Montage

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  • #16
    Re: TRIVIAL FORMATTING ISSUES!

    A montage is a result of the Soviet School of editing that used juxtaposing images to create dramatic content that was not inherent to the individual images. For example, a man and woman turn out the lights, cut to scenes of trains rushing through tunnels and pile-drivers hammering away. The dramatic content created by this juxtaposition is that the Man and woman had sex, but that content is not found in the individual scenes it is only created by their juxtaposition.

    In a series of shots, each scene posses dramatic content that individually and collectively contribute to the advancement of the story. For example, a series of shots of a man running across town to a church contribute individually and collectively to the advancement of the story where a man tries to stop the woman he loves from marrying the wrong man.

    Basically:

    A montage creates dramatic content through juxtaposition of images in a sequence.

    A series of shots combines the dramatic content of images in a sequence.

    In HW montage and series of shots are used (inaccurately) as if they are interchangeable. Use which ever one suits your fancy, it really doesn't matter to readers and execs.

    The larger issue is if using either is the best approach for communicating your story.

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    • #17
      I'm a little late on this post - the holidays - but I had to add to the montage thread.

      I work on the news side of tv, which I know differs in scripts and formats. But when my chief photographer recieves a tape from a camera man looking for a job and it's a montage of shots over music, he tosses it in the trashcan within 10 seconds. He explained to me once that he wants to see that you can tell a complete story from beginning to end without cheap theatrics. I feel about the same way about montages and avoid them in my writing.

      Plus I think of that song from South Park -- where the kids and parents were trapped in a time share in Aspen and the whole thing turned into a teen ski flick. "We need a montage. Montage!"

      Avoid them.

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      • #18
        Re: TRIVIAL FORMATTING ISSUES!

        "juxtaposing images to create dramatic content that was not inherent to the individual images. For example, a man and woman turn out the lights, cut to scenes of trains rushing through tunnels and pile-drivers hammering away. The dramatic content created by this juxtaposition is that the Man and woman had sex, but that content is not found in the individual scenes it is only created by their juxtaposition."
        -------------------------------------------------------
        The above earlier-posted excerpt does illustrate one use of montage, but newer writers shouldn't be led to believe that this is the exclusive and only proper use or function of montage.

        Another very common use is the often moving and cinematically beautiful storytelling time compression that montage can achieve. Less than ten seconds of film time often shows a variety of the events of several months during which a couple fell in love, as in the "Charley" montage where the now-intelligent character (Cliff Robertson) and his teacher are shown in many intra-dissolving images of fun activities that advance their mutual attraction. Also Forrest Gump's montage showing his legs becoming "un-crippled" then strengthening to a superhero level as he runs faster and faster in a variety of settings. All of these conveyed in a few seconds of film time.

        Also, montage's use as a remarkable expositional device is seen in Casablanca's eight-page montaged flashback "Rick and Ilsa fall in love in wartime Paris."

        And still another common montage usage should be noted: as the contents of a letter or newspaper article are being read by someone -- and the contents are made visual by intra-dissolving images as the words themselves are reader- voiceovered. GWTW was replete with this and it remains effective and common today especially in political, war, and historical films.

        -- Carlton

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        • #19
          Re: TRIVIAL FORMATTING ISSUES!

          Carlton,

          Technically none of your examples are montages. They are sequences. Manipulation of time may be achieved by both montages and sequences and both are used to advance a story but just because both a montage and sequence may accomplish the same thing does mean they are in fact the same.

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          • #20
            Re: TRIVIAL FORMATTING ISSUES!

            The definition of a montage does not limit its use, it merely defines how it works which is unique and different from how a series of shots works. Both can accomplish the same thing but they will use very different processes to do it.

            As I said, this difference between a montage and a series of shots is purely academic and irrelevant to the reality of working in HW where Montage and Series of Shots are used as if they are synonyms.

            Knowledge is never limiting.

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            • #21
              Re: TRIVIAL FORMATTING ISSUES!

              Well, one thing is for sure. When and if a writer properly employs either a MONTAGE or a SERIES OF SHOTS(often confusing writers as to which to employ), you are going to save ink and that means you have successfully shortened your script, usually by a page or more.

              And that's a good thing... in and of itself!

              Now, I am not saying to employ either for that, and only that, reason. I am just stating it as the usual byproduct expected as a resulting benefit.

              In my book, condensing and clarifying a story is what rewriting is all about. It would seem rather foolish to overlook opportunities of craft that afford one the same clarity(perhaps even improving on it), and at the same time offer an opportunity for script compression.

              Perhaps that has something to do with how and why these elements of the craft of screenwriting were born, have endured, if even in a mutated form, since the inception of the craft to the present?

              I mean, makes sense to me?
              I mean... what the hell Irene!
              :smokin

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              • #22
                MONTAGE as mirror of future action

                Regarding MONTAGE (or SERIES OF SHOTS, if it applies)… hereâ€TMs something to think about… :smokin or stay away from… :eek

                Imagine a bloody 6-scene action sequence between the protag and antag that takes up too many pages in Act 1. A protagâ€TMs confession drives the sequence and entertains a cheering stadium audience while setting up the story.

                Because the sequence cannot be broken (for the story to work), Iâ€TMve come up with the following idea to keep it afloat and compress Act 1 from 50 pages to 35:

                I let the 1st scene of the sequence (where the bloody confession begins, triggered by the story catalyst) to run its normal course (3 pages).

                I also let the 6th and last scene of the sequence (where the bloody confession ends, triggered by the story inciting incident) to run its course (3 pages).

                But I put the middle part of the sequence (scenes 2-5) into a double-purpose Montage:

                (1) to compress these 4 scenes to only a ½ page

                (2) to mirror these 4 scenes to another place (in Act 2), where I can actually have them run their normal course, organically mixed (using creative flashbacks) with other escalating conflicts

                This unusual strategy seems to work for me, but it may not for you. So your thoughts are welcome and appreciated.

                Edited to add clarity.

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                • #23
                  Re: MONTAGE as mirror of future action

                  Peak... if it works for you and you preserve or enhance the clarity I say go for it, you've saved ink and condensed the existing script "without the loss of clarity or, perhaps, even enhancing it"... you did good!:rollin

                  Emulate... but always afford yourself the possibility or opportunity to mutate!
                  :lol

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