Write a Treatment

Having written a handful of stageplays, short screenplays, and two features in the works - organizing and planning is nothing new to my process. That said, I have ignorantly avoided writing "Treatments" for scripts. 

Recently, I was encouraged to write a two page Treatment for a script that has been giving me a lot of trouble and have never felt my eyes more open about a script. 

A Treatment, in my eyes, has always been  an elusive creature ready to tear my fingers off. And while that is an unchanged opinion, I am excited to embrace the Treatment. 

It is a document, whether one page or thirty, that tells your story from start to finish. Similar in style to a super short story, or novella, in that it's dramatic and feels like a very precise and detailed work of fiction. The reader should be able to see, smell, and feel, the world and characters involved with the story, and every word in the document is chosen with pitching the script in mind. 

It is quite common, and often requested, that a Treatment accompany a script so it can be read before opening the script's coverpage. For that reason, the Treatment should be revered as the first impression readers will encounter and the way it is crafted will determine if your script will be read or thrown away. 

From start to finish, Treatments provide an eye opening truth that tell you where you are at in the development of the story. Trying to organize characters, scenes, plots, refine dialogue, pacing, overall continuity, etc, can get overwhelming and your brains starts to fill in the blanks of where the bigger picture needs to get to. By doing that, it's easy to say, "I'll fix this later. I'll come back to this. I'll remember this hole and fill it in." And so on. 

By writing a Treatment you can stay on top of where a script is at instead of assuming you've got everything in place. These periodic Treatments expose the height of stakes, relationships, and how entertaining the story actually is. 

Long story short, a Treatment is a very detailed summary (not an outline) of your screenplay. An outline has bullet points and facts, a Treatment paints a well crafted picture of your script.

Treat yourself and the stories you want to tell; read some example treatments and make write one yourself. 

Project Management

Writing Part 2 will come soon enough.. ;) 

For now, I need to share some thoughts on project management. 

Project Management, literally referring to the management of projects, is something that gets me excited and feeling fulfilled - yet it comes with its challenges. Personally, my tendency is to pass a phase of searching for every new project, then they pile up on top of each other, leading to a hearty workload that a full time job simply doesn't allow. 

In the last year, my project management skills have exponentially grown but I am far from perfect. 

Everything aside, there are a few things that have been aiding in recent productivity: 

1. Go to SLEEP before midnight every chance possible. Whenever that doesn't happen, productivity tends to lack the next day. 

2. DON'T DWELL on a project. "Pet" projects aren't usually worth the countless hours, or years, of "what if." Just do them and move on, as much as possible. If they don't pour out of you, and they're a burden, they could easily feel that way to an audience. 

3. COMMUNICATE. Some of us are notoriously awful at communicating, even though the world is at our fingertips. Never assume others are on the same page with the rat race taking place in your mind. Communication is the most basic step to accountability and reputation. 

With everything going on: jobs, family, sanity, and personal projects - it is easy to get lost. 

Keep a calendar. Talking is better than texting. Prioritize. Strive for fulfilling experiences and don't take yourself TOO seriously. 

Writing part 1

I am a writer at heart and have had a long journey of learning, honing, failing, and crafting, so far. With each of these things being a lifelong process, how does someone go about taking the leap of faith and getting their work finished?

I talk about writing, much like I do about Cinematography - as a life long student just like yourself, in whatever niche you claim. 

If you are a writer, you can probably relate to the following: Writing is something I could do 20/7, 365. Looking back on the past few years, my favorite days are the ones that start with writing at 6am, ending at 2am. Without doubt, I would be incredibly fulfilled by living such a schedule. Many people I know do not understand that, especially considering I am not monetizing any writing at the moment. 

In the recent two years, I have been blessed enough to have two plays, a one act, and various improvisational theatre scripts, presented in Manhattan. But stage plays are not as much of a passion as screenplays and narrative styles are. 

Writing is an interesting game. It is very competitive and every expert has their approach. My personal approach varies depending on the script, but I do have a staple in my method and that staple is found in drafting the story. Essentially, an idea could come from anywhere: pickles, socks, divorce, murder, anything. Character, location, event, whatever the trigger of a story, I seem to follow two BASIC balances to stay in check: 

"Action -> Result -> Response." 

For now, I will leave the Flog a cliffhanger! Spread the love and check back for the next post!

Blogging and the Creative Mind

Blogging. It's exactly what I'm doing now and what our friends talk about talk about being awesome at. Also, it's a way to sneak in your company's name, like Ipsum Films, so that search engines rank them higher in related searches. 

Whatever the reason for a blog, be it search engine recognition or personal expression, blogs have nearly become an expected part of anything web-based or companies with a younger audience. 

That said, out purpose for blogging is to exercise the communication of our knowledge and to attract and audience of individuals bent on learning and networking. We're not perfect and don't have decades of experience, yet, but we want to grow and our industry is built on collaboration. 

Ever try making a movie on your own? It's much harder than you currently imagine. Working with others is the foundation of our industry and we want it to be a foundation of education and career path of everyone involved with Ipsum Films. 

That is why we blog. We blog to reach out, so others might reach back. If others (a.k.a. YOU) reach back, than everyone wins and we all grow. 

So, blogging. A blog is an easily available tool for communication and expression. If you're reading this, please feel free to reach out and suggest a blog post idea, or ask anything you want to know. We'll be happy to research the topic and learn with you. 

ipsumfilms@gmail.com

Twitter @ipsumfilms