reels

Glossary
[Top]
[Headings]
[special1]

The Ultimate Screenplay Format Reference
[Reference Home] [Script Analytics] [Trilane Store] [Trilane.com] [contact]

Special Headings

This page shows the formatting of special headings for montages and series of
shots. They are not needed often. A montage usually suggests music, but details
about that should not appear in a spec script.

 

Montage

A montage is a sequence of brief shots that express the same or a similar idea.

Here is an example from the script of Braveheart (imdb link), screenplay by Randall
Wallace:
 

MONTAGE - RAIDING ENGLISH TROOPS

-- Troops ride through the countryside, intimidating and
questioning civilians; all refuse to talk.

-- Wallace’s house burns, as soldiers dig up the graves of
his father and brother, and scatter their bones to dogs.

-- The English search through the woods, finding nothing.
 


EXT. WALLACE LANDS - NIGHT

...


Putting it formally:

MONTAGE - <montage title>

-- <brief shot>

-- <brief shot>

etc.

BACK TO SCENE or END MONTAGE

If the montage is short, a new master scene heading is sufficient to indicate the end. See
the example below.

<montage title>

  • short description of what the montage is about (need not be an event)

<brief shot>

  • very few lines of action or dialog or both


There is more than one acceptable way to format a montage. The following approaches
should furrow no brows either:

MONTAGE - <montage title>

-- <location> - action / dialog

-- <location> - action/dialog

etc.

or

MONTAGE  - <montage title>

-- <master scene heading> -- action / dialog

-- <master scene heading> -- action / dialog

etc.

Just as the first version these are terminated with and END MONTAGE or BACK TO
SCENE or - if the montage is short - just with a new master scene heading. Thus, the
above excerpt could also have been written like this:

 

MONTAGE - RAIDING ENGLISH TROOPS

-- Countryside -- Troops intimidate and question civilians; all refuse to talk.

-- Wallace’s house -- the house burns, as soldiers dig up the graves of his father and brother, and scatter their bones to dogs.

-- The woods -- The English search and find nothing.
 

 

or like this:

 

MONTAGE - RAIDING ENGLISH TROOPS

-- EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY -- Troops intimidate and question civilians; all refuse to talk.

-- EXT. WALLACE’S HOUSE - DAY -- the house burns, as soldiers dig up the graves of his father and brother, and scatter their bones to dogs.

-- EXT. THE WOODS - DAY -- The English search and find nothing.
 

 

 

 

 


Series of Shots

The Series of Shots can be used to bundle a few shots with more diverse pieces of
action that have a less obvious underlying theme. The boundaries are soft, however,
and a montage is often used here, too.

Here an example adapted from from Castaway (imdb link), screenplay by William Broyles,
Jr.:
 

SERIES OF SHOTS - CHUCK DOES BUSINESS IN ST. PETERSBURG

A) A surprised Yuri stands with the attractive assistant as
   Chuck takes his clipboard away.

B) An even more surprised Lev stands by his truck as Chuck
   hands the clipboard to him.

C) Chuck and the loaders clean off the graffiti.

D) Working alongside the sorters as the packages come in,
   Chuck points out how to organize the inflow.

E) Chuck and Lev go over large maps of St. Petersburg with
   the drivers.
 

 

The formula:

SERIES OF SHOTS - <series title>

A) <brief shot>

B) <brief shot>

C) <brief shot>

etc.

with

<series title>

  • some brief comment, description of the shots

<brief shot>

  • very few lines of action or dialog or both

 


However, Trottier won’t blame you for using a montage also here:
 

MONTAGE - CHUCK DOES BUSINESS IN ST. PETERSBURG

-- INT. FREIGHT AREA -- A surprised Yuri stands with the
attractive assistant as Chuck takes his clipboard away.

-- INT. FREIGHT AREA -- An even more surprised Lev stands
by his truck as Chuck hands the clipboard to him.

-- EXT. TRUCK PARKING LOT - DAY -- Chuck and the loaders
clean off the graffiti.

-- INT. FREIGHT CENTER -- Working alongside the sorters as
the packages come in, Chuck points out how to organize the
inflow.

-- INT. MEETING ROOM -- Chuck and Lev go ober large maps of
St. Petersburg with the drivers.