Before a script gets written or a single shot gets filmed, there is usually a treatment. A film treatment is the document that sells your story — to producers, investors, collaborators, or yourself. This guide explains what a treatment is, what goes in it, and how to structure one, with a simple template you can copy.
What is a film treatment?
A film treatment is a short prose summary of your film, written in the present tense, that tells the entire story from beginning to end. Unlike a logline (one sentence) or a synopsis (a paragraph), a treatment walks through the whole narrative — characters, key scenes, turning points, and ending — usually in two to ten pages.
It reads more like a short story than a script. There is no scene formatting and no full dialogue; instead, you describe what happens in an engaging, cinematic way that lets a reader picture the finished film.
What to include in a film treatment
A strong treatment usually contains the following sections:
- Title — your working title, formatted cleanly on its own.
- Logline — one or two sentences capturing the core conflict and hook.
- Genre and format — feature, short, series; drama, thriller, documentary.
- Main characters — brief, vivid introductions to the people who matter.
- The story — the heart of the treatment: a present-tense walkthrough of the plot.
- Tone and look — a short note on the visual style and mood.
How to structure the story section
The story itself should follow a clear three-act shape so the reader can feel the arc:
- Act one — setup: introduce your protagonist, their world, and the inciting incident that disrupts it.
- Act two — confrontation: escalate the obstacles, raise the stakes, and push your character toward a crisis.
- Act three — resolution: deliver the climax and show how the character and story are changed.
Write it in the present tense ("Maya opens the door and freezes"), keep it visual, and focus on what the audience will actually see and feel.
Free film treatment template
Copy the structure below into your document and fill in each section:
- TITLE: [Your working title]
- LOGLINE: [One or two sentences — who wants what, and what stands in the way]
- GENRE / FORMAT: [e.g. Feature film, thriller, 95 min]
- CHARACTERS: [2–4 short paragraphs introducing your key players]
- ACT ONE: [Setup and inciting incident]
- ACT TWO: [Rising conflict and midpoint turn]
- ACT THREE: [Climax and resolution]
- TONE & VISUAL STYLE: [A short paragraph on look, mood, and references]
Make it look the part
Presentation matters when you are pitching. A treatment with a clean title page and consistent typography signals that you take the project seriously. MoonBear's title presets and display fonts help you design a polished cover and on-screen titles once your project moves into production.
Write the treatment first, get the story working, then make it look cinematic. That order wins pitches.