Nailing That Script Treatment

Pitch Deck, Script Treatment, Series Bible – I’m sure your heard about them all. But what’s the difference and which one should you create? Now, the type of treatment is up to you, especially if you are writing on spec. The primary objective of this treatment is to sell your TV show or film. Now, if you are commissioned by a producer to write a treatment, then that’s a little different and you should ask them what they expect.

But for on spec documents, your treatment is often the first opportunity to pitch your story. This one document acts as your creative blueprint and sales pitch. But how do you make your treatment stand out from the crowd? In this guide, I’ll walk you through what a treatment is, how to structure it, and how to nail that script treatment and make it enticing to producers, commissioners, and development execs.

A strong script treatment matters because it may be the deciding factor in whether or not someone reads your script. So it needs to sell your concept clearly – think ‘elevator pitch’. It should quickly demonstrate your ability to craft a story. And it is usually used to secure funding, a development deal, or attach key talent.

So what is a Script Treatment?

A script treatment is a detailed summary of your script, written in prose. It is not a full script, but it is a snapshot of your vision. It should read like a short story version of your project. Treatments are used in development to communicate the tone, genre, characters, and structure of a story, before committing to a full draft (not to get confused with a beat sheet).

As producers and execs often have limited time to read your treatment, I generally advise my clients to keep it short and sweet. Treatments are usually around 2 to 10 pages in length, 2-4 pages for a straight text document and 7 pages being the sweet spot if it’s a colourful pitch deck with imagery. It includes the title, logline, genre, character bios, synopsis and visual style and tone. The look of treatments tends to vary as there are no definitive rules on what they should contain.

What is a series bible?

A series bible is a document that sells the vision of your show. Sometimes they are created after the show has been commissioned, this is called a full series bible. The bible is a comprehensive guide to the project which evolves through production. It usually contains research, character bios, episode breakdowns, long and short synopses, locations and more. This is more of an inhouse document that is sent to different departments such as the marketing team for press releases or sent to the commissioners as part of their deliverables. This is not something you would need to worry about at this stage. You should focus on the pitch desk or treatment to get your project green lit.

Designing a pitch deck

You might not have the budget to hire a graphic designer to create a pitch deck for you. But if you are confident with design, you can create one using PowerPoint or you can create a professionally designed pitch deck on design platforms such as Canva, which are completely free to use, unless you opt to use a ‘pro’ template. Recently, a lot of the pitch decks I have created for projects include personalised designs and (shock horror) AI images that I’ve created that encapsulate the visuals for the show.

How to Write a Script Treatment That Stands Out

First, you need to start with a strong logline. Your logline is a one or two sentence summary of your story. It should capture the central conflict, introduce your main character and hint at the stakes. It’s your hook, so you need to make it count. For example, let’s have a look at The Bourne Identity (2002) logline:

A man suffers from amnesia after being fished from the sea and, despite exceptional skills, must uncover his identity and why he is being pursued by assassins. 

It’s an engaging logline for an action film, because not only does it hint at the stakes, but it also throws in clues to this very intense search for identity. The ‘exceptional skills’ hints to Jason’s interesting past as an operative. The ‘amnesia’ is a core element that drives the plot as Jason Bourne is plunged into this adventure of finding out who he is, and why assassins are out to kill him. The ‘assassins’ are the antagonists that pose an immediate threat to his life. This logline is excellent in posing the following questions for the audience. Why was he fished out of the sea? Who is he? What did he do? Who is he connected to? How will he find out his identity? How intense is this action film going to be? It would make me want to watch it to find out more, hence it being a regular film franchise shown on ITV.

Once you have your logline locked in, you should then define the genre and tone of your project. Like in Jason Bourne, we can tell that it is an action/thriller. You need to set expectations from the outset. Is your script a comedy drama, a sci-fi, thriller or a coming-of-age drama? You could even mention any comparable films or series to give readers a frame of reference, such as its “Skins” meets “Black Mirror”. You should also explain whether it is a returning series, limited series or a standalone feature film.

For a series, after this introduce the project with a series overview. This should detail what happens in future episodes or seasons, and how the world expands. You may also include episode breakdowns for pilots or mini-series. Then introduce the key characters. Short biographies on the core characters are vital in giving a flavour of the project. So include a short description of who they are, what drives them, and how they relate to the story, just enough information on them to ground the narrative.

For the synopsis, write the story in prose but not in a script format. This is the meat of your treatment. So you should describe the plot from beginning to end, hitting major beats and twists. Write in the present tense, using vivid, cinematic language as the goal is to evoke the viewing experience whilst showing you’ve mastered structure. So this should include the inciting incident, the Act 1 and 2 turning points, the climax and the resolution. Be specific and detailed but keep the pace brisk. You should not include dialogue but try to show the emotional and dramatic impact of key scenes.

Keep your treatment tight, because at the end of the day, it is a sales tool, so if you are planning on submitting for funding or development schemes, check their guidelines. And remember to make the ending sparkle. The aim is to leave the reader excited. Remind them why this story is fresh, timely, and emotionally resonant. Especially in pitch decks, it’s good to end with a bold statement or a final image that lingers in their mind.

For the section on the vision and tone, you’ll need to give us a sensory and visual impression of your film or TV series. The tone is the feeling and atmosphere you want to convey to the audience, and this can include elements like pace and attitude. The style is the look and feel of your film. Director aesthetics, such as contrasting bright and airy locations with grim and moody lighting. This is also an opportunity where can you talk about some comparable films. Films that you hope will look visually similar and help the reader see the vision. Pitch desks usually have a page for a ‘Producer’s note’ or some information about the creative them and why this project matters to them.

My go-to layout for a pitch deck is:

Page 1 – Title Page with logline and Key contact details.

Page 2 – Overview & Story World (why this story? Why now? and the themes)

Page 3 – Synopsis (you may need multiple pages for the episode synopses)

Page 4 – Main Character Bios

Page 5 – Other Character Bios

Page 6 – Vision and Tone

Page 7 – Note From the Team (director, producer or writer)

A well-written script treatment can open doors, so take your time and get feedback. Polish it like you would your script.

Want your treatment to stand out in a crowded market?

I offer script treatment feedback, development editing to help you take your concept to the next level. Whether you’re prepping for a pitch meeting, competition, or development scheme, I’ll make sure your treatment is industry ready.

👉 Contact me today to book a free script treatment consultation.

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