Screen and stage
What a treatment should contain
The first development gate for screen and stage work, what goes in it, and what a producer is actually reading for.
1 min read · Last checked 18 October 2026
Where it sits
Screen and stage jobs move through development gates in order. Each one must be approved before the next can start:
- 01 Treatment or series bibleThe story and its world are agreed before scenes are written.Active
- 02 Sample sceneOpens when "Treatment or series bible" is approvedLocked
- 03 Numbered draftsOpens when "Sample scene" is approvedLocked
- 04 Final screenplayOpens when "Numbered drafts" is approvedLocked
The treatment comes first on purpose. Rewriting a treatment takes days; rewriting a draft takes weeks. Getting the story right here is the cheapest place to get it right.
What it contains
| Section | What it should do |
|---|---|
| Premise | State the story in one paragraph that does not hedge |
| World | Show where it happens, and what is true there that is not true here |
| Characters | Introduce the main characters, and what each of them wants |
| Story shape | Lay out the story act by act, or episode by episode |
| Tone | Set the feel, with two or three comparable works |
| Engine (series only) | Explain what generates episodes, and why it will not run out |
What a producer reads for
- 1Can it be made for the money available? Locations, cast size, effects and period all cost.
- 2Does the premise sustain the length? A strong idea for 20 minutes can be thin at 90, or at ten episodes.
- 3Is the voice distinct enough to be worth making? A competent treatment is not the same as one someone wants to produce.