Screenwriting : Movie Treatment - Selling the idea to Production Companies by Ruth Edwards

Ruth, In order to sell something, you must have at least three scripts written.

Treatment is a tool used to present a script you have already written. When using treatment to present one of three scripts, and it is best to be the one you least believe in, the first next question that the producer, agent or manager will ask you is: "I like this, what else did you write?"

What will be your answer?

Producers don't normally buy treatments. In general, they never buy treatments. If you were to pitch a story idea to a producer and they happen to like it, they might ask for you to develop a treatment. If they like that, they might give notes and ask for changes. If they agree with the final treatment, then they'll ask for the script. If they like the script, they might give you notes. If they like the final script, then they might option it for $1 or $0 to try and shop it around for a year or two. If they can get financing and a deal, then they will execute the terms of the option, which would be some small upfront money out of a total of the possible 2% of the production budget.

If you are writing on spec, they will never buy a treatment because they have way to judge if you can actually write the script. Studios buy execution, no the ideas.

If you were brought in to pitch for a studio property, and they like your pitch, then the deal might include a treatment, a script, and a few rewrites. But that only happens for named writers with a track record.

I have always seen them as a drafting and summary tool. Some people will engage based on one. You may get a deal to write the rest of the script.

Someone could buy it. But it would be like buying a tweet stream. You may be able to negotiate a “story by” credit. But this is not a normal market segment from my understanding.

Great stuff Folks! Thank you so much.

Bit of advice Ruth, if you are trying to sell yourself as a writer (of any description) you really need to know your 'There, Their and They're'. Frankly, an absolute must!

Producers don't buy treatments.

Movies and television are different animals. However with streaming I suspect at times they can be the same. David Caspes "Marry me" was sold by treatment and available somewhere but that was television from an established sold producer who had many episodic back-ups. While it successfully failed it was due to network and time slot I still believe to this day.

Yep, this is a "newbie question" that I think everyone who is just coming into screenwriting as a serious interest asks. I know I did (it was like 20 years ago). And it makes sense for anyone to wonder this, because we humans like to try to be efficient, and minimize effort & maximize reward, so naturally one wonders if one couldn't just capture the precious idea in writing, sell it, and let the buyer have someone else do the "grunt work" of writing the screenplay.

Alas, the reality is that it's not the idea that's paid for, Ruth—it's the execution of the idea. I empathize with you in this moment, because I remember what a slap in the face with a cold fish it was to realize that my amazing ideas were basically worthless unless I had what it took to fully realize them into scripts. THAT is where my journey as an actual writer (not just a dreamer) really started.

You need to find someone who knows someone who cleans the pool at Brad Pitt's house!