![]() In this scene, the single location is a baseball field as Japanese-American soldiers play a game of baseball against a local white team. The script tells the true story of the all-Japanese-American infantry during WWII that battled racism and prejudice while trying to prove themselves ready to fight for their country. Here's another example of a single location montage from the spec script The Purple Heart Battalion. ![]() Had the scene continued in the same location after Vivian tried on the outfits, the END MONTAGE heading would have been utilized and the scene description and dialogue could have gone on from there as usual. When the new scene heading dictates a new location, it's implied that the montage is over. However, in this case, the montage leads directly into another scene and location. In certain montages, you want to be sure to communicate when the montage scene ends by simply writing a header in caps - END MONTAGE. That header alone would have been enough, but the writer chose to be more specific by adding OF VIVIAN'S OUTFITS. The montage ends as a new scene header for the scene takes them to the bedroom.Īs you can see, the montage opens with a header that dictates what type of scene this is - MONTAGE. The display turns intimate as she begins to try on lingerie. ![]() While this montage scene wasn't in the original first drafts of the script, we did find a similar, yet more intimate, scene - not present in the final cut of the film - that captures the simple format of writing a single location montage.Įdward and Vivian are in the penthouse living room as Vivian tries on the many dresses she bought during her shopping spree. It is a moment that is the antithesis of an earlier scene where a luxury shopping store rejected her because of the way she was dressed. The scene is meant to convey a fun moment of this call girl experiencing being pampered through trying on and buying luxury clothes that she could never have afforded. One of the best and most iconic examples is the shopping scene in Pretty Woman. ![]() Single Location MontageĪ character or group of characters are in a single location, and you want or need to convey their passage of time there. The key is to keep the format as simple as possible. There are many examples of montage formats that have evolved over the years. The point is to offer the reader or audience a visual experience that summarizes a gap between two pivotal scenes or between two story acts. Some screenwriters think that montages allow them to throw in any information in quick fashion without having to craft full scenes around that information. It's not meant to be used as a cheat by any means. Or it is used to communicate multiple reactions or experiences of multiple characters in multiple locations at the same time. The montage is used to communicate a big chunk of story in a short span of time, with the goal of still being able to allow the reader and audience to experience the informational and emotional elements of that chunk of story. And those guidelines and expectations are simple - express what the reader should be seeing through their own cinematic mind's eye as quickly and simply as possible. There is no hard and fast rule on how these types of scenes are formatted within a screenplay beyond general guidelines and expectations. Montages can even be used to sum up a character's experience in multiple or single locations by using visuals and moments that best communicate that experience. Those visuals and moments showcase character and story arcs, either in the progression of building to a particular arc point (Rocky running up the stairs, ready for the big fight) or merely showing multiple characters in multiple places reacting to something. Within a screenplay, the montage is a compilation of short scenes or moments - usually with little to no dialogue - that are grouped together to convey a passage of time quickly while communicating necessary visuals and moments within that condensed timeline. The term "montage" is defined as the process or technique of selecting, editing, and piecing together separate sections of film to form a continuous whole. Whether it's a Pretty Woman trying on luxury clothes or a Philadelphia boxer named Rocky training to go the distance, the montage sequence continues to be a cinematic staple. What's the proper way to format a montage within a screenplay and how do you know when to -and when not to - write them? We're going to explore that question here for this installment of our ongoing Screenwriting Basics series.
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