A Treatment - Example


A treatment is a present-tense prose telling of the story. The story told in the sample step outline can be turned into a treatment like this:

The First Lady (Gwen) and her husband, the President (John), have been arguing during breakfast. Finally Gwen can't take his denials of adultery any longer and leaves the White House to begin her day's duties.

Across the street, the White House is being watched by two foreign-looking men, Carlo and Andres. When the First Lady leaves in her limo, they follow in a battered old car.

In the car, Carlo and Andres talk about this being the day. Andres loads a pistol.

The First Lady makes a variety of "good will" stops: at a hospital, a retirement center, a dedication. At each stop, Carlo and Andres follow and watch the scene carefully.

Finally, with the limo stopping for gas, Gwen goes alone to the restroom at the rear of the building. Carlo and Andres seize the opportunity - it's now or never.

Andres, gun ready, positions himself near the restroom door.

But then a customer, a woman, comes into view on her way to the toilet and, seeing Andres with a gun, screams. The customer turns and takes off just as the bathroom door opens. Gwen comes out.

Wasting no time, Andres grabs her, though the First Lady manages to scream before she is subdued. Carlo rushes to help, and the two of them manage to throw her into the back seat of their car.

An aide appears, gun drawn, and Andres drops him with one shot.

They get in the car and speed off, gun fire in their wake. They have successfully taken the First Lady hostage.

Often after an option or in a for-hire deal (where a writer is hired to work on an existing story), producers will want to see a step outline and treatment as parts of the development process.


SCREENWRIGHT: the craft of screenwriting

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