What's it's effect on storyline?? Anybody!!!

[@SeniorAdrian]

Rebellwarrior A treatment is like an essay of the whole story compressed in less pages. It dosent have dialog only story.

[@Rebellwarrior]

thanks

[@osaji922]

+Senior Adrian So like a synopsis?

[@SteveHovland]

A treatment should be a design document for the script. How does the story start? How does it end. What is the do or die decision at the midpoint. How do we get to the midpoint? What happens after the midpoint. When you have to make story changes change the treatment before you change the script. The treatment I'm currently working on is 12 pages and will probably get longer. Read James Cameron's "scriptment" for Avatar. You can get it at sfy.ru.

[@freyamallard3313]

I'm sorry but did they all just completely contradict each other the entire video? Im so confused

[@apzemek]

What is a 'treatment'?? Why this name???

[@NostalgiNorden]

+Andrew Zemek lmgtfy.com/?q=film+treatment