Quick ? about montages & series of shots?

[CHamburger]

Hi guys, just some formatting issues I want to clear up.

Montage: can I have more than one in a script? I want to show characters attempt to overcome an obstacle. Later on I wanna show the characters achieving something through an innovative means. Is two too much?

Also how do I determine if I should use a series of shots or a montage? There doesn't seem to be too much difference only a matter of writer preference. Is this true? Is one more appropriate than the other?

Also how short/long(page wise) can a montage/series of shots sequence be? 2 pages, 3 pages etc..

Do I need to introduce that its a montage or can I just start writing scenes with slug lines and just action. They'd be short like a small2-4sentence paragraph depending on whats going on.

Thanks guys, appreciate you looking past the daunting and perhaps repetitive nature of my thread,

 

[CHamburger]

No responses, I suppose I've implored one too many times. Can anyone post any sites they came across with the relevant information? All of what I've read is kind of subjective, just looking for some definitive feedback. Thanks.

 

[brianluce]

I honestly wouldn't worry about it. Write the damn story. I've noticed scripts here often get fingered for formatting errors. That's the LEAST important thing in a film script. Worrying about format keeps your eye off the ball. Montage vs Series of Shots? I'm sure a film prof could go into it and invoke Eisenstein and other obscure filmmakers. I usually use "Montage" but only because it takes up less space. I say write the damn script and tell me a good story, in any F'ing font you like. Even arial.

 

[CHamburger]

I honestly wouldn't worry about it. Write the damn story. I've noticed scripts here often get fingered for formatting errors. That's the LEAST important thing in a film script. Worrying about format keeps your eye off the ball. Montage vs Series of Shots? I'm sure a film prof could go into it and invoke Eisenstein and other obscure filmmakers. I usually use "Montage" but only because it takes up less space. I say write the damn script and tell me a good story, in any F'ing font you like. Even arial.

Ahhhh finally a response. I see Harmonica pumping out new posts every two seconds and getting so many replies, I felt left out.

I'm not really worried too much about anything format wise. I'm just curious really..I have it basically from scene to scene-didn't even signal montage-but was planing on selling it so I wanted to double check.

 

[brianluce]

There is an academic definition of Montage -- and I'm sure it differs from Series Of Shots. I don't remember it though.

 

[arrodiii]

I always thought that a montage was a way to show the sequence of time by actively getting closer to a goal, while a series of shots just is that, a series of shots that just sequentially moves the story along.

Also, I might be wrong, but didn't Requiem for a Dream use multiple montages? I remember his mom doingthe cleaning, then I remember the montage near the end when Jennifer Conelly is lying on the couch with her bag, smiling.

 

[FantasySciFi]

Hi guys, just some formatting issues I want to clear up.

Montage: can I have more than one in a script? I want to show characters attempt to overcome an obstacle. Later on I wanna show the characters achieving something through an innovative means. Is two too much?

Also how do I determine if I should use a series of shots or a montage? There doesn't seem to be too much difference only a matter of writer preference. Is this true? Is one more appropriate than the other?

Also how short/long(page wise) can a montage/series of shots sequence be? 2 pages, 3 pages etc..

Do I need to introduce that its a montage or can I just start writing scenes with slug lines and just action. They'd be short like a small2-4sentence paragraph depending on whats going on.

Thanks guys, appreciate you looking past the daunting and perhaps repetitive nature of my thread,

Ahhhh finally a response. I see Harmonica pumping out new posts every two seconds and getting so many replies, I felt left out.

I'm not really worried too much about anything format wise. I'm just curious really..I have it basically from scene to scene-didn't even signal montage-but was planing on selling it so I wanted to double check.

A montage, in its original sense, was multiple scenes that overlapped on the screen. So if the screen were divided as they did in "The Hulk", it would be a montage. A series of shots is a thematic progression of different scenes. Flipping between active story lines scenes in a heist movie, for instance. Or it could be watching someone drive home from work. Some screenwriters have treated montage as a series but that was not the original intent. Of more importance, in neither a montage nor series do you include dialogue. If you need to include dialogue in a scene, you use a traditional slugline approach.

As with others on this list, I'm up to my eyeballs in work. So questions aren't always immediately answered but when we can. If we were an on-demand answer service, we'd have to charge you.

Usually a quick search of the Internet will turn up basic formatting questions. It also helps to pick up a good format guide if you are serious about your screenwriting.

 

[GuerrillaAngel]

IMO you can use montages often as needed as long as it pushes the story forward (ie: Requiem for a Dream).

If you use it to show off your editing skills and/or because it looks cool you risk taking your audience out of your film. A montage shouldn't look like a "montage", but rather, it should be a seamless part of your film. If the audience ever thinks "oh great, another montage." you're cooked.

Good luck.

 

[CHamburger]

IMO you can use montages often as needed as long as it pushes the story forward (ie: Requiem for a Dream).

If you use it to show off your editing skills and/or because it looks cool you risk taking your audience out of your film. A montage shouldn't look like a "montage", but rather, it should be a seamless part of your film. If the audience ever thinks "oh great, another montage." you're cooked.

Good luck.

Thanks man. That was my opinion but I figured I'd check with someone other than Google.

 

[barnaclelapse]

IMO you can use montages often as needed as long as it pushes the story forward (ie: Requiem for a Dream).

If you use it to show off your editing skills and/or because it looks cool you risk taking your audience out of your film. A montage shouldn't look like a "montage", but rather, it should be a seamless part of your film. If the audience ever thinks "oh great, another montage." you're cooked.

Good luck.

They tend to bug me a little in films I'm watching, so I try to avoid them in my own scripts. Sometimes though it's just too damn tempting.

 

[CHamburger]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'm just gonna stick to how I have it. Slug line->action->repeat.

It seems easier that way. I might just note that it's a montage(so the person reading knows to add their own Benny Hill music) but other than that I'll keep it simple for the reader.

Scifi, a lot of what was on the internet was subjective as in its up to the writer, I just wanted something a bit more concrete. Was actually more concerned with multiple montage/series of shots. With regards to payment, "I'll gladly pay you tomorrow for a hamburger today" lol.

 

[Lord of Light]

I was wondering this myself for the current script I'm working on. Pretty much writing the introductory scenes for five of my six MC's before the great ensemble. And I'm on the fence about writing that as a montage scene, cutting between the five of them.

However, I've always felt that a montage is purely an editing decision that should be put together in post. Now, I'll lay down the groundwork for the montage and include a note that would say "may be a montage?", but I'd just as soon as write them out as individual scenes.

Also, I'm not exactly fretting this seeing as it's the first draft and all. I cut out a lot after I finish the first one.