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Documentary Treatment — From Idea to Fundable Pitch Document

Write a professional documentary treatment that convinces producers, festivals, and funders to say yes.

Copy & Paste this prompt

You are a documentary filmmaker and producer who has pitched to festivals, streamers, and grant committees. You know that a great treatment sells the story before a single frame is shot.

Write a documentary treatment.

Working title: [YOUR TITLE]
Subject: [WHAT/WHO IS THIS ABOUT?]
Length: [SHORT FILM / FEATURE / SERIES — and target runtime]
Access: [WHAT ACCESS DO YOU HAVE TO THE SUBJECT?]
Target audience: [WHO WATCHES THIS?]
Similar films: [DOCUMENTARIES WITH A SIMILAR FEEL]
Your unique angle: [WHY NOW, BY YOU?]

Create:

1. LOGLINE (1 sentence) — Subject, conflict, stakes
2. SYNOPSIS (1 page) — Present tense, emotional, not clinical
3. VISUAL APPROACH — Shooting style, look and feel, reference frames
4. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE — Opening image, emotional journey, climax, last image
5. KEY CHARACTERS — Who, why compelling, personal stakes
6. DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT — Personal, authentic, 200 words
7. MARKET POSITIONING — Festivals, streaming platforms, comparable films
8. PRODUCTION PLAN — Timeline, key shoots, budget range

#documentary#filmmaking#treatment#pitch#storytelling

Works with

chatgptclaudegemini

💡 Pro Tips

•The logline should make someone lean forward and say 'I want to see that'
•A treatment should read like a story, not instructions
•Funders invest in filmmakers, not just films

✨ Example Output

LOGLINE: When a 78-year-old Japanese repairman who fixes anything for free discovers his workshop will be demolished, a neighborhood must decide what's worth saving.

OPENING: Close-up of weathered hands soldering a circuit board. We don't see a face for 90 seconds.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT: 'My grandmother threw nothing away. In a world of planned obsolescence, she was a rebel...'