The Evolution of the Montage

[Teasing the Korean]

In the late 60s and early 70s, we had the love montage. This featured a couple, typically clad in denim and cowboy boots, walking through the woods, with soft focus shots of sunlight filtered through the trees. The scene would be scored with flute and acoustic guitar, or maybe a Bread knockoff.

In the late 70s and (dreaded) 1980s, we had the action montage. This typically featured the underdog protagonist trying to accomplish a major feat in an impossibly short amount of time. It was typically scored with forgettable steroid fake-rock. It was recently parodied to great effect in “Team America.”

Today we have the introspective sensitive montage. It features individual characters in succession looking introspective and sensitive. It is scored with a flavor-of-the-week indie rock band doing a faux introspective sensitive song.

Well, that just about does it for our montage retrospective.

What kind of montage will come into vogue next?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Is this something that happens on US TV, instead of entertainment?

Back in the day, on British TV, when programmes were all live broadcasts, they used to have intermissions - eg film of potter's wheel spinning with spinning-potter's-wheel-type music - to tide us over while they were wheeling the camera from one studio to another (or whatever).

MG

[Teasing the Korean]

They are often featured in Hollywood films or US TV shows.

[porcy62]

A simple question: what do you mean with "montage"?

As I am a film editor in my real life, what you described is something between the plot, the editing, the soundtrack and the genres (western, action, love, noir, ecc).

Edited March 7, 2007 by porcy62

[Teasing the Korean]

It's a section of the film. It has no dialogue, various shots, music in the background. It is used to convey things happening and time passing without boring the audience while things happen and time passes. There must be thousands of films and TV show episodes using montages. "House" has one every week and it's always the low point of the show. In 20 years, though, it may be the most compelling aspect, as it will date the show, much as ads in vintage magazines are more interesting than the "real" content.

[Noj]

Was Rocky III the first, or possibly only, movie which began with a montage?

[RDK]

In the late 60s and early 70s, we had the love montage. This featured a couple, typically clad in denim and cowboy boots, walking through the woods, with soft focus shots of sunlight filtered through the trees. The scene would be scored with flute and acoustic guitar, or maybe a Bread knockoff.

In the late 70s and (dreaded) 1980s, we had the action montage. This typically featured the underdog protagonist trying to accomplish a major feat in an impossibly short amount of time. It was typically scored with forgettable steroid fake-rock. It was recently parodied to great effect in “Team America.”

Today we have the introspective sensitive montage. It features individual characters in succession looking introspective and sensitive. It is scored with a flavor-of-the-week indie rock band doing a faux introspective sensitive song.

Well, that just about does it for our montage retrospective.

What kind of montage will come into vogue next?

You make it sound like a fad. A montage is simply a cinematic device that's been around since the silent era and used to compress time for certain sequences. Yeah, it can be used badly - and parodied per Team America - but it's not really something that changes from decade to decade.

[Teasing the Korean]

You make it sound like a fad. A montage is simply a cinematic device that's been around since the silent era and used to compress time for certain sequences.

I know.

Yeah, it can be used badly - and parodied per Team America - but it's not really something that changes from decade to decade.

It doesn't change? Of course it does. How many movies today show a denim-clad couple in the woods while a Bread song plays in the background, unless it's done ironically?

I just realized I failed to mention the travel montage...

[porcy62]

It's a section of the film. It has no dialogue, various shots, music in the background. It is used to convey things happening and time passing without boring the audience while things happen and time passes. There must be thousands of films and TV show episodes using montages. "House" has one every week and it's always the low point of the show. In 20 years, though, it may be the most compelling aspect, as it will date the show, much as ads in vintage magazines are more interesting than the "real" content.

Actually, for time you can do that simply with a cut and a title like "Two days later", in the next shot. Things happening is more difficult, everybody's using something different. Newspaper titles, photographies of the characters in the key moment: marriage, when a child is born, you name it. Is up to the director and the editor to choose the way. And we have a lot of options.

[Teasing the Korean]

... Is up to the director and the editor to choose the way. And we have a lot of options.

Of course. But the montage has remained as one of those options, and I was simply pointing out its conventions and cliches as it has evolved. No malice was intended toward forum members working in the film industry.

[Aggie87]

I just realized I failed to mention the travel montage...

For illustrating travel you need the obligatory giant map with a dotted line progressing across it, showing the traveller's progress and arrival at destination, where the story usually picks up again.

[porcy62]

... Is up to the director and the editor to choose the way. And we have a lot of options.

Of course. But the montage has remained as one of those options, and I was simply pointing out its conventions and cliches as it has evolved. No malice was intended toward forum members working in the film industry.

What really changed in term of public perceptions is that in the old days when public doesn't have yet learned how to read a movie, they had to use cliche, like the cross-fade between the face of the character and a sequence, people knew that was a flashback, a memory of the character. Now that we all are used to movies, tv show, ecc, because we grown up with them, our comprension is much more sophisticated. We don't need cliches anymore. A lot of editing "rules" are changed because of that.

Ah, yes you are referring to montage sequence, isn't it?

Edited March 7, 2007 by porcy62

[rockefeller center]

[Quincy]

Might help to see "Montage" from Team America. It's why I bought the dvd (well, that and to own some puppet porn. )

"Montage" on youtube.com

Even Rocky had a montage!