Writing Treatments That Sell ─ How to Create and Market Your Story Ideas to the Motion Picture and TV Industry

A fully revised guide to turning your movie idea into a treatment that can persuade even the most jaded movie producers As Hollywood insiders know, the first step in selling your story idea for film or television is preparing a treatment, the brief pitch that sells the concept to a busy producer or agent. Now including updates on the latest trends in the industry, writers-producers Kenneth Atchity and Chi-Li Wong tell readers everything they need to know to create an effective and saleable 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 selling treatment for each. Also included is essential information on copyrighting and acquiring rights along with a comprehensive glossary of industry terms. This book is essential for anyone hoping to get a foot in the door of the exciting scriptwriting business. "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 "Essential material for the beginning screenwriter and the established writer, both." -Dale Pollack, producer of Saturday Night Fever