Deconstructing a Film Treatment

Deconstructing a film treatment, along with its more detailed counterpart, the scriptment, involves a thorough analysis of the document to understand the intricacies of the proposed film. Film treatments and scriptments are pivotal in the pre-production phase, often used to pitch movie ideas to studios or investors. While a treatment is typically a succinct narrative summary, a scriptment is more detailed, sometimes including snippets of dialogue, more specific scene descriptions, and even camera angles. Here's how to deconstruct these documents:

1. Understanding the Format:

- Treatment: Usually a brief (5-20 pages) document that outlines the story, characters, and key plot points. It's more about the story than the specifics of how it's presented.

- Scriptment: A hybrid between a screenplay and a treatment, it's more detailed than a treatment but less so than a full screenplay. It can include dialogue, specific scene breakdowns, and sometimes camera directions.

2. Plot and Narrative Structure:

- Analyze the narrative arc, noting the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

- Look for major plot points and how they're connected.

- In a scriptment, pay attention to how specific scenes are set up and how they transition to one another.

3. Character Analysis:

- Examine character descriptions, their roles in the story, motivations, and development.

- In scriptments, analyze how characters are introduced and how their dialogue contributes to their development.

4. Themes and Motifs:

- Identify and interpret recurring themes or motifs, considering their significance to the overall message or tone of the film.

5. Tone and Style:

- Assess the suggested tone (dramatic, comedic, thriller, etc.) and style.

- In scriptments, note any specific stylistic directions, like camera angles or lighting, which can suggest the visual style of the film.

6. Visual and Sensory Elements:

- Envision the setting, costumes, and overall visual atmosphere as described.

- Scriptments may provide more detailed visual descriptions, enhancing your understanding of the film’s aesthetic.

7. Dialogue and Interaction:

- For scriptments, examine how dialogue is used to advance the plot, reveal character traits, or establish mood.

- Analyze interactions between characters and how these drive the narrative.

8. Marketability and Audience:

- Consider the potential audience, genre appeal, and how marketable the film concept is.

- Think about current trends and how this film fits into the contemporary cinematic landscape.

9. Comparative Analysis:

- Compare the treatment or scriptment with existing films or genres to understand its unique aspects or conventional features.

10. Revision and Development Potential:

- Identify areas for improvement or expansion.

- Consider how certain elements of the treatment or scriptment might be further developed into a full screenplay.

11. Structural Coherence:

- In scriptments, particularly, assess how well the narrative flows, considering the added details and dialogue.

Check for consistency in tone and character development throughout the document.

Deconstructing these documents requires a balance of creative interpretation and critical analysis, allowing a deeper understanding of the film’s potential narrative and visual journey. This process is essential in envisioning how a film might be translated from paper to screen.

Example: E.T. 2, a short example. (Treatment)