Writing Treatments That Sell: How to Create and Market Your Story Ideas to the Motion Picture and TV Industry (Paperback)

~ (Author), Chi-Li Wong (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Walter's name is synonymous with excellence in motion picture screenwriting. The guru of the completed script (he previously wrote Screenwriting: The Art, Craft and Business of Film and Television Writing, LJ 11/15/88), he here offers a tour de force of information for everyone who has ever contemplated writing a movie. While most how-to titles dwell on the three-act structure, strong character development, and other technical skills, Walter urges writers to draw from their own experience. He cheers for films with substance rather than today's matinees that may be shiny and shapely but void of any real soul. Equally impressive is Writing Treatments That Sell, a debut by two Hollywood writer-producers. Though some of their basic information seems to be a rehash of material found in just about every screenwriting book, everything pertaining to the actual writing of the treatment is original and fresh. There is no better book specifically on treatments. Both titles are highly recommended for appropriate collections.?Marty Dean Evensvold, Magnolia Branch Lib., Tex.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"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
-- Review --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; 1st edition (July 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805042830
• ISBN-13: 978-0805042832
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #242,187 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great tool, already put it to use!, September 17, 2004

By	t-boogie "spokesman of the streets" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writing Treatments That Sell: How to Create and Market Your Story Ideas to the Motion Picture and TV Industry, Second Edition (Paperback)

I just finished this book about four days ago, and I've already completed my first treatment, in my case a television series "bible." This book gave me a lot of insights, and I'm quite satisfied. It's short, easy to read, direct and practical. There's even a section at the end about copyrighting and legal issues, which is very helpful and will come in handy for the next part of the process that awaits me.

By the way, a previous reviewer mentioned that this book deserves four stars instead of five because a sample treatment for big-screen movies wasn't included. In actuality, a sample television movie treatment was included. All you have to do is change the seven-act structure used for television movies into the three-act structure used for big-screen movies and that TV movie sample treatment can also be used as a sample treatment for a big-screen movie.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Almost hit the mark, March 29, 2001

By	BigTimeBookie (Midwest -- USA) - See all my reviews

I know absolutely nothing about writing a movie treatment. Be aware, I am interested in writing a movie treatment NOT a full fledged script. So when I asked learned friends what book they suggested everyone named this one. I even asked for other references, everyone said this was THE book.

The book does give great details on the content of a treatment, the necessary parts, and insight into the industry, however I was waaaay disappointed that a sample movie treatment was NOT provided. Had the sample been included this book would have gotten a 5 star rating.

It would have been quite helpful to see a treatment dissected and the typing format!! Perhaps someone can email me a suggestion on a book that has the elements this book is missing

Take care--

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good facts but missing the main part, November 1, 1999

By	metaldrummer (Corcoran, MN) - See all my reviews

For a person looking to write a movie treatment for the big screen, the first 20 or so pages outline the requirements very well. But just when you've finished the section on what makes a good movie treatment and are ready to see how all of the requirements tie together, THERE IS NO SAMPLE MOVIE TREATMENT TO REVIEW! NOT ONE! Absolutely bizarre. And yes, treatments vary in how they are written, but how about just one to look at and review? The book moves on to television and gives some sample treatments but they're for a 7 act TV movie which is much different than a 3 act big screen movie. Why is it that a book on how to create treatments omits the very thing that many people buy the book to look at and dissect?