Montage (filmmaking)

Montage is an editing technique in film. In montage, shots are placed one after another in a sequence. The series of shots use less space and time. Montage can tell a story very fast. It can give much information in a short amount of time. In French, the word montage simply means editing. Montage is an important part of Soviet Montage Theory. Soviet theorists believed montage could create meaning and symbolism. There are several types of montage editing. Several were originally part of Soviet Montage Theory, but are common in films today.

Types

Metric montage is not connected to emotions or a deeper meaning. It is based on the number of frames (single image in a video). It is mathematically and symmetric. This type of montage can be jarring and unpleasant. It is not often used in movies.

Rhythmic montage cuts clips based on the actions of the images. The images are matched with what is happening. This creates continuity and makes things less abrupt. This is a common form of montage.

Tonal montage cuts images based on the emotions of a scene. Directors place two images together to create emotions.

Overtonal montage combines metric, rhythmic and tonal montage. The combination creates deeper emotions.

Intellectual montage combines images to add meaning and emotions. It can often create metaphors. This type of montage creates the Kuleshov effect.

Sports training montage is a type of montage to show sport athletes training. It often shows physical training with shortcut images appearing really fast. The time of multiple weeks or months happens in a couple of minutes on the screen. It is common in America and in East Asian martial arts films.