Montage is a technique of film editing that combines a series of short shots or clips into one sequence, often set to music. The word montage is French for “assembly” or “editing.” Montage sequences often imply the passage of time or multiple simultaneous events and are a vehicle to present the audience with a lot of information at once. They can be used to evoke a range of emotions—for example:
In a romantic comedy, a montage can show a sense of growing love or attraction between two love interests getting to know one another. Example:
In a sports movie, a montage can show an athlete training for a big game, and heighten suspense or tension about the outcome.
In a drama, a montage can underscore grief and sadness by showing a widow struggling with the loss of her husband.
In a horror movie, a montage can show the main characters preparing to defend their home against a killer or supernatural force.
Why Use Montage?
A montage can accomplish various goals in a motion picture, including:
Speed up time. Whether it’s a day, a week, a month, a year, or a decade, a montage can accelerate time in a way that makes sense to the audience and stays true to the story. It can be like a highlight reel for the action passing.
Convey a lot of information at once. Sometimes, a story has crucial details to communicate, but a director doesn’t want to devote a great deal of time to explain them. A montage can speed up that process and catch the audience up in a matter of seconds.
Heighten tension. You may have noticed that many montages happen about two-thirds of the way through a movie, often right after the climax of the story. A montage can renew and reinvigorate an audience’s interest in a character or a storyline as the film builds to a conclusion.
Compare and contrast. Alternatively, sometimes montages happen at the very beginning of a movie. A montage that compares and contrasts the daily lives or routines of two characters can establish their statuses, and thus their levels of power, in relation to one another.
Reveal character. A montage can be a vehicle to reveal the ways a character is changing. From quick cuts of a drug hallucination one night to the effects of illness overfreeze pretty six months, a montage can help the audience quickly understand a dramatic shift in a character’s physical and/or mental state.
Combine multiple storylines. There isn’t always time to feature every single storyline from start to finish. A montage is an effective way to combine storylines and ensure every character gets their due.
Common Montage Film Techniques
A montage may use a variety of film techniques, including but not limited to:
Quick cuts. Typically, movie montages feature numerous shots cut together in quick succession. This allows time to pass and the story to advance, but without leaving the audience behind.
No dialogue. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but many montages adopt the “show, don’t tell” philosophy. Characters talking about how they feel in a scene is generally not something that works, so showing it in a montage instead can be highly effective. Less is often more, especially in film.
Voiceover narration. A skillful voiceover can clearly and artfully convey important information to the audience. A disembodied voice may narrate what’s happening during a montage, providing more context.
Music. Montages use music to underscore the action that is unfolding quickly and the emotions the characters are experiencing.
Supers. Sometimes, montages superimpose text on the screen to quickly relay information and updates about characters and the story. This often happens at the end as an epilogue to the film.
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