What is a treatment of a film?
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A treatment is a document that presents the story idea of your film before writing the entire script. Treatments are often written in present tense, in a narrative-like prose, and highlight the most important information about your film, including title, logline, story summary, and character descriptions
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Is it a script? NO- That would be a screenplay.
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What is the difference between a treatment and a screenplay?
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A treatment is a detailed overview of a screenplay or script idea written in prose form that is used as a marketing tool for both spec and for-hire screenwriters to sell their project. It is sometimes referred to as a written pitch.
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What is an Animation Proposal?
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What to Include in the Animation Proposal: This will vary from project to project. Is is a client project? Or a passion project?
Your animation project proposal needs to give a brief overview as well as provide full detail on the different elements of the multimedia project. A comprehensive animation project proposal leaves little room for misunderstanding. It also appears more professional, presenting your services in the best light and increasing your chances of winning projects.
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Introduction
Your proposal needs to sell your skills, ideas and services. You should let potential clients, funding agents or others know who you are, briefly explain the services you provide and let them know what your animation specialties are. Focus on your strengths and incorporate testimonials from past and existing clients. Include examples of your work on similar projects, or at the very least, a link to your portfolio.
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Define the Project Objectives and Deliverables
Briefly outline the client’s problem OR the projects goal/ideas. This shows you understand the clients’ needs or in the audiences POV and have a firm grasp of what the project needs to accomplish. Follow this with a short overview of how your animated videos will solve their issue.
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Animation videos can be used in multiple ways - from storytelling to instructional ‘how to’ clips and on to educational explainers that increase brand visibility. Businesses who use animation videos to advertise products have seen increases in sales by as much as 40%. Details and statistics such as this should be used when stating the company objectives and deliverables in your video proposal.
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Define the Audience and Competition
When creating a video, it’s important to understand who the intended audience is and any other businesses with similar content in the same vertical. Your animation proposal must define the audience the video is for. Note the following demographics:
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Age range
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Expected mindset the audience has when watching
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Stage of the marketing funnel if creating a marketing video
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Tone of voice for the brand and intended video
Knowing what the competition is up to is also important. This will help you create a better video. It also gives your client some food for thought in terms of what they do and don’t like about competitor’s clips and how you might do better. Noting the competition also has the benefit of showing the client you care about growing their business and builds trust.
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Solution Development and Expected Outcomes
This is the most important and detailed part of your proposal. Now is the time to get really creative. You’ll also need to clearly describe how your animation project will meet the potential client’s needs and the results they can expect to get.
Animation is a medium that can be used to explain and illustrate almost any idea or concept. However, all video content follows a similar process for bringing ideas to life. When developing your solution, structure it around the key steps of the animation stages. Include the details of each responsible team member throughout the process from researchers to the producer.
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Research
This may take the form of a client questionnaire, a call between the client and the creative team, industry research, or all of the above. The aim of all research is to develop a clear vision of what the video needs to achieve and the best way it can do that.
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Scripting and Storyboarding
Animators need to base their work on a strong script. This is the foundation for every other element of the video you make. Include who will be writing the script, how characters will express emotions and the story format you intend to follow - character driven, conflict and resolution, educational or something else.
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After scripting, it’s time to put images with the words. This works like a visual script and provides a guide for the team working on the film. You’ll need to include assigned responsibilities for this stage from the designer through to the script writer and any other relevant member of the production team.
Voiceover and Sound Effects
Nearly all animations need sound and a voice over to give life to the characters or describe what the pictures are showing. If you have a vision for the ideal voice to accompany a corporate video or perfect sound effects for your movie, it should be included in your proposal here.
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Styling
All the copy and content comes together and gets refined by the designer at this stage of the animation process. Detailed backgrounds, additional inanimate objects, more character definition, branding logos, text and icons also appear. This is an ideal time for client feedback and a milestone in the animation project that fits well with invoicing.
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Animation
Now the illustrations come to life! Once the client has approved the storyboarding and styling, movement is added to create the powerful message the client wants. Animation takes time, so make sure you schedule enough time for the final parts to be done without pressure.
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Schedule and Milestones
Giving clarity of when and who will deliver the different elements of the animation project helps new clients understand what to expect. This also helps your animation studio schedule work and resources for the project, ensuring you remain on track with the production of the video. The proposal you create can be used as a map to guide the project when you win the work.
