As I am near to finishing the 2nd draft of episode 1 of Ascension, and because time is quickly passing, I have decided it would be worth me checking out some script treatments online in order to get a better understanding of what exactly makes a treatment successful.
One particularly useful source I found was this PDF by Screen Australia which explains the differences between a synopsis, an outline and a treatment. In the past I have had some trouble differentiating between a synopsis and treatment in particular, and as such I found this information to be incredibly useful.
The PDF also gives an example of a treatment from the drama; Lantana, and gives some very useful information on the length a treatment should be, as well as the kind of language and phrases that are suitable to use in a treatment document.
From what I have discovered, a treatment seems to be a mirror opposite of a script, in the way that while a script is all about showing and not telling, a treatment is very much about telling, and not showing. The actual style in which a treatment is created (third person and including events from different perspectives) is also very much done in a way that makes it seem similar to how a person would describe the events of a television series to one of their friends (albeit in a much less opinionated, more formal style.)
When creating my treatments, I will have to bare in mind that I will not be able to use any lines of dialogue for effect, due to the fact that treatments do not include dialogue, and as a result, I will have to think of other ways I can create atmosphere and a compelling story that would keep a reader engaged enough to want to learn more.
It is important for me to remember that the aim of my treatments is to keep the viewer interested, and give them a clear, understandable idea of the story I am trying to tell in my series. Therefore I will need to completely understand my story myself before I begin creating my treatments, so that there can be absolutely no confusion or misunderstandings.
Another useful site I found is this one, which actually gives detailed explanations of how to format a treatment, and further elaborates on the kind of language that should be used. For example, unlike a script, terms such as "We see..." or "We hear..." and camera directions are strictly prohibited.
By investigating treatments from different sources online I am slowly getting used to the kind of language and styles treatments are written in, and I feel that very soon I will be ready to begin writing my own.
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