Jak napisać dobry treatment filmowy | KONKURS WYOBRAŹ SOBIE 2023

Summary

In this detailed lecture, Agnieszka Kruk, an expert in scriptwriting and development, offers a comprehensive guide on writing film and TV script treatments. She breaks down essential story structures like the three-act model, sequential method, Hero’s Journey, and Save the Cat, offering practical tips for crafting compelling treatments. Kruk emphasizes clarity, concise writing, and the importance of engaging character development. With technical advice on formatting, style, and the use of language, she ensures participants can write treatments that captivate readers and meet competition standards.

Takeaways

• 😀 **Understanding Treatment**: A treatment is a concise summary of a film or TV script, primarily used for pitching and planning. It is essential for conveying the key narrative and structure without detailed dialogue or scenes.
• 😀 **Three-Act Structure**: A traditional approach where the story is divided into three parts: exposition (25%), development (50%), and resolution (25%). It helps in organizing the treatment’s length and pacing.
• 😀 **Sequential Method**: A breakdown of the three-act structure into 8 smaller sequences, offering a more detailed pacing structure. This method maintains engaging narrative flow by creating regular turning points in the story.
• 😀 **Hero’s Journey & Heroine’s Journey**: Structural models that guide the development of protagonists, with the Hero’s Journey focusing on male protagonists and the Heroine’s Journey focusing on female ones, both involving transformative quests.
• 😀 **Save the Cat**: A structure broken down into 15 specific beats that help plan a script’s key moments, ensuring the narrative remains focused on important developments and avoiding irrelevant details.
• 😀 **Importance of Proportions**: A treatment should reflect the proportions of a full script. The exposition typically covers 25% of the story, with the development taking up half and the resolution making up the final quarter.
• 😀 **Active Verbs & Tense**: Treatments should be written in the **present tense** (e.g., 'Character walks', not 'Character walked'). This creates immediacy and makes the treatment feel more dynamic. Use **active verbs** to maintain energy in the writing.
• 😀 **Conciseness & Focus**: A treatment should be brief and to the point, highlighting the key plot points, character decisions, and narrative twists. Avoid lengthy descriptions or overly detailed exposition.
• 😀 **Genre-Specific Language**: Use vocabulary and tone that fits the genre of the story. For example, if writing a horror treatment, words that evoke fear and tension should be used, while a comedy treatment should have a lighter, humorous tone.
• 😀 **Character Descriptions**: When describing characters, focus on their **function** in the story and relevant characteristics. Avoid unnecessary details like appearance unless they have significant narrative impact.
• 😀 **Formatting & Technical Aspects**: Treatments should be submitted in **PDF format**, using a readable font (avoid Courier), with a character count of approximately 1800 per page. Follow competition guidelines strictly to ensure proper submission.
• 😀 **Logical Progression**: Ensure that the story flows logically, with characters making decisions that lead to consequences. This creates a more engaging treatment, as readers can follow the character's actions and motivations.

Q & A

What is a 'treatment' in the context of audiovisual storytelling?

A treatment is a concise, written summary of a film or series idea, used to convey the story, characters, and key plot points before a full screenplay is written.

Why might the word 'treatment' cause anxiety or creative block?

Because it is part of professional jargon in the audiovisual industry, and for those unfamiliar, it can seem intimidating or unclear what is expected in its creation.

What is the basic structure recommended for planning a story?

The recommended basic structure is the three-act structure, which divides a story into a beginning (exposition), middle (complications), and end (resolution), often with a meaningful message or theme.

How does the sequential method enhance story planning?

The sequential method divides the three acts into smaller sequences (usually eight), each with a goal or question that propels the story forward, maintaining pace and engagement.

What is the 'Hero's Journey' and how does it differ from the 'Heroine's Journey'?

The 'Hero's Journey' is a 12-step structure that takes a male protagonist through challenges to gain experience and return transformed. The 'Heroine's Journey' adapts this structure for female protagonists, emphasizing different narrative arcs and personal growth.

What is the 'Save the Cat' method?

It is a story-structuring method that divides the narrative into 15 specific beats, guiding the writer to highlight key plot points, surprises, and turning points, ensuring focus and coherence in storytelling.

What are some key stylistic recommendations for writing a treatment?

Use present tense, active verbs, and vivid, descriptive language that engages the reader. Focus on actions and choices of characters rather than just listing events, and ensure the story’s tone matches its genre.

How should characters be introduced in a treatment?

Characters can be briefly described at the beginning with their roles (protagonist, antagonist, supporting), or their traits can be revealed through actions within the story. Focus on traits relevant to the plot rather than superficial details.

What advice is given regarding the length and proportion of a treatment?

A treatment should be concise and balanced, reflecting the three-act structure. For example, in a 10-page treatment, the first act might take 2.5 pages, the second 5 pages, and the third 2.5 pages. Avoid overly long exposition or neglecting the ending.

What technical recommendations are provided for formatting treatments for submission?

Use a readable font instead of screenplay-specific fonts like Courier 12. Ensure the text adheres to page limits (around 1800 characters per page) and submit the document in PDF format according to the contest rules.