Pricing (for client facing work- not needed for student work)
It’s important to detail your charges for services and payment terms - where money is to be deposited when you invoice and how long clients have to pay. Pricing should be presented in a way that shows the value you deliver to clients and doesn’t undervalue your time, work or skills.
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Although budget is a factor in deciding if your team are the right animators for the job, it’s not the only factor. Your ideas, experience in the animation industry, ability to create tales that engage the audience and the results they can expect are equally important.
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It can be very helpful to create a copy of the animation proposal that you write and strip out the specific project elements to create an animation project proposal template that can be used for future pitching and tender requests.
Pitch Bibles: Click for Breakdown example/how to
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In pitching animation, not only do you need the passion, have a thorough understanding about your property and know the broadcaster and their needs, you need to demonstrate what your story it about. Your pitch materials are your sales tools.
The Pitch Bible is a tool that helps convey your concept. It is a tool to help you present and is a leave-behind to trigger the decision makers memory.
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There are no hard and fast rules about what form a pitch bible should take. At its very best, it should reflect the concept of the project, whether it is a television, feature or home entertainment project, to help the buyer visualize the story as you pitched it. The size, color, number of pages, how it is put together is up to you, the creator, to determine what best conveys your creation.
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Glossary For The Pitch Bible
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Character Descriptions:
Written descriptions of each character, what are their characteristics and how they interact with the other characters in the story.
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Concept Art:
Drawings, illustrations or images of the characters and the environments of the story.
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Episode Synopsis:
See story springboards; One-paragraph description of episodic plots that spring from the original concept; each episodes synopsis should contain a beginning, middle and end.
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Images:
See concept art; Drawing, illustrations of the characters and the environments of the story.
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Key Art:
A drawing, illustration or image of the cast of characters in significant action poses in their environment that best visualizes the characterizations and story.
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Log Line:
A one-sentence description of the story often similar to the one-line description in a television scheduling guide.
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Pilot:
A fully produced episode to show as a sample of the animation and story.
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Pitch Bible or Pitch Book:
A compilation of premise, story, characters, images in a form that can be presented during a pitch, as well as left behind with the prospect.
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Premise:
A written foundation that explores the establishment, conflict and resolution of the story. The premise helps to support the story and the characters for the writer.
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Script Treatment:
A treatment covers the full story, its basic ideas, and production issues in a condensed form, containing key scenes, locations, main characters and plot.
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Story Springboards:
See episode synopsis; One-paragraph descriptions of episodes plots that spring from the original concept. Each episodes synopsis should contain a beginning, middle and end.
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Story Treatment:
A compelling narrative about the story in a page or two for television, longer for features; is used to sell the story.
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Synopsis:
A one-paragraph overview of the story, plot and motivation of the characters.
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Teaser:
Produced animation, either a sequence or animatic, which best illustrates the main characters, their actions and the premise.
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Trailer:
A produced synopsis of the animated story, which helps to sell the concept.
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Building A Pitch Bible
You as the creator will determine the look, feel and weight of your pitch, but there are a few essentials that you want to be sure to include in your pitch materials.
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First and foremost, when developing your pitch package, make sure that it functions well in a presentation. Know where in the book you want key images of characters, environments and key art that you can use in presenting. Make sure that it is easy to follow in a book form, as well as usable in the sales pitch. Some creators like to bring in separate presentation boards of the art for the pitch only, with the pitch book as the leave-behind.
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The pitch book is the document that is left with the interested party for their referral. It is your sales tool when you are not there. Keep it brief and to the point.
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Be sure to have a log line, premise or synopsis included in the front of your pitch for easy reference. Include a story treatment, which gives a more in depth perspective of the concept.
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Unlike any other pitch in entertainment, images in animation are the heart and soul of the story. The pitch book should reflect the artistic design of the project. Some creators use a visual theme throughout their pitch bibles to reinforce the concept. Visual consistency is a way to insure the property is remembered. Developing a logo for your project is an effective way of tying all the pieces together.
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Main characters should be displayed in action poses and with attitudes. These are the actors you hired for the story. Images of the environment help to establish the storys world. Great key art, in which the characters are in action, per their description, within the key environment, further support the concept.
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Episodic synopses are essential for every television pitch. Episodes will show that the story and characters sustains in other situations and circumstances. Be sure that the episode synopses are short with a beginning, middle and end of the story.