The story idea of Apples and Oranges

A treatment is a document that presents the story idea of your film before writing the entire script. Treatments are often written in present tense, in a narrative-like prose, and highlight the most important information about your film, including title, logline, story summary, and character descriptions.

Treatments are a way for a writer to test out an idea before investing their creative energy fully into a new screenplay. Treatments also allow for writers to summarize their story idea so they can present the story to studio executives or producers who might want to finance the film.

Treatments can help you find your film’s story, while simultaneously helping to raise money. The research for both treatment and film involves gathering the same facts, talking to the same individuals, and shaping the same story. By figuring out how to communicate your passion, knowledge, and vision on the page, you reach a deeper understanding of how your story needs to be told on the screen.

A script treatment comes earlier in the writing process, before any actual scriptwriting, which allows you to sort out the necessary story elements you need. The point of writing a film treatment is to:

• Set up the world you want the reader to envision.
• Lay out the structure of your whole story.
• Help you identify plot holes, or parts of the film you’re missing.
• Flesh-out characters and figure out the importance of each role.
• Serve as a roadmap that makes the journey of your film easier to navigate.