How do I put together a treatment that really stands out from the other photographers bidding on a job?
A:
Treatments can get you the job. A well-designed and well-written piece is most important. Use a designer and a writer unless you are really good at both of those.
Treatments are very common now, and even if they don’t request one, I recommend sending one in. The treatment should show the type of profession you are and what you’d bring to the job. Explain the technical aspects of how you’d shoot, then cover the important elements of the shoot like locations, talent, wardrobe, lighting, etc.
I would like to hear about the importance of treatments. What is a treatment?
Do photographers create their own treatment? What needs to go into it and what should it look like?
A:
A great treatment is one of 3 keys the photographer needs to get the job:
1. The Portfolio
2. Creative Call
3. The Treatment
A treatment is a pdf full of all the info to show the creative how the photographer will approach the job. It will include samples of images, locations, talent, wardrobe, etc.
Yes, photographers create their own treatment, and I have to say it’s like getting their teeth pulled. They are not writers and normally their portfolio speaks for them. This takes a sales type of “showing off” that photographers are uncomfortable with in general.
It needs to look slick and put together because the creative will read this to know what the photographer is bringing to the project, how they work, how they see this job, and how well they can deliver a packaged expression of their work.
Yes! It’s the way of our world now, where it used to only be for commercial directors. Even if they don’t ask for one, I highly recommend always creating a treatment if you want to get the job. You can always hire treatment creators listed on our Pros for Hire on www.asksternrep.com
I discussed with other photographers whether putting other artists’ work in your treatments is acceptable. I’d love to know your perspective on this. Also, if you do, how should it be said that it’s not your work?
A:
The treatment goal is to sell yourself through a fast-read, clear, concise artistic format. Categories and sections, like “Sample Locations,” “Prop Examples,” or “Wardrobe Styles,” are clearly general public images. Any blurry unclear info will get in your way and could be marked as a RED FLAG for a client. Even when it makes sense for the treatment message to show another photographer’s work, the quick read of a client could make this more of a problem vs. a solution.
Do you think the purpose of the Creative Call is to give a verbal and preliminary treatment to clients before the actual treatment?
A:
Yes, the creative call is when we introduce our verbal treatment, noticing the back and forth reactions sparked by the hot topics clients want to discuss. We use this call to monitor how the 2-way conversation flows, giving us a more concise roadmap to our treatment.
The final stage of the treatment is where I find it easy to add in spots, sneaking in and dropping descriptive adjectives to modify our point wherever we can use an adjective to ‘bring it home.’
Example to show AUTHENTICITY:
“We will be using natural light to bring about the real-life/pure/true/convincing feeling that these are actual people and not models.”
I want to share what I do when I receive a treatment from a photographer before we send it in. I review it carefully to find places where they describe the location, casting, and talent. I look for opportunities to enhance these descriptions by using specific adjectives and words that align with the client’s preferences. For example, if the client wants an authentic shoot with the talent in real moments, I consult a thesaurus for synonyms of “authentic,” such as “pure,” “reliable,” “true,” “trustworthy,” “credible,” and “convincing.” These words help describe how we will find the perfect location, even if it’s not perfect but rather credible or convincing. Pay attention to the words used on the call and in the creative deck. Use those terms specifically and reflect back what the client wants to hear.
When you say to bring the client’s branding into the treatment, do you mean their overall visual language/aesthetic or their actual branding like their logo etc?
A:
Your treatment is all about having the client feel like you “get them.” You are what they’ve been looking for to bring their idea to life! Use every way you can to translate this; it is your opportunity to speak their language with their logo in the titles, and their colors styled aesthetically throughout.
Bring the client’s BRANDING into your bidding approach as much as possible. Do your research, ask the questions, as the ultimate purpose of receiving the job is to achieve your client’s branding goals.
When we’re in the process of getting a job, there’s a lot of times where we can focus on the branding for the client. We need to make sure a lot of what we are working around is their branding because that is what’s most important to them. Do your research to find out what their brand is. Check out their website. If they don’t make it clear what the feeling/color/ tone is then ask about it and make sure you mention it in your treatment. Because that’s what they want to hear. They want to know that you’re a part of it. You’re not just a part of this one shoot, you’re part of their long term vision.
The TREATMENT webinar gives us the story behind the words and visuals needed to get us the job and why we need to take this seriously. Templates need a slice of who we are in them, personalized to stand out, illuminating you are the right choice for the project. Don’t settle with your treatments; take them further; use what is revealed in this webinar to make your template YOURS!
Last week, my webinar was on treatments—the one unspoken big mystery of how to create a treatment, why to do it, and what’s needed to get the job. We covered a lot, but there were several key points that stood out to me that I want to highlight.
We had two guests: Scott Rickels, a treatment writer, and Mary Dail, a good friend of mine and rep at Big Leo Productions. Mary created a fictitious layout for us as an example of a treatment. Her design included the scope of the job, which I’d never thought to include in a treatment before—it was very smart. She also added a small copyright notice in the bottom left corner, not too large but useful for protecting against unauthorized use for comps. Her design effectively replicated the feel of the fictitious client we were targeting, making it a perfect example of a treatment.
Scott Rickles addressed a common concern: What if they don’t read the treatment? He pointed out that the words have to be engaging and not just a page after page of text, which can be intimidating. He emphasized that the real goal of the treatment is to add personality and flavor to what you bring to the job technically.
There were so many nuggets of wisdom shared. To fully understand the purpose of a treatment and how to use it to get the job, I recommend checking out the webinar.
Navigating the Unknown Episode 16 – What Goes into an Impactful TREATMENT that Gets the Job? is now live on YouTube! This week we speak to Treatment Writer Scott Rickels and Artist Rep Mary Dail from Big Leo Productions about how to create a cogent treatment.
Navigating the Unknown is a Q&A series in collaboration with APA-LA where we speak to different members of the photo community about all aspects of the commercial photography business. https://la.apanational.org/
