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The Terminator treatment

James Cameron

The 'James Cameron Treatment' of The Terminator with notes.

The Script

The Terminator Treatment (PDF).

Notes

Here we present a rare and interesting document.

James Cameron is well-known for his long and detailed film treatments. While most writers would consider a treatment to be anywhere between one and three pages in length, Cameron writes them almost as novellas, dozens of pages long. While his approach is atypical it is tremendously instructive because it affords us the opportunity to see how his understanding of the film is constructed and then is delivered.

The Terminator is a wonderful film, and well worth studying, but having the opportunity to read the treatment alongside the screenplay, especially a final shooting script, gives us the chance to watch the entire creative development of the tale. ByTheLens is delighted to present these two documents together and a full copy of the shooting script can be found here:

The Terminator Screenplay.

The Terminator is also the subject of an act breakdown on this site. If that's the thing you need then check it out here:

The Terminator in acts.


"The worst thing one can say to a child when aiming a camera at him is, "Act naturally". That will shrivel him on the spot. Children are natural actors but you must give them something to act. However many children you are going to film, give each one a separate identity. Tell the little boy to pretend the bicycle is one he has just won in a competition. Tell the little girl she is a princess in disguise. Give them something to work with and think about before the filming begins. Watch how one boy flicks his hair or rubs his nose, how a girl twists her braids and rubs one foot behind her leg. How they eat, how they smile, how they show shyness or jealousy by jumping up and down or pouting in a certain way. Then, when you are ready to film, re-enact their own mannerisms to them and ask them to imitate you. In fact, they will be doing what comes naturally to them."

Carol Reed