Logline and Treatments

Loglines

Treatments

Pitch story in one-two sentences

Reduce the story to a "hook"

Logline should be

Indicate full narrative (beginning, middle and the end of the story

Reveal character, goal, conflict and theme

An obvious "hook"

Concise

Ending a logline

Open-ended for pitch

Conflict resolution specified for studio coverage

Open-ended for the audience (from IMDB)

Detailed : scene by scene summary of the story

Serves extended outline for developing story

Stage involved agree upon story structure, tone, message and spelling points

Length of Treatments

Short films, no dialogue "1 page for every 2 minutes" - Half the length of film

Short films, with dialogue "1 page for every 2 minute" - half the length of film

Short documentaries "3-5 pages" - no longer than proposal

Features film : 30 pages - maximum

Treatment format conventions

Do not use slug lines to set scene

Active verbs

Avoid dialogue

Write in thrid-person, present tense

Treatment Checklist

Concept is clear

Theme is developed

Plot has an arc

Character has an arc

Descriptive writing