As part of applying to the 2008 Berlinale Talent Project Market, I needed to create a four page treatment for In-World War. I had a twelve page treatment -- long out-dated from before I had written the first draft of the script. Nothing else. So I bit the bullet and went through the entire script, scene-by-scene and created the new shorter treatment.
It turned out to be a fantastic writing exercise. The short treatment format forced me to condense the description of each scene, to just focus on the dramatic fundamentals. This brevity really challenged me to pinpoint how each scene moved the story forward. I quickly saw the bare elements of each scene, and found myself realizing that I had to clarify many scenes -- so the audience would better follow the story.
I was surprised to find that I had buried or obscured the "point" of many scenes. If it's too subtle, the audience might miss a key link in the chain of events. I discovered that simple dropped hints or other foreshadowing was actually the purpose of some of the scenes.
It also became clear what scenes (and what parts of scenes) might be unnecessary to the core dramatic thrust of the film. In other words, I found that by leaving them out of the treatment, the story didn't miss them.
You can bet that these superfluous scenes will likely have a limited lifespan -- especially since the screenplay is already too long.
So here's what I recommend you do: after you have gone through the writing process (pitch, outline, twelve-page treatment and full screenplay draft), go back through the screenplay and do a simple four-page treatment, making sure to cover each and every scene.
In traditionally-structured screenplays, the film easily breaks into fourths, so it makes for a simple math:
The four-page treatment
- Page 1: Act 1
- Page 2: First half of Act 2, leading up to the midpoint
- Page 3: Second half of Act 2, starting with the midpoint
- Page 4: Act 3
Try it. See how suddenly "necessary" scenes seem unimportant to the dramatic movement and how other scenes or specific dialogue might need to be beefed up in places.
I had a great time with it. I was really happy, after being annoyed (at first) for having to create a special format just for this one competition. In hindsight, it helped me identify weaknesses in the screenplay, which is always a great thing. I was so grateful!
Then I re-read the rules and realized they wanted a FIVE page treatment, not four.
Wonderful!
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