PRODUCING: TREATMENT EXAMPLES
Business of Producing
PRODUCING: TREATMENT EXAMPLES
Working Title: MomentsGenre: Feature length film (Young Adult/
Adult Drama)
Comparable films: Sliding Doors, Serendipity
Introduction: Do you every think about your life and ponder how
you ended up where you are? If you have a good memory you can
probably simplify your life to a few simple moments and decisions.
It is the smallest choices that form the glue of our complicated
lives.
Synopsis: This film will open your eyes to the way in which our
lives are mapped, drawing attention away from the moments which we
claim are those of highest importance and focusing on those which
are usually dismissed as merely everyday decisions. This story
explores the phenomenon of chance, fate and coincidence. These
three concepts can alone explain how the pieces of everyones lives
fall into place. This story focuses on the lives of five
individuals of different ages, classes, geographical locations and
lifestyles. Each character vignette is a flashback and focuses on a
different period of time in the characters life and the critical
choices that that one individual consciously or unconsciously makes
that will ultimately link their lives with the other characters.
The relationships between the characters vary in type from lovers,
friends and mentors. Whether it is a simple decision to smile at a
stranger, step foot into one coffee shop instead of the other
across the street, make a seemingly inappropriate comment to an
acquaintance, decide to attend an event which you are dreading, do
a favor for a stranger, or even drop a belonging on the street.
These events go unnoticed to most, though they are the most
critical in retrospect. It is these trivial moments in our lives
which propel us in certain directions and connect us to the most
important people, best friends, lovers, and mentors. Through an
intricate story line the lives of these five characters will be
drawn together, placing focus on the negligible moments which links
them into a beautiful web of relationships. The development of the
characters and the detailed look at the evolution of meaningful
relationships will show that the smallest gesture can sometimes
make the greatest impact.
Based on the novel:
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Genre:
Romance, Drama
Comparable novels turned movie:
Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back
General Concept:
Written by Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is
the story about the many stages of love, survival and finding
yourself. It is the story of Janie Crawford, a strong black woman
who is articulate, self-reliant, and radically different than most
women in her time period. This story is not about a pathetic woman
in love, but about a powerful woman who defied everything expected
of her. Janie's marriages to Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, and Tea
Cake are the most crucial elements in her development as a
woman.
Synopsis:
Janie has just returned home after running off with her younger
lover-boy, Tea Cake. Everybody wants to know what happened,
especially since there is no Tea Cake by her side. The whole town
believes that he swindled her and left her penniless and that is
why she is returning home. However, to everyones dismay she comes
in calmly and at peace with herself and only tells her story to her
best friend, Pheoby.
Janie recounts her story from the time that she was born to the
present so that Pheoby may gain a better understanding of Janie the
person, Janie the woman. She recounts her marriage to Logan
Killicks, the old man her grandmother married her off to so that
she may have a better life. Janie was bored with her marriage and
soon ran off with the smooth talking, nicely dressed, Jody Starks.
She married Jody Starks without even divorcing her first husband.
Jody proved to be a good husband at first, but his need for
attention and control soon got the best of his love for Janie. She
was not happy in her marriage, but she always put her foot down,
which made Jody try to be the man even more. He would embarrass
Janie and treat her as if she was ignorant, but it could not be
done because Janie was strong and articulate. When Jody died, Janie
paid her respects to her husband and soon fell for the younger Tea
Cake that had the whole town of Eatonville talking non-stop.
The novel shows how Janie develops into the woman that she is in
a male dominated world. It tells her story of finally being able to
live life fully and for herself and not by anyone elses standards
including her grandmother, Logan or Jody. Janies story is about the
female experience in a world that they do not control. Pheoby
character is very important (even though her voice is not heard
very often throughout the book). Her attention to Janies story is
an examination of not only Janies inner life, but her own inner
life. Listening to Janies story makes her realize a lot about
herself in the end and thus she too has grown as a woman.
This movie is not just for the African-American audience, but
for all women it is about experience, which makes promotes growth
and all women can relate to that.
Casting SuggestionsPITCH PROPOSALS
SECTIONS of THE PROPOSAL
1. Who are you, what is your experience and why are you here to
sell
us this idea?
2. What do you want - money, production help, distribution
help,
legal advice, milk & cookies?
3. The Treatment - same as or revised, or changed completely if
you
do desire
4. Whom do you have attached for actor, dircetor, script - or
if
no one - whom do you suggest or are you thinking about
5. What are your marketing thoughts - the audience you are
seeking,
the advertising ideas, the media you would like to use -
anything that
will convince the audience that you are pitching that you wil
make this
production a success
6a A Budget, even a superficial one. Anything about a
timetable,
how long to get everything done
6b. What is the Locations, (Foreign and distant or studio
backlot)
any special effects or is it going to simple
7. If it is a book or any published idea - what are doing
about
getting the rights (make it up if you don't have an answer
yet)
8. Is there any supplementary revenue posiibilities, or any
international possibilities
9. Are you passionate about this project, do you really want
to
make it and why (as a closing)
THE END
