dropyourfilmbuff
New Member
I'm applying for some MFA film programs and I'm currently working on my Feature Film Treatment for Columbia and NYU. I've got a longer treatment (nearly 20 pages) but I'm struggling with getting it into one page, double spaced, 12pt Courier font.
The Columbia prompt reads:
Feature film treatment: On one double-spaced page for a film you might wish to write, direct or produce based on your application concentration. The treatment must concisely relate a complete dramatic story sufficient to sustain a feature-length film, including major characters and plot developments and a clear statement of the resolution. The story cannot be the same as the one in your dramatic writing sample or your optional video submission. You must state the genre of your treatment and a log line. On a separate page, please state the genre, major characters and a log line for the film. A log line is one or two sentences that describe the protagonist(s) and the story of the film.
I'm finding the wording a little confusing, because while it seems clear a log-line, genre statement, and characters can go on a separate page, it seems to kind of say the same thing with the treatment. Additionally, I'm a little torn on how much they want us to get into the plot details, or if they just want us to cover the major developments? I don't want to repeat myself by re-stating my log line, the genre statement, and the characters in the body of the treatment itself, but I also don't want to only have that on a second page if that's not really what they're asking.
I was hoping someone may have a little more clarity on what exactly they're asking in terms of the formatting and type of content here, and was also hoping some people that've been accepted in prior years (or any current applicants) might be willing to share their submissions? Thanks in advance!
The Columbia prompt reads:
Feature film treatment: On one double-spaced page for a film you might wish to write, direct or produce based on your application concentration. The treatment must concisely relate a complete dramatic story sufficient to sustain a feature-length film, including major characters and plot developments and a clear statement of the resolution. The story cannot be the same as the one in your dramatic writing sample or your optional video submission. You must state the genre of your treatment and a log line. On a separate page, please state the genre, major characters and a log line for the film. A log line is one or two sentences that describe the protagonist(s) and the story of the film.
I'm finding the wording a little confusing, because while it seems clear a log-line, genre statement, and characters can go on a separate page, it seems to kind of say the same thing with the treatment. Additionally, I'm a little torn on how much they want us to get into the plot details, or if they just want us to cover the major developments? I don't want to repeat myself by re-stating my log line, the genre statement, and the characters in the body of the treatment itself, but I also don't want to only have that on a second page if that's not really what they're asking.
I was hoping someone may have a little more clarity on what exactly they're asking in terms of the formatting and type of content here, and was also hoping some people that've been accepted in prior years (or any current applicants) might be willing to share their submissions? Thanks in advance!