Screenwriting : Question: What should a good Treatment contain? by Zane Wickman

Zane Wickman

Question: What should a good Treatment contain?

Asking because, no matter what I do, I can't seem to satisfy any agent reviewing my Treatment (for an animation). If I completely resolve a previous concern and resubmit, new CONS surface in an areas that weren't identified as an issue. I'm not a (professional) writer, I'm an artist that produced a serviceable Treatment and four (4) scripts in tow.

I'm nearly done with editing the initial script (of an origin-story mini series, which leads into a full-fledged series). My protagonists and antagonists are solid (descriptions, motives, etc.). The fictitious city (akin to Gotham or Metropolis) is decently described. I included an outline of the first script. I believe I've covered a lot within the 2 page limited.

The characters' hardships are a byproduct of what the antagonists' did to humanity as a whole for thousands of years: my "bad guys" have ruled the world from the shadows, operate through world leaders, orchestrated wars, famines, etc. The episodes are macros and micros of this controlling problem (macro: antagonists causing strife between two nations via terrorism; micro: a school bully is under mind control).

Stories are akin to real-world situations, but with a sci-fi twist. My protagonists - superheroes - are working to dethrone the antagonist one mission at a time, surgically attack secret underground bases, or simply eliminating a terrorizing Karen (an antagonist shapeshifter posing as a human). I have plenty of scenarios, but trying to cram everything in seems kind of unnecessary, esp. if I laid the groundwork for the Who, What, Why, and How the heroes can prevail.

This all leads back to the question: What should a good Treatment contain?

Dan Guardino

You need a good well written screenplay to get an agent not a treatment.

Maurice Vaughan

Hey, Zane Wickman. Here's what I put in a treatment for a feature script (sometimes the order changes, and I don't always put these things in every treatment):

Title Page (usually a script poster or logo and my name)

Table of Contents

Rundown/Overview page (it has the genres, sub-genres, logline, theme, short synopsis, why this movie should be made and why now, budget (estimate), comparables, target audience, rating (like PG-13), setting of the story, number of locations, and number of characters)

Character Bios

Full Synopsis

A Story, B Story, Subplot(s), Act Structure

Sequels/Franchise/Other Media Potential

Merchandise

Contact and Info

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