Oh
yes... the treatment.
Now that you pitched your idea, is time to put it on a TREATMENT. And what is a treatment?
Basically it's the first outline of your story, high-lighting key scenes, characters and the locations and any other important detail that you need to keep in mind not only for you but also for the producers you are going to present your idea.
When you write your treatment you need to remember that the other people don't see inside your brain. It means that you really need to write a clear and comprehensive text.
No one is going to guess what you mean unless you are putting it on the paper and they can read it. So, forget your philosophic and cool way of being an intellectual and poetic person and be pragmatic on your treatment. Black on white. Anyone you read it must understand it in one go.
Here some tips that I caught in the last BBC Drama Festival, about treatment:
Now that you pitched your idea, is time to put it on a TREATMENT. And what is a treatment?
Basically it's the first outline of your story, high-lighting key scenes, characters and the locations and any other important detail that you need to keep in mind not only for you but also for the producers you are going to present your idea.
When you write your treatment you need to remember that the other people don't see inside your brain. It means that you really need to write a clear and comprehensive text.
No one is going to guess what you mean unless you are putting it on the paper and they can read it. So, forget your philosophic and cool way of being an intellectual and poetic person and be pragmatic on your treatment. Black on white. Anyone you read it must understand it in one go.
Here some tips that I caught in the last BBC Drama Festival, about treatment:
·
The main idea must be explained in no more than two pages.
·
You need a good title!
·
Initial 2 or 3 paragraphs about the idea. (A young wizard
boy who goes to a magic school and have to fight against a powerful
dark forces). Any idea of this one? See, very easy and simple ideas.
·
A set describing the story or series. (This is a series of 13 episodes
of 50 minutes, for young adults... bla bla bla).
Now,
if you are creating a series you need to create the entire treatment of the first
episode, and then in a very resumed way the rest of the episodes. What is going
to happen in the other episodes.
This will take about 5 or 6 pages and remember to be clear.
In the actual very fast TV industry context, the series are starting with six episodes (used to be 13). Since the TV Channels and producers don't want to take risks they buy a short series of episodes to see how it goes with the audiences. But this can vary depending of the channel and the type of work. If you watch the BBC British drama series, some are even smaller with just 3 episodes mini-series. Other countries are still following the 13 episodes series (even if sometime they axe them in the middle...).
Right, let’s move forward, the next part of your treatment is the character list description. I didn't wrote about characters yet, because I will do it in the future as one of the most important and complex things in your stories. But for your treatment you going to need it all done before. Soon I will return to this.
Finally, to finish your treatment you need to write an output. Here you are going to explain in a very short way:
This will take about 5 or 6 pages and remember to be clear.
In the actual very fast TV industry context, the series are starting with six episodes (used to be 13). Since the TV Channels and producers don't want to take risks they buy a short series of episodes to see how it goes with the audiences. But this can vary depending of the channel and the type of work. If you watch the BBC British drama series, some are even smaller with just 3 episodes mini-series. Other countries are still following the 13 episodes series (even if sometime they axe them in the middle...).
Right, let’s move forward, the next part of your treatment is the character list description. I didn't wrote about characters yet, because I will do it in the future as one of the most important and complex things in your stories. But for your treatment you going to need it all done before. Soon I will return to this.
Finally, to finish your treatment you need to write an output. Here you are going to explain in a very short way:
·
WHY THE IDEA IS SO GREAT?
·
WHY IS DIFFERENT?
·
WHY IT FITS ON A CERTAIN TV CHANNEL? or if
you prefer, WHERE MY STORY FITS?
Let’s put this on an extreme, if you write
something about violent crime or sexual content, you are not going to expect to
sell it to CBBC... isn't it? So being smoother, Sex and Blood fits on BBC?
Maybe not, really depends what you are selling. An historical about the WWII,
definitively a big yes. They love it!
So, you have two ways of work:
You research what channel best suites what you want to write, or, write targeting a specific channel from the beginning. On the TV channel sites for submissions you can see what they are looking for. Just do it and look for it.
Hope this help you. Today it was a bit of boring material but very important! And remember, the treatment is not only for the others. The treatment is also for you! You need to keep in mind what you planned for your story and characters or you going to float everywhere and that's not good after you start. Floating is just that very beginning when you pitching.
So, you have two ways of work:
You research what channel best suites what you want to write, or, write targeting a specific channel from the beginning. On the TV channel sites for submissions you can see what they are looking for. Just do it and look for it.
Hope this help you. Today it was a bit of boring material but very important! And remember, the treatment is not only for the others. The treatment is also for you! You need to keep in mind what you planned for your story and characters or you going to float everywhere and that's not good after you start. Floating is just that very beginning when you pitching.
CYA SOON
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