The short answer.
Format a montage as a heading in capitals, such as MONTAGE - THEO'S FIRST WEEK, then one short line of action for each shot, and close it with END MONTAGE. A series of shots is written the same way. Keep each shot to a line, keep the whole montage to about a page, and return to an ordinary scene heading afterward.
On this page
When to use a montage
A montage condenses time or builds a feeling out of short images: a week of training, a search, a romance coming together. It can cover in a page what scenes would take ten pages to show. If the moments need dialogue, conflict or a turn, they are scenes, and they belong in the script as scenes.
How to write one
A montage has three parts.
- The heading. A line in capitals, flush left, that says what the montage is:
MONTAGE - THEO'S FIRST WEEK. Some writers useBEGIN MONTAGEorSERIES OF SHOTS:instead. Choose one and keep to it. - One line for each shot. Each shot is a short line of present-tense action, set as its own paragraph. Mark them with letters or dashes, or leave them plain, but be consistent. When the shots move between places, open each with the place in capitals.
- The end. Close with
END MONTAGE., then go back to an ordinary scene heading, so the reader knows the story is back in real time.
MONTAGE - THEO'S FIRST WEEK
A. Theo ties on an apron two sizes too big.
B. THE KITCHEN. He scrapes a grill while a cook watches, arms folded.
C. THE COUNTER. June refills his cup. He lets her.
D. THE BUS SHELTER. Rain. Theo walks past it without looking.
END MONTAGE.
INT. ROUTE 9 DINER - NIGHT
Same booth. Same rain. Theo is still wearing the apron.
Montage or series of shots
Writers use both terms, and there is no official line between them. Where a distinction is made, a montage condenses time or builds a mood across different places, and a series of shots is a run of quick, related moments that add up to one action, such as someone getting ready to go out. They are formatted the same way, so choose the word that fits what you mean and stay with it.
Dialogue and music
Keep a montage to pictures. A song, a voice-over or a few words inside one shot are all common. Set any dialogue as usual under the shot it belongs to, and mark a voice that carries across several shots with (V.O.). V.O., O.S. and O.C. explains when. If a particular song plays, name it in the heading or the first shot so the reader hears it.
Common mistakes
- Letting it run long. A montage that goes past a page is usually a run of scenes, and reads better written as scenes.
- Directing the camera in every line. Say what we see, not which lens sees it.
- Leaving out the end. Without
END MONTAGE.the reader cannot tell where the montage stops. - Writing lines that cannot be filmed. “Time passes” is not a shot; a clock, a calendar or a changed coat is.
In First Page
Write the heading and each shot as action. If you want a camera-style line such as CLOSE ON THE GRILL., First Page has a Shot element, set flush left in bold capitals; choose it from Format, then Change Element To. Spec scripts use shots sparingly, because camera choices belong to the director.
Questions
- How do you write a montage in a screenplay?
- Start with a heading line in capitals, such as MONTAGE - THEO'S FIRST WEEK. Write each shot as its own short line of present-tense action, marked with a letter or a dash or left plain. End with END MONTAGE., then start the next scene with a normal scene heading.
- What is the difference between a montage and a series of shots?
- There is no official line. Where writers make a distinction, a montage condenses time or builds a mood across different places, and a series of shots is a run of quick, related moments that add up to one action. Both are formatted the same way, so use whichever word fits and stay consistent.
- Does a montage need a scene heading?
- It needs a heading line, and writers differ on its form: MONTAGE - SUBJECT on its own, BEGIN MONTAGE, or SERIES OF SHOTS:. If the shots happen in different places, open each shot line with its place in capitals. Whatever you choose, the scene after END MONTAGE. gets a proper scene heading.
- Can characters speak during a montage?
- Yes, briefly. A song, a voice-over, or a few words inside one shot are all common. Set the dialogue as usual under the shot it belongs to, and mark a voice that carries across the shots with (V.O.).
