What is a film treatment?

A treatment is a short prose summary of a film — usually one to three pages — that tells the whole story in present tense, hitting the major beats. It sits between a log line and a full screenplay and is used to pitch the idea before writing the script.

What makes a strong log line?

A strong log line names the protagonist, their goal, the central conflict, and the stakes in one or two sentences. The builder assembles yours from the character, goal, and antagonist you enter so it reads as a hook, not a synopsis.

What are the key three-act beats?

The core beats are the inciting incident that launches Act 1, the midpoint that raises the stakes in Act 2, and the climax that resolves the conflict in Act 3. The treatment places your story elements at each of these turning points.

Should a treatment be in past or present tense?

Treatments are written in present tense, third person, as if the reader is watching the film unfold. The generated text uses present tense throughout so it reads like a screen story rather than a novel summary.

Is a treatment the same as a synopsis?

They overlap but differ in purpose. A synopsis is often a one-paragraph plot summary, while a treatment is a longer narrative document that conveys tone and structure to a producer or development executive. This builder produces the longer treatment form.

What is the Screenplay Treatment Builder?

Builds a screenplay treatment with a log line, protagonist and antagonist setup, the Act 1 inciting incident, an Act 2 midpoint, the Act 3 climax and resolution, and a theme statement — using classic three-act structure. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Screenplay Treatment Builder

Name: Screenplay Treatment Builder
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The whole movie in three pages

Before a script exists, a treatment has to make a reader see the movie — its hook, its turns, and what it is all about. This builder takes your protagonist, goal, antagonist, and theme and lays them across a classic three-act spine: a log line, the inciting incident, the midpoint, the climax, and a thematic close — all in present-tense screen prose ready to send to a producer, development executive, or writing partner.

What a treatment is — and is not

A treatment sits between a log line and a full screenplay. It is typically one to three pages of prose that tells the whole story — beginning, middle, and end — in enough detail that a reader understands the tone, the structure, and the emotional journey. It is not a synopsis (which summarises after the fact) and not an outline (which is a structural plan for the writer’s own use). A treatment is a selling document.

Treatments are always written in present tense, third person: “Maria discovers the letter hidden under the floorboard…” not “Maria discovered…” This is a film industry convention — the reader is meant to feel as if they are watching it unfold.

How the builder structures the treatment

Log line — assembled from your character, goal, and opposing force. A good log line is one sentence that contains the protagonist, their goal, the obstacle, and the stakes. The builder uses the formula: a [trait] [character] must [achieve goal] against [antagonist or force], or [consequence].

Act 1: Setup and inciting incident — the protagonist’s ordinary world is established, and then disrupted. The inciting incident is the event that sets the story in motion. It must be external and clear enough that the audience can mark the moment the story truly begins.

Act 2: Escalation and midpoint — the protagonist pursues the goal while the antagonist or circumstances push back. The midpoint is the structural pivot of Act 2 — a reversal, revelation, or point of no return that changes the nature of the conflict and prevents the story from sagging in the middle.

Act 3: Climax and resolution — the protagonist confronts the antagonist at the highest possible stakes. The climax resolves the central conflict; the resolution shows the aftermath and the changed world.

Theme — a closing statement that names what the film is really about, usually a claim about human experience rather than a topic or genre. This is the last line of the treatment and the question the audience should be thinking about as the credits roll.

Craft notes

The log line is the treatment’s opening sentence. If it does not make the reader want to see the movie, nothing that follows will save it.
Inciting incidents work when they are external events that force the protagonist to act. An internal realisation (“she decides to change her life”) is almost never strong enough — something has to happen to her.
The midpoint should feel like the movie could end here and be satisfying — but there is still one more mountain to climb. Reversals and revelations at the midpoint are the most reliable structures.
State the theme as a claim or question about life, not a genre: “trust is earned in crisis, not comfort” rather than “a thriller about loyalty”. The former tells the reader what the film leaves them with; the latter just describes the packaging.