Free Film Treatment Template (PDF, Google Docs and Word) With Examples
Before a producer reads your script, they’ll often ask for something shorter. A film treatment tells your whole story in a few pages of prose, so someone can decide in ten minutes whether it’s worth their next two hours. This free film treatment template gives you a fillable PDF, a Google Doc and a Word file, plus documentary and music video versions and a filled-in example for each.
TL;DR: Tell the Story, Not the Shots
Write your film treatment in present tense, like a short story. Start with the title, logline and main characters, then tell the story act by act. Put each character’s name in CAPS the first time they appear. Leave out camera directions and most dialogue. For a short film, keep it to one to three pages.
Download the Free Film Treatment Template
The PDF is a fillable two-page film treatment. The Word file has all three templates (film, documentary and music video) with guide text you type over. The documentary and music video PDFs are further down the page.
FREE FILMMAKING TEMPLATE VAULT
Got the Film Treatment Template? Get the other 30.
Shot lists, release forms, budgets, schedules and more. All 31 iFILMthings templates in one place, free.
Free. Just your email.
Rather pick and choose? Browse all 31 film templates by stage.
What Is a Film Treatment?
A film treatment is a prose summary of a film, written before or alongside the script. It reads like a short story told in present tense, according to Wikipedia.
- Who reads it: producers, executives, funders and your own co-writers
- What it's for: selling the idea, and finding the holes in the story before you spend months on a draft
- How long it runs: Wikipedia puts presentation treatments at 3 to 30 pages, usually 7 to 12. Working treatments for a feature can run 30 to 80
- For short films: UCLA's film school asks its students for a treatment of no more than three pages, according to its treatment guide
People also call it a screenplay treatment, a movie treatment or a script treatment. They all mean the same document.
Treatment vs Synopsis vs Outline vs Script
| Document | Length | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Logline | One sentence | Hero, goal and obstacle |
| Synopsis | One page | The whole plot, ending included |
| Treatment | 3 to 30 pages | The story in prose, with tone, characters and key moments |
| Outline | Scene list | Every scene in order, for the writer's use |
| Screenplay | 90 to 120 pages | Everything, in script format |
Start with a logline, grow it into a movie synopsis, then write the treatment. A beat sheet helps you map the structure before you start.
What's in the Film Treatment Template
- Page 1: title, writer, draft date, format, genre and length, a logline box, four character boxes, and theme and tone
- Page 2: three large boxes for Act One, Act Two and Act Three, with a reminder of the format rules at the top
- Word and Google Docs: the same sections as headings, with grey guide text you type over. All three templates are in one file
Film Treatment Example: Dead Air
Here's the template filled in for Dead Air, the made-up short film about a late-night radio host from our screenplay template.
- The logline comes first. If the reader stops after one sentence, they still know what the film is.
- Characters get one line of want. Nora likes the dark. Eddie is the only person who checks on her. That's all the reader needs.
- The story is told in present tense. "Nora freezes. Eddie says cut him off. She doesn't." It reads the way it'll play on screen.
- Names are in CAPS once. NORA, EDDIE and WALT are capitalized the first time they appear, then written normally.
- The ending is on the page. A treatment isn't a trailer. Producers need to know how it ends.
A quick test for your treatment: read it out loud.
If you run out of breath on a sentence, it's too long.
If you get bored in a paragraph, so will the producer.
How to Write a Film Treatment
- Write the logline. One sentence, with a hero, a goal and an obstacle.
- List the main characters. Name, age and what each one wants. Three or four is plenty.
- Name the theme and tone. What the story is about, and how it should feel. Mention a film or two if it helps.
- Tell the story act by act. Beginning, middle, end. Present tense, active verbs, short paragraphs.
- Write what we see and hear. Skip camera angles and backstory the audience never sees. Show character through action.
- Include the ending. Always.
- Cut it down. Most first drafts of a treatment are twice as long as they need to be.
Documentary Treatment Template
A documentary treatment can't script what hasn't happened yet. It sells the subject, your access and your approach instead.
- Page 1: working title, director, producer, format, runtime and access status, a logline, then subject, why now, access, and style and point of view
- Page 2: the story arc you expect (beginning, middle and possible endings), plus interviews, visual approach and archival, and locations and schedule
- The example: After Midnight, a made-up short doc about the last volunteer overnight DJs at a community radio station
Music Video Treatment Template
A music video treatment is usually one page, often with reference images. Directors send them to artists and labels to win the job.
- One page: artist, song, director, length, label and budget range, then the concept, performance or narrative, look and feel, references, wardrobe and art, key shots, locations and budget notes
- The example: Blue Porch Light by June Harlow, the made-up song Nora's caller asks for in Dead Air. One porch, one night, and a house that changes decades behind the singer
Famous Film Treatment Example: The Terminator
James Cameron came up with The Terminator while he was sick in Rome, releasing Piranha II: The Spawning. He dreamed of a metal torso dragging itself from an explosion, according to Wikipedia. His draft treatment for the film ran 48 pages.
Cameron sold the rights to producer Gale Anne Hurd for one dollar, on the condition that he would direct. That's the point of a treatment. It let Hurd, and later the studios, see the whole film before a frame was shot.
Here's a habit worth building. Keep a folder of treatments.
Every time you finish one, even for an idea you drop, save it.
A two-page treatment is quick to dust off when a producer asks, "What else have you got?"
Once the treatment works, build your characters with our character profile template and start the script with our screenplay template.
If a producer likes the treatment, the script goes to a reader next. Here's what they fill in: our script coverage template.
When a producer asks for something shorter than a treatment, send a pitch deck. Start with our free film pitch deck template.
FAQs About Film Treatments
Do I Need a Treatment If My Script Is Already Finished?
Often, yes. Producers and contests may ask for a short treatment or synopsis first, so they can decide whether to read the full script. A finished script also makes the treatment easier to write.
Can I Register My Treatment?
Yes. The WGA Registry accepts treatments, synopses and outlines as well as scripts, and registration gives you a dated record of your work. It isn't the same as copyright registration, which you can also do through the U.S. Copyright Office.
Can a Treatment Include Images?
It can. Feature treatments are usually text only, but documentary, commercial and music video treatments often include reference images, color palettes and stills. For those, the look is part of the pitch.
Is a TV Treatment the Same Thing?
Not quite. TV writers usually pitch with a pilot script and a series bible or pitch document, which covers the characters, the world and where future seasons go. A single-episode treatment works much like a short film treatment.
The Final Cut on the Film Treatment
A film treatment is the fastest way to show someone your whole story, and to find out if it holds up.
Download the template, write the logline first and tell the story in present tense, act by act.
What's the one scene in your treatment a producer will remember?
Jay Neill
Jay Neill is the founder and managing editor of iFILMthings and believes everyone should have access to the film resources they need to plan their filmmaking project, which is why he’s dedicated iFILMthings to helping all filmmakers.
Fascinating breakdown! Always wondered, how does one balance the vivid imagery necessary for a treatment without bordering on excessive in the pre-writing stage? Jay, any insights or tips on that?
Really appreciate the segment on famous film treatments like The Terminator. It’s motivating to see such iconic projects started with a treatment. Makes the daunting process of writing one seem a bit more within reach. These examples are gold for someone like me trying to break into sci-fi screenwriting. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely, examining the treatments of successful films reveals so much about the journey from concept to screen. It’s a crucial learning tool.
While I value the emphasis on using film treatments for marketing, I believe the article somewhat undersells their importance in the developmental stage. In my experience, a well-crafted treatment not only aids in pitching but significantly influences the creative direction of the project. It serves as a north star, guiding not just the screenplay but all aspects of production.