There is no magic formula for writing a film treatment format. Format the movie treatment according to your target audience. There are two main audiences, the audience that will ultimately see the movie and the audience or people who will initially judge its merit. Also, the executive will seriously consider how well the audience will like the finished film.
The following elements of the film’s treatment format were considered:
• Font name and size, spacing
• Idiom
• Page numbering
• Treatment duration
• Quotation marks
• Names of characters
• Margins
• binding
• Information contained on the first page
Font: adopt an easy-to-read font in film treatment format. Most well-established producers prefer Courier New, 12 point type, although Times New Roman or Arial will suffice as well. Do not indent the paragraphs, just include a double space between them. Simple spacing is used everywhere else.
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 as if they are watching a script trailer and not reading a treatment. Write in paragraphs as opposed to hyphens that follow a defined structure. The treatments reflect the tone of the script, be it humorous, romantic, ironic, etc. The film’s treatment format requires that each paragraph be short and light.
Page Numbering: The page number should appear as a heading in the upper right corner. The cover is left unnumbered.
Length: ideally, the length of a treatment should not exceed 15 pages. The accepted standard is 5 to 12 pages. There are variations on this depending on the genre 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.
Quotation marks: Unlike hyphens, quotation marks are used to show dialogues in treatments.
Character names: The first time a character name appears, it must be entirely capitalized.
Margins: Like a script, a film treatment format also requires it to be written on 81/2 x 11-inch perforated paper with three holes. The top and bottom margins vary between 5 and 1 inch, the left margin between 1.2 and 1.6 inches, and the right margin between 5 and 1 inch. The extra inch on the left side is to give the print a balanced look. There are no hard and fast rules regarding margins.
Binding: All three holes are used for nail binding.
Cover page – should contain vital information such as a job title, author’s name and contact information, WGA number, a record line, and the total number of pages.
Executives are busy, so keep your discussion brief and include only all the key points. Don’t go into unnecessary detail. A couple of carefully chosen words will be enough to convey the story to these people. In case you are planning to use it as a roadmap or for a friend you would like to involve, be as descriptive as possible, without being too strict about following the norms set by the industry.
