Writing Treatments That Sell, Second Edition
How to Create and Market Your Story Ideas to the Motion Picture and TV Industry
ISBN10: 0805072780
ISBN13: 9780805072785
Paperback
272 Pages
$19.99
CA$27.99
As Hollywood insiders know, the first step in selling your story idea for film or television isn't writing a script—it's writing a treatment, the brief pitch that sells the concept to a busy producer or agent. In this accessible, entertaining guide, writers-producers Kenneth Atchity and Chi-Li Wong tell readers everything they need to know to create an effective and salable treatment, one that incorporates such key elements as conflict, likeable characters, plot twists, a climax, and visual drama.
Using dozens of the latest examples from actual productions, Writing Treatments That Sell distinguishes between scripts designed for feature films, episodic television, and made-for-TV movies, and shows step-by-step how to prepare a treatment for each. Also included is essential information on copyrighting original ideas, as well as acquiring rights to adaptable books and true-life stories. This revised edition includes numerous sample treatments, comments from producers, directors, agents, and successful screenwriters, and updated information on the growing cable television market. With a comprehensive glossary of industry terms and an overview of the various entertainment markets, this book remains an absolute must for anyone hoping to get a foot in the door of the scriptwriting business.
Reviews
Praise for Writing Treatments That Sell, Second Edition
"Atchity and Wong have accomplished the near-impossible task of offering a clear road map through Hollywood's Byzantine structure of buying film and television properties. Essential material for the beginning screenwriter and the established writer both."—Dale Pollack, producer, Blaze and Saturday Night Fever
"At last—someone wrote the book every screenwriter has needed for years. It can make the difference between success and failure in the industry."—Linda Seger, author of Making a Good Script Great and From Script to Screen