Customer Reviews

Writing the Killer Treatment: Selling Your Story Without a Script

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This one suffers the flaw common to how-to books on writing: it's short on models. Plenty of TALK about how to write a treatment, but most writers know that the best instruction comes from an assortment of professionally polished examples. If you want to be a journalist, read the NY Times. If you want to write killer treatments, read some killer treatments.

Not much here to help novices and certainly not for anyone with the vaguest idea of how scripts "work." Very skimpy with examples. There's so much "nuts-and-bolts" knowledge that's necessary to create a good script or treatment, and this book provides little of it.

The title promises to instruct one on how-to write an exceptional script treatment. Yet, like most books of the Hollywood how-to genre, story elements are stressed. Though Mr. Halperin may or may not be "the foremost authority on screenwriting in America," one thing is for sure: you will not find one example of a "killer treatment" in this book. No, you won't even find one fraction of a decent treatment. The only example of the writing of this difficult to define style of storytelling sales document in the book begins: "Dark, threatening clouds loom over jagged snow-covered peaks casting ominous winter shadow on the river." A.K.A. the "It was a dark and stormy night..." opening gambit. I find treatments the most troubling and perplexing form of writing required in the motion picture business. For me, the last piece of the four major forms: log line, synopsis, treatment and script. The one form I have not yet come close to being able to execute with any aplomb. I bit the bullet and bought the book hoping to at last gain some insight into how I might improve. There's nothing in here you haven't read in other screenwriting how-to books, but even more egregious you won't even find a good treatment, or part of one, as an example and an inspiration.

Writing a solid treatment is something rarely -- if ever -- taught in writing courses. This is a great disadvantage for screenwriters, because having the ability to write a compelling treatment could make the difference between getting your foot in the door -- or getting the door closed in your face.

At the very least, mastering this writing form can help writers flesh out their material and pitch it to prospective buyers BEFORE they write the script, allowing them to get feedback and make changes to a 10-15 page document versus a 100-120 page one.

There are few books on this very important topic, and Michael Halperin has written one that belongs in every writers library. If you don't understand what a treatment is for, how it is used, or how to create one, you will after reading this book.

And if you plan on writing for TV, this book is a must. With it's many examples of how to write treatments for TV -- episodic and long-form, it will cut your learning curve in half!

This is a lousy book and spends the entire time explaining why you need to create a treatment and how important treatments are in the entertainment industry, but does not actually teach you how to write one. Very disappointing. The sample treatments included were very unhelpful as well.

Before you start your next script, TV or feature, do not pass up this book.
Halperin really breaks down the most effective way a writer can create a solid,
professional treatment and even prepare the dreaded pitch. Through informative
examples and explanation, he gives aspiring and professional writers the tools
needed in achieving a solid story and characters before embarking on the next
step of the writing process.

This book is full of very good information. It is easy to read and every chapter has exercsies to help you practice what the author suggests. I've written my first treatment and it is being reviewed by an agent. If you have an idea for a TV show or movie, this book is a great first start.

If you're writing on spec, you don't have to do a treatment, but if you're hired to write a screenplay, that's the first thing you have to deliver. It's not only a way to communicate your story to the producers who hire you, but it's an audition for the script writing job because nine out of ten contracts are step deals: The first step is the treatment, and they can cut you off after that. So it's essential to dazzle them with your brilliance as a writer and the fantastic story you're telling.
Halperin's book communicates the importance of writing a good treatment and has some steps on how to do so. More examples of "killer" treatments would be a good idea, though. Perhaps the strongest part of the book can be found in the interviews with working writers who discuss their process. It's always good to see how others do it.
The book could use a more step by step approach to writing treatments, but it's far and away the best of its kind right now (there's really only one other). Recommended to get your feet wet with until something with more "killer treatments" comes out.