Man Oh man Oh man! I needed this 411. Your explanation was the light at the end of my “ how to write a treatment tunnel”! Not simple, nothing never is if it’s got potential to be great. Where do we inquire if our treatments are ready to be read. Maybe there’s a program to check format and etc. Any suggestions. Thank for your guidance.🌿
Thanks and glad it helped! A treatment is moreso for your own use in planning out the story. The only other people who will want to read it is a studio or producer or network but this typically happens when they ask for it - it’s not something you submit or solicit.
Hey Jay if you feel like the scripts your writing are more best suitable for a show rather then a movie is it best to turn it like that? Because I be having trouble making certain scripts go past 80 pages like Im on my third script and I really don't see this script going past 80 pages I mean I don't think so I probably would tho I'm only on the 30 pages
If your script is too short, most times it's because you have a structural act problem. In most cases act 2 doesn't have enough conflict and problems for your protagonist to overcome. Also keep in mind different genres have different lengths. I normally end up around 90-105 pages and I mostly write horror, thrillers, sci-fi mixed with drama. 80 is not too short where you have major issues...take a look at act 2 and give your protag another problem to deal with that blocks his or her overall goal. You'll be surprised how much of a boost that will give you in adding pages that aren't fluff.
Hey, Jay, I have a question. How do you write a treatment or a synopsis when you are planning to present the story with an alternating present time and backstory in your script? More Power.
What exactly do you mean when you say an alternating present time and backstory? Something like Back to the Future? Any comparable movies as an example you can give?
@@JayCarver Hi there. What I mean is that the scene starts on its present timeline and is then interrupted by the reminiscences or flashbacks of the protagonist, and it goes on that way for quite some time, until the scenes met eventually. I dont remember the movie that is similar to this, but there is one.
So the treatment and synopsis process would be the same. Your question is more related to the structure of the story. I'd either write a treatment for each storyline in a linear way and then combine them how I see fit once I'm writing the actual script -- or I'd write the treatment where each paragraph section represents a different storyline in the order I plan to tell the story. If we use The Godfather II which is an example that fits your question, we see the story of Michael Corleone stepping into the role of The Godfather with long flashbacks to the young Vito Corleone establishing himself in New York in the dawn of the 20th Century. Storyline A starts in the present while storyline B is set in the past that eventually leads up to storyline A towards the ending.
Hey Jay if I write a screenplay of a movie but use some characters from marvel or DC is that considered plagiarism? Do I have to change shit around completely or should I just not touch characters who Disney and DC own the rights to?
It's not considered plagiarism, but is moreso in the realm of copyright or trademark infringement since they own all the IP to those characters. I wouldn't touch their characters unless I was being hired directly by them to do so. You can't sell it to anyone and no producers want to see your version of those stories unless you are showing them a draft or sample of work you were paid to do. Easier to just tweak the characters and storyline to make it your own. That's all they're doing anyway :)
@@JayCarver oh ok so don't use there characters names? Like if I wanted to make my own version of let's say wolverine? Or Batman I should never use the names or any context from the comics or movies?
@@JayCarver oh and if I wanted to make something similar to like the symbiotes in marvel you think I got to steer clear of that whole symbiote idea? Or do I got to tweak it a bit more?
Pretty much and just make sure your story version is different enough from theirs as possible. For one, audience members don’t need another variation of Wolverine that already is out there and secondly, you don’t want to infringe on anything they’ve established (as you would not want anyone to do that to your work either).
A strong rule of thumb is that we should not feel like your version is a derivative version of something that already exists. The movie Avatar has the same basic premise as Dances With Wolves and the original Fast and Furious movie as well as the movie Point Break. What’s different and makes it special is the originality of the details, the characters and the setting and time period…even the genre.
@@GCVideos ha sorry about that. Towards the end I explain how a treatment is written and the same rule of thumb applies whether it’s one page or several. Hope that helps!
Hey Jay if i'm writing a screenplay and like I want to reveal certain things later in the film rather then in the same scene where the characters are unaware but the antagonist am I suppose to really elaborate all that in screenplay? Like let put in that man's has a unrevealed agenda or deliberately mislead agenda?
Depends. Think of what you want your audience to think and feel. Always focus on "showing" and not "telling". You have to decide if you want your audience to know something your unaware characters don't know or if you want the audience to learn things at the same time the characters find out.
Yea, just seems like you need to develop the story's premise a bit more based on that idea. Check out this video I did on how to make a stronger logline: th-cam.com/video/icvw7tpgxwc/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much. I've added your videos to my study sessions and it has helped me so much. Much love to you. 🙂
I'm glad it helped!
Thanks so much for this video. It clarifies so much for the baby writer!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks! Much needed…
You’re welcome!
