In a Microsoft Word document, write a short treatment for a feature documentary film (between 60-120 minutes) based on an original concept about an existing subject (person, place, or thing). The treatment must be between 1-2 pages, preceded by a cover page featuring the title of the documentary, your name, and the due date of the assignment (the 1-2 pages does not include the cover page). The treatment must be double-spaced, in Times New Roman or Cambria (12-point font, 1-inch margins). The treatment must be written in normal prose, i.e. paragraph form, and in present tense.
Your treatment should demonstrate how your film will connect to the audience on an emotional level, how your documentary will educate/inform, and what will make your documentary both visually and aurally interesting. Documentaries can be highly stylized, so think about how your film could be visually dynamic.
Your treatment must include each of the following six elements:
Log Line: a few words or a phrase that encapsulates your documentary’s overall goal and message
Principal Themes and Points of Exposition: what are you exploring – i.e. terrorism, fandom, a scandal, body positivity, etc. and describe planned shooting locations/events that will be featured throughout the film’s narrative
Mode(s): discuss what mode or modes your documentary will use/what techniques from the mode(s) will be used – review the 6 modes in Nichols – you can mix them/play with them in your own way
Genre(s): discuss which genre your documentary represents and how it represents that genre – review the lecture slides
Content: describe what we will see and hear (cinematography style – hand-held, static, etc. and music, sound effects between shots, etc.)
Overall Goal: end with emphasizing/stating the overall goal – what human truths are you exploring? What critical/personal perspective are you offering on the human condition/what aspect of the human condition are you hoping to change the viewers’ perspective on?
For inspiration, review Friedmann’s discussion of Treatments (p. 74), the student examples on Canvas, and, of course, the lecture slides.
Rubric
The following items will be considered when grading the Documentary Treatment:
Basic Requirements: 5 points – is your treatment in the correct file format and meet the correct word processing specifications (font, margins, etc.)?
Grammar/Spelling: 10 points – did you write in complete sentences with proper grammar? Did you avoid run-ons? Did you use informal language/slang in your writing? Did your script lack polish in terms of proofreading errors/typos (this is a writing class after all)? Is your treatment “readable” overall?
Cover Page: 10 points – did you follow the directions for the cover page?
Content: 75 points – did you include all six specified elements in your treatment? Did you give detailed descriptions for each element? Did you incorporate the Nichols reading in discussing the mode(s) in your documentary? Did you think/plan for a visually and aurally engaging film? Did you describe a clear message/goal for your documentary? Did you present a fully developed idea/vision for a finished film? Did you write in normal prose and present tense?
