How to Write a Montage in a Screenplay

A montage compresses a pattern of repeated action or a passage of time into a rapid sequence of brief shots — training, falling in love, the city waking up, the heist coming together. Formatting it is simple: a MONTAGE heading, a series of short action beats, and a new slugline to end it.

Basic Montage Format

MONTAGE — MARA LEARNS THE ROUTE

A) Mara circles the block in her car. Counts
windows. Wrong building.

B) Mara on a rooftop, night-vision binoculars.
Sketching the guard rotation.

C) Mara walks the route blindfolded, timing
herself with a stopwatch. Eleven minutes.

D) Mara slips through the service door.
Four minutes.

END MONTAGE

INT. VAULT — DAY

The moving parts:

• Heading — MONTAGE — DESCRIPTION, flush left, ALL CAPS (it occupies the slugline position)
• Beats — each shot is a short action paragraph. Letter them (A), B), C)) or separate with blank lines; both are common. Letters help when you later reference "beat C" in notes
• Ending — the next full scene heading ends the montage automatically. An explicit END MONTAGE line is optional; use it if the montage is followed by action that could be mistaken for another beat

Montage vs. Series of Shots

They look identical on the page; the difference is logic:

• Montage — shots linked by a through-line of action or transformation: the hero getting stronger, the couple falling in love, the machine being built. One process, many moments.
• Series of shots — shots linked by a theme or time span: the city wakes, the jury files in, the seasons turn over the farmhouse. Many processes, one idea.

Use whichever heading name matches your logic — MONTAGE — TRAINING vs SERIES OF SHOTS — ONE YEAR PASSES.

Classic Montage Patterns

The training montage

MONTAGE — TRAINING

-- Ray hits the bag until her knuckles split.

-- Ray runs the stadium steps at dawn. And again.

-- Ray misses. Misses. Misses. CONNECTS.

END MONTAGE

Double-dash bullets (--) are a compact, professional alternative to letters.

Falling in love

MONTAGE — THEM

They laugh over noodles. She steals his
camera. He teaches her to drive stick --
badly. Snow. A shared umbrella.

END MONTAGE

Passage of time

SERIES OF SHOTS — THE FARMHOUSE AGES

Paint peels. Boards go up over windows.
Weeds take the porch steps.

END SERIES OF SHOTS

Montage Rules That Matter

1. Keep beats visual and short — 1–3 lines each; a montage is imagery cut fast, not scenes compressed
2. No dialogue — a line or two is acceptable, but a talking montage is just short scenes; write those instead
3. Music is implied — you don't need "music swells"; the reader supplies it
4. Montage ≠ act break band-aid — if you're montaging because the middle is sagging, the fix is usually real scenes, not compression
5. One montage, one idea — a montage trying to cover both training and a romance simultaneously will confuse both

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you end a montage?

With the next full scene heading (INT. VAULT — DAY). An explicit END MONTAGE is optional insurance against ambiguity.

Can a montage have dialogue?

A line or two won't sink it, but montages are a visual form. If characters need to talk, write short scenes instead.

Where does the montage heading go?

Flush left, ALL CAPS, in place of a scene heading — no INT./EXT. required.

How long should a montage be?

On screen, 30 seconds to 2 minutes — roughly ⅓ to 2 pages. Beyond that, you're writing a sequence, not a montage.

Related Pages

• What Is a Slugline? — special headings explained
• How to Write a Flashback — the other time-travel device
• Screenplay Transitions — DISSOLVE TO: pairs beautifully with montages