Man Oh man Oh man! I needed this 411. Your explanation was the light at the end of my “ how to write a treatment tunnel”! Not simple, nothing never is if it’s got potential to be great. Where do we inquire if our treatments are ready to be read. Maybe there’s a program to check format and etc. Any suggestions. Thank for your guidance.🌿
Thanks and glad it helped! A treatment is moreso for your own use in planning out the story. The only other people who will want to read it is a studio or producer or network but this typically happens when they ask for it - it’s not something you submit or solicit.
Hey Jay if you feel like the scripts your writing are more best suitable for a show rather then a movie is it best to turn it like that?
Because I be having trouble making certain scripts go past 80 pages like Im on my third script and I really don't see this script going past 80 pages I mean I don't think so I probably would tho I'm only on the 30 pages
If your script is too short, most times it's because you have a structural act problem. In most cases act 2 doesn't have enough conflict and problems for your protagonist to overcome. Also keep in mind different genres have different lengths. I normally end up around 90-105 pages and I mostly write horror, thrillers, sci-fi mixed with drama. 80 is not too short where you have major issues...take a look at act 2 and give your protag another problem to deal with that blocks his or her overall goal. You'll be surprised how much of a boost that will give you in adding pages that aren't fluff.
Hey, Jay, I have a question. How do you write a treatment or a synopsis when you are planning to present the story with an alternating present time and backstory in your script? More Power.
What exactly do you mean when you say an alternating present time and backstory? Something like Back to the Future? Any comparable movies as an example you can give?
@@JayCarver Hi there. What I mean is that the scene starts on its present timeline and is then interrupted by the reminiscences or flashbacks of the protagonist, and it goes on that way for quite some time, until the scenes met eventually. I dont remember the movie that is similar to this, but there is one.
So the treatment and synopsis process would be the same. Your question is more related to the structure of the story. I'd either write a treatment for each storyline in a linear way and then combine them how I see fit once I'm writing the actual script -- or I'd write the treatment where each paragraph section represents a different storyline in the order I plan to tell the story. If we use The Godfather II which is an example that fits your question, we see the story of Michael Corleone stepping into the role of The Godfather with long flashbacks to the young Vito Corleone establishing himself in New York in the dawn of the 20th Century. Storyline A starts in the present while storyline B is set in the past that eventually leads up to storyline A towards the ending.
Hey Jay, thank you for taking the time in clarifying this to me. God bless.
I was thinking, that maybe you can add this topic to your future video. Peace!
Hey Jay if I write a screenplay of a movie but use some characters from marvel or DC is that considered plagiarism? Do I have to change shit around completely or should I just not touch characters who Disney and DC own the rights to?
It's not considered plagiarism, but is moreso in the realm of copyright or trademark infringement since they own all the IP to those characters. I wouldn't touch their characters unless I was being hired directly by them to do so. You can't sell it to anyone and no producers want to see your version of those stories unless you are showing them a draft or sample of work you were paid to do. Easier to just tweak the characters and storyline to make it your own. That's all they're doing anyway :)
@@JayCarver oh ok so don't use there characters names? Like if I wanted to make my own version of let's say wolverine? Or Batman I should never use the names or any context from the comics or movies?
@@JayCarver oh and if I wanted to make something similar to like the symbiotes in marvel you think I got to steer clear of that whole symbiote idea? Or do I got to tweak it a bit more?
Pretty much and just make sure your story version is different enough from theirs as possible. For one, audience members don’t need another variation of Wolverine that already is out there and secondly, you don’t want to infringe on anything they’ve established (as you would not want anyone to do that to your work either).
A strong rule of thumb is that we should not feel like your version is a derivative version of something that already exists. The movie Avatar has the same basic premise as Dances With Wolves and the original Fast and Furious movie as well as the movie Point Break. What’s different and makes it special is the originality of the details, the characters and the setting and time period…even the genre.
How would I go about a one-page treatment?
I made a video about it here th-cam.com/video/febRL2rYRF0/w-d-xo.html
It appears you linked the video i commented on lol, I need to write a one-page treatment haha
@@GCVideos ha sorry about that. Towards the end I explain how a treatment is written and the same rule of thumb applies whether it’s one page or several. Hope that helps!
Hey Jay if i'm writing a screenplay and like I want to reveal certain things later in the film rather then in the same scene where the characters are unaware but the antagonist am I suppose to really elaborate all that in screenplay?
Like let put in that man's has a unrevealed agenda or deliberately mislead agenda?
Depends. Think of what you want your audience to think and feel. Always focus on "showing" and not "telling". You have to decide if you want your audience to know something your unaware characters don't know or if you want the audience to learn things at the same time the characters find out.
@@JayCarver ok ok 🤔 I'ma have to think that through a little bit more how I'ma do that
My log line is kinda weak: four best friends in Tulsa Oklahoma try to find meaning in life in highschool in a meaningless town.😢
Yea, just seems like you need to develop the story's premise a bit more based on that idea. Check out this video I did on how to make a stronger logline: th-cam.com/video/icvw7tpgxwc/w-d-xo.html
send me a film treatment example like that of get out