Film Treatment Template
A director's treatment for pitching a short film or commercial, with the concept, a shot list, a shooting schedule, and a crew call sheet. Pre-filled with a trail-running brand film.
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KESTREL FILMS
Director's treatment
Client · Halden Trail
First Light
A film for Halden Trail
30″ brand spot
Treatment v2 · March 2026
Directed byMara Lindqvist
02 — Mood & concept
The world wakes up with her
Kestrel Films
First Light · Halden Trail
It is 5 a.m. and the ridge is still dark. A lone runner moves through mist before the world has decided what kind of day this will be — and for three and a half minutes, she decides it for herself. First Light follows her from the cold, uncertain dark into the moment the sun clears the ridgeline: not a race, not a finish line, just the quiet proof that showing up before anyone asked you to is its own kind of strength. The film trades hype for stillness, letting breath, footfall and weather carry the story.
FR. 01
FR. 02
FR. 03
FR. 04
Ridge, pre-dawn
Silhouette against moving fog. Establishes scale and solitude.
Forest road, aerial
The only figure in a vast, waking landscape.
Cold breath, profile
Effort made visible. The film's one close, held beat.
Stream crossing
Texture and momentum — the film's kinetic centre.
Colour direction
#0A1513
#16352E
#3A6E63
#D9922F
#F3EEE1
Music direction
Sparse piano and low tape hiss through the dark, swelling to a single sustained string as the light breaks — no percussion until the final five seconds.
03 — Shot list
Twelve shots, 30 seconds
Kestrel Films
First Light · Halden Trail
| # | Frame | Lens | Movement | Dur. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Wide — ridge silhouette Runner crests the ridge, mist rolling below | 35mm | Static, tripod | 3.0s | |
| 02 | Insert — laces Hands cinch laces tight in low light | 85mm | Static, macro | 1.5s | |
| 03 | Low angle — first step Foot pushes off loose gravel | 50mm | Handheld | 1.5s | |
| 04 | Tracking — ridge stride Parallel drone track along the runner's line | 35mm | Drone, tracking | 3.0s | |
| 05 | Close — cold breath Profile, breath condensing against teal sky | 85mm | Static | 2.0s | |
| 06 | Macro — stream crossing Shoe lands mid-splash, water frozen in light | 100mm macro | Handheld | 2.5s | |
| 07 | Aerial — forest trail Switchback trail through pine, runner small in frame | 24mm aerial | Drone, reveal | 4.0s | |
| 08 | Medium — emerging from mist Runner resolves out of fog toward camera | 50mm | Slow push-in | 2.5s | |
| 09 | Close — eyes, focused First light catches her eyes | 85mm | Static | 2.0s | |
| 10 | Wide — sunrise breaks Sun clears the far ridge behind her | 24mm | Static, locked | 3.0s | |
| 11 | Tracking — full light Gimbal tracks alongside, now in colour | 35mm | Gimbal, tracking | 2.5s | |
| 12 | Hero — logo reveal Freeze on mid-stride, wordmark resolves | 50mm | Static | 2.5s |
Total runtime
0:30.0
04 — Production schedule
Two days, three weeks
Kestrel Films
First Light · Halden Trail
Day 1 — Ridge sunrise
Exterior · Halden Ridge trailhead
- 04:15 Crew call, gear check at basecamp
- 04:45 Vehicle load, drive to trailhead
- 05:10 Hike to summit position with talent
- 05:40 Golden light window — Shots 01, 03, 04, 09, 10, 11
- 07:15 Light closes, wrap ridge, strike gear
- 08:00 Breakfast, reset at basecamp
- 10:00 B-roll — trail texture, gear detail
- 13:00 Wrap Day 1
Day 2 — Forest & stream
Exterior · Lower pine forest & creek crossing
- 05:30 Crew call at forest access road
- 06:00 Drone prep, flight plan review
- 06:30 Aerial passes — Shot 07, establishing
- 08:00 Stream unit setup, safety check
- 09:00 Stream & close work — Shots 02, 05, 06, 08
- 12:00 Pickups and safety blankets
- 13:30 Wrap Day 2, strike all units
Pre-production → Shoot → Post-production
Week 1
Treatment lock, location scout, casting
Week 2
Callbacks, crew booking, permits filed
Week 3
Shot list lock, tech scout, weather plan
Apr 14–15
Principal photography, both units
Week 4
Offline edit, selects review
Week 5
Picture lock, colour grade, sound mix
Week 6
Client review, final conform
Delivery
May 8, 2026
Master file, 3 cut-downs, and all source footage delivered via secure drive.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
What is a film treatment?
A film treatment is a short document a director writes to pitch how a film or commercial will look and feel before anyone shoots it. It covers the concept, the shot list, and the schedule, and it is the document a client approves before production starts.
What should a film treatment include?
Include the concept and tone, a shot list with frame numbers and descriptions, the shooting schedule and locations, colour direction, and the delivery format. This template has each section, pre-filled for a brand film shot over two days.
How long is a film treatment?
Most run 5 to 15 pages, depending on how big the production is. A simple brand film fits on the shorter end; a multi-location commercial needs more pages for the schedule and shot list.
Is this film treatment template free?
Yes. You can customize the film treatment template for free and download it as a print-ready PDF. Describe your concept, shots, and schedule to the AI and it fills in every section.
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