Writing a Treatment | Documentary ScriptTips and ideas for getting your ideas organized

SHANNON WALSH SCHOOL OF CREATIVE MEDIA, CITY UNIVERSITY HONG KONG

Writing Tips & Tricks for Beginners

• Do some short exercises to stretch your writing muscles

• If you’re stuck for ideas, carry a notebook every where and write down your observations.

• Work out the time of day when you’re at your most creative.

• Don’t agonize over getting it right. • HAVE FUN!

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/creative-writing-101/

Writing for Short FilmsRaindance Film festival

The shorter the better

Keep the practicalities of writing in mind

Make it visual: “Show don’t tell”, Make visual backstoriesFind single moments

Tell a Story

Engage the Reader

Beware of Clichés

The HERO’S JOURNEY

1. The Ordinary World2. The Call to Adventure3. Refusal of the Call4. Meeting with the

Mentor5. Crossing the threshold6. Tests, Allies and

Enemies7. Approach8. The Ordeal9. The Reward10. The Road Back11. The Resurrection12. Return with the Elixir

The Hero’s Journey is a pattern of narrative identified by the American scholar Joseph Campbell that appears in drama storytelling myth religious ritual and psychological development. It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe or civilization.

Mind Mapping1. Start in the CENTRE of a blank page turned sideways. Why? Because starting in

the centre gives your Brain freedom to spread out in all directions and to express itself more freely and naturally.

2. Use an IMAGE or PICTURE for your central idea. Why? Because an image is worth a thousand words and helps you use your Imagination. A central image is more interesting, keeps you focussed, helps you concentrate, and gives your Brain more of a buzz!

3. Use COLOURS throughout. Why? Because colours are as exciting to your Brain as are images. Colour adds extra vibrancy and life to your Mind Map, adds tremendous energy to your Creative Thinking, and is fun!

4. CONNECT your MAIN BRANCHES to the central image and connect your second- and third-level branches to the first and second levels, etc. Why? Because your Brain works by association. It likes to link two (or three, or four) things together. If you connect the branches, you will understand and remember a lot more easily.

5. Make your branches CURVED rather than straight-lined. Why? Because having nothing but straight lines is boring to your Brain.

6. Use ONE KEY WORD PER LINE. Why Because single key words give your Mind Map more power and flexibility.

7. Use IMAGES throughout. Why because each image, like the central image, is also worth a thousand words. So if you have only 10 images in your Mind Map, it’s already the equal of 10,000 words of notes!

http://www.tonybuzan.com/about/mind-mapping/

Exchange and feedback

Find a partner and exchange your draft treatment and/or explain your ideaRead each other’s work and give some constructive feedback

Cue Card MethodWrite Key Plot Point on Each Card – These are scenes, or key ideas, or even pieces of dialogOrganize your cards in an order that gives you the most dramatic and interesting resultsCreate two new columns for VISUALS & AUDIO For each card, note what the viewer would SEE & HEAR

Cue Card Method II:How to break down the

story1. On one card write down the whole idea of the story in one sentence

2. Re-write the story of your film in three cards 3. Re-write the story of your film on seven cards,

breaking it down further4. Re-write the story of your film on fourteen cards, etc

Mood Board MethodFor those doing more abstract work, create a “mood board”

On a blank paper or on the computer, collect key images, pieces of text, materials, photos, etc to create a feeling of the mood and theme you are going forWhat are the emotional arcs of the piece?What do you want the viewer to come away with? Is it an idea? Feeling?What kinds of things will we SEE & HEAR?

Annotated mood board

Mood board for the “Moulin Rouge” set by Anne Seibel.

https://robertjonathankoeyers.wordpress.com/