Writing Question: What about montages?
The subject of montages came up in the current Core VI: Scene class I’m teaching and we have had a lively discussion about them. I thought the comments were wide-ranging enough to warrant posting about it here to raise some of the issues related to this narrative device and get your thoughts on the matter.
The discussion began with a question about what the perception of montages is in Hollywood development circles. Some of the writers in the class expressed their sense that the use of montages is generally frowned upon.
So my first question to the GITS community is precisely that: What are your feelings about the use of montages in a screenplay?
Additionally what do you think is the general take on montages in terms of Hollywood buyers and script readers?
If there is antipathy toward the use of montages — and I think there is — I suggested in our online discussion that it’s because writers too often do a poor job crafting them. If I had to sum up this approach, it would be the writer using a montage simply as a means of showing a passage of time like this:
MONTAGE — CLEANING UP THE FRAT
— Biff sweeps the floor.
— Ralph scrubs the oven.
— Mark plunges the toilet.
Technically that can qualify as a montage. Aesthetically it sucks because there’s no vitality or life to it.
So my next questions for you: What elements are present in a poorly crafted montage?
Then: What elements are present in a well crafted montage?
Let me round out the post with a question one of the writers in the class John Casu asked:
What about if you’re trying to use a montage to set a mood?
In my current TV script, I have a character called Enoch, who’s delivering a “sermon” in Washington Square Pk, SF (actually, it’s a translation of Pico della Mirandola’s oration). fyi, the point of this scene is to provide exposition about the why of the story.
The feel I’m trying to get is like concert footage of an audience, with Enoch’s voiceover as the music.
How would I write something like that?
My response:
Although it’s a technicality, I would consider that a Series Of Shots rather than a Montage. Granted the terms get used interchangeably in Hwood, I draw a distinction simply for educational purposes [and my own writing].
Series Of Shots: A set of images that happen within a short, concurrent period of time.
Montage: A set of images that suggest a longer, non-concurrent period of time.
Essentially, however, they are cut from the same cloth and both problematic because — as noted — they are much harder to make work on the page than on the screen.
Per your example, if I understand it correctly, I would say the key is to think as cinematically as possible. Each shot in your Series Of Shots spotlighting some compelling visual image. Moreover brainstorm transitions between each shot, especially visual-to-visual, to help create a seamless flow. Also what about tying in the ‘sermon’ [some of which I’m guessing will be voiceover narration] to the visuals: perhaps an ironic juxtaposition between dialogue and image, perhaps something making an overt point. Finally whatever the central theme of the ‘sermon’ is, consider the beginning, middle and ending flow of images in your SOS as supporting / playing to that theme.
In other words, do everything you can to avoid writing simply a litany of images to suggest the passing of time, rather creating a mini-narrative with compelling images that tells its own story in an engaging, entertaining way.
As anyone who follows this blog knows, I’m not a stickler on these type of things. Your definition of Series Of Shots may be my definition of Montage, and vice versa. It doesn’t really matter. What does matter is writing them well.
Therefore between what I’ve suggested above and your comments, let’s see if we can come up with some helpful tips about how to write an effective montage [or series of shots].
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