By now you will have come up with your idea and you have done some research. If it’s a factual piece, you will have spoken to people who might be in production and you have been to the places you think you might film in. If it’s a music video or an advertisement you will have visited locations and thought about your cast. You have also had a good look at some examples of the types of material you are trying to make. You have started to think about how you are going to structure the piece. You should by now have a good idea of the framework for your project and what elements you are going to start to hang around the framework.
Now it’s time to do a treatment. There are many different types of treatment and they will all have particular functions. Often broadcasters or film-makers prepare treatments of their script as a way of trying to pitch the idea. In this case the treatment is a kind of synopsis of the piece but it is also trying to sell the idea to someone.
Other types of treatment help you prepare for your recording or shoot and this is the type of treatment dealt with in this chapter. A treatment is the process of working out on paper exactly what you are going to film or record, and starting to gather all the information together.
The type of treatment you do will rather depend upon the type of production; different genres of productions often use different types of treatment. There are no hard and fast rules about this and you can use whatever type of treatment you feel most comfortable with, but the following will give you some guidelines.
Treatments are similar to plans. The end result is rarely exactly like the treatment. Almost all productions evolve in the process. So, why do one? Well, it will help you understand certain things about your piece:
From this you will begin to understand how much time you will need to do your filming or recording and it will help you get to grips with the logistics.
The following are the different types of treatments you can employ. Not all of them are right for every project; you will need to choose the one that best suits your project.
If your production is dramatised, there are two main types of treatment that will help you work out what you need to do.
However, in the case of a dramatised piece, you will need to have a script before you can do either of these treatments.
Clearly, if you want a cast to act out a drama they need to know what to say. However, a script will also help you to think about other aspects of the production:
Below is an example of how to lay out a drama for TV. If you log onto the website you can download a copy; you will also find lots more examples. Have a look at them to see how they are set out.
Template 8.1 TV script
Template 8.2 Radio script
There are a number of things you might notice. First, each of the scenes is given a number, and sometimes each of the speeches is given a number. This is important; it helps everyone know where they are in the script. It means that if you are making notes or talking to actors or crew about a particular part of the script you can refer to the number and everyone knows exactly what you mean.
You should also notice that the writer hasn’t just written the dialogue. A lot of the writing is telling you what the characters look like, what the scenery looks like and what the characters are doing. In the case of the radio script it tells you what sounds you are hearing.
Once you have a script organised, the second stage of your treatment could be a storyboard. Storyboards are most often used in music videos or advertisements. They are sometimes used in drama but they aren’t very often used in factual programme-making, documentaries or news reporting, but that’s not to say you can’t use them for this if you want to; in fact it may be helpful.
Storyboards are very useful to help you think about what kinds of shots you are going to need and getting a sense of how the story should start to look. They will help the camera-person understand what the director has in mind.
You can find links to some more examples of storyboards if you log onto the website. These are mostly done by professional storyboard artists. However, don’t be put off if you think your drawing skills aren’t up to it. You don’t need to be a brilliant artist: stick men will do. Alternatively, a lot of people now use animatics to create a storyboard. Below is an example of a blank storyboard, and you can also download a blank storyboard from the website.
Template 8.3 Blank storyboard
The storyboard is just a tool to help you think through what you might film. Just like your plan, your finished film may not work out exactly as the storyboard said it should, and this is fine! The purpose of a storyboard is to help you think things through and get you prepared; it is not meant to be a finished work of art.
The purpose of the storyboard is so that you work out:
Like everything else, this storyboard is going to change and develop when you actually come to the shoot, but if you at least start with a good idea in your head you will have a fighting chance of getting what you need.
Below you can see an example of a blank storyboard to cover some of the script you’ve just seen. As you’ll notice, you really don’t have to be a great artist.
Template 8.4 Completed storyboard
The last element of your treatment you may want to think about is a scene breakdown. If there is more than one scene in your piece, this will help you decide on the order in which you are going to film the piece and who and what you will need when. You will need to think about how many locations you will need to visit and how much time you will need to allocate to each location. Remember that moving between locations can be time consuming. There is the time it takes to travel from one place to another but there is also the time involved in setting up a scene and then striking (taking everything down and packing it up). You should also allow time to do this. You will also then begin to think of the lists of costumes and props that you are going to need.
If you are planning a radio drama then the scene breakdown will help you work out all the elements you will need to bring to the studio when you mix your programme. It will also help you decide how long you will need to record the piece.
The scene breakdown becomes a sort of timetable that you can work to. So, for example, go back to the Jake and Florence story. Imagine you are going to shoot or record four scenes. A scene breakdown helps you to make the most of your time and helps everyone understand who needs to be where when and what they need to bring.
Template 8.5 Scene breakdown
In a factual programme the process is different. You won’t have a final script until later. The final script won’t appear until you are in the edit. However, you can start to create outline scripts or treatments, sometimes called shooting scripts, which are commonly used in factual programmes to help producers prepare. This time you will write down in note form what you are going to see and hear in the film, and the order in which it will appear.
You will see that the page is divided into two columns. On the left you will write down what the viewer or listener is going to hear. On the right you will write down what they are going to see. In the case of a radio recording you should write down any actuality sound. This is any sound which is not people talking but is the sounds you hear around you. Again you should divide your piece up into scenes. Pay equal attention to each of the columns. Even in factual programmes TV is a visual medium, the visuals are very powerful and you need to think about building up meaningful sequences. In radio, a piece which is just people talking can get a bit dull: you will need to think about how else you might be able to create a picture in the listeners’ minds, help them to feel a part of the piece.
Just like with the storyboard, don’t get too hung up on getting this exactly right. Very few finished programmes end up exactly like the outline script; they all change and develop as the process continues.
If you are making a TV programme the outline script will help you think through what kinds of pictures you are going to need to achieve; it’s going to help you understand how many locations you will need to visit. It will also start to help you understand how much filming you are going to have to do, and it will start to tell you if you have taken on too much or if you have forgotten something. The same with radio: it will help you understand the number of locations you will have to visit, what kinds of sounds you are going to need to get hold of.
An outline is not meant to be a finished script, it is not word for word what will be in the piece; as the name outline implies, it’s a sketch of what will be in the production when it’s finished. Below is an example of an outline. If you log onto the website you’ll find a copy you can download.
Template 8.6 Radio treatment
Template 8.7 Television treatment
Treatments are an important part of the production process. Not only do they help to work out the structure of the piece but they help you prepare all the practical elements. You should know what you are planning to do before you start the shoot or recording, rather than try to work it out as you go along. The treatment allows you to think about whether you have a good strong narrative; it is also an important way of allowing you to plan for all the shooting and recording you are going to have to do and all the elements you will need to get together before you record. Treatments are an important part of your production plan.
