Ind-E-Focus

If you are writing a synopsis, treatment or screenplay that you are planning to send to producers or funding organisations, there are strict rules with regards to the acceptable writing style and format. You can find these rules as well as more in depth descriptions of how to write a professional standard treatment, synopsis or screenplay by clicking on the subject headings below;

• Treatment - A written sketch outlining the plot, characters, and action for a screenplay but not including certain elements of a finished screenplay, such as camera directions and dialogue.
• Screenplay - The script of a film, comprising dialogue (and/or narration) with instructions for sets and camera positions.
• Synopsis - The details of a screen play, usually two to three pages long, double-spaced, that give an outline of your complete story.

There are many screenwriting programmes available on the net that automatically format your screenplay, which can save you a lot of time which could be better spent on improving the content of your screenplay – find out about some of these here.

These steps are not set in stone; it’s completely up to you if you want to use index cards, or go straight into writing a treatment. You could approach a film company with just a very basic synopsis of your screenplay and have it bought on the spot. Taking the time to build your story through different stages will give you a chance to recognise the strengths and weaknesses of your narrative while it is still at a manageable size; instead of changing a major plot point in a 120 page screen play, it would be a lot easier to do so in a treatment which is less than half the size, and likewise, it is easier to add or remove index cards from your plot outline than paragraphs and pages from your treatment.

Take your time developing the perfect story with moving characters, clever dialogue and engaging plot twists so that you have the best chance possible of seeing your big ideas on the big screen!