Inquiry.
What’s a montage and what meaning does it communicate?
Examples
This is the opening sequence of Memento (2000) Nolan which creates a sense of the event and climaxes in a sudden narrative disruption.
Yarchen Gar (2018) Filippo Chiesa, is a short film, which is an extended montage of place.
Here’s Rocky (1976) Avildsen, which compresses time to show development of a character.
A Montage to Define Montage
Task
Create a montage which compresses time and communicates a sense of atmosphere.
- A frantic and stressful school day.
The Rules
- The montage should last 30-40 seconds.
- It should contain at least 12 different (beautifully composed shots) some of which may be repeated in the edit.
- The montage should communicate a clear meaning (what’s going on) and clear atmosphere (tone or feel).
- There should be a clear sense of time passing and have a clear beginning and end, which fades out to black (to make it seem like more time has passed).
Different Roles
- Screenwriter (Storyboard Artist)
- Cinematographer / Director
- Editor
To complete this tasks effectively you’re going to have to think carefully about how the edit is going to look in the end and ensure that you film all the shots you need. This means planning your sequence. Do do this we are going to use a screenwriting tool called…
The Storyboard
Here is a storyboard template that is similar layout to the professional one above.
Here is a document which explains how to design a storyboard.
You should also reflect on it’s usefulness as a pre-production planning / visualisation tool.
Production
You will be put in pairs once you have completed your storyboard and will have a lesson to shoot your footage, whilst one person acts and the other films.
When you are the cinematographer you should ensure that each shot is well composed. Also you should ensure the following:
- All shots are well lit
- All shots are in focus
- You get a variety of shot types.
Post Production
When you are editor, you will be responsible for:
- Compiling the basic montage.
- Applying filters and transitions to the edit which contribute to the overall tone
- Coordinating with the sound designer to apply their sound to the sequence.