How to Write a Montage in a Script: Structure, Formatting & Templates

Every writer hits that point in a script where the story needs to move faster than real time will allow. Your character has to train, research, travel, recover, spiral, prepare, or climb, and you’re staring at the page thinking, I cannot write eight entire scenes for this.

That instinct is correct. You’re not supposed to.

That’s exactly what a montage is for: compressing time in a way that feels intentional, cinematic, and emotionally cohesive. But the moment most writers decide, “Okay, this should be a montage,” the next question hits just as fast: How do I actually write one? What’s the correct format? How short is short? Is this even a montage or just a series of shots?

This guide answers all of it. Clear formatting rules, examples, templates, and pro-level principles that keep your montage tight, readable, and purposeful.

Key Takeaways

• A montage compresses time and progress, showing multiple steps or changes without slowing the story.
• There are two standard ways to format it: one MONTAGE block with beats or mini-slugs under a MONTAGE heading, just stay consistent.
• A montage is not a “series of shots”: montage = time, series of shots = place/space.
• Keep montages short (<1 page), purposeful, and focused on a clear emotional or narrative movement.
• Voiceover works when it adds clarity or character insight, but keep lines tight and align them with visual beats.

What is a Montage?

A montage condenses a stretch of time into purposeful, cinematic beats to show progress, change, or escalation without forcing the audience to sit through every individual moment.

It’s the cinematic equivalent of saying, “Here’s what happened over the next hour/day/week/month, only the important parts.”

At its core, a montage does three things:

1. Compresses time
2. Shows progression (skill, emotion, condition, relationships)
3. Reveals the transformation the audience needs to understand the next scene

If your sequence doesn’t achieve at least one of these, it’s probably not a montage.

A montage is not:

• A random assortment of images, the writer isn’t sure how to place.
• A dumping ground for backstory or exposition.
• A workaround for scenes that should simply be cut.
• A list of repetitive beats that say the same thing five different ways.

A good montage has direction. Each beat pushes the character or the story forward.

Montage vs. Series of Shots

These two formats look similar on the page, but they serve completely different purposes.

Montage = Time Passing

Use a montage when you’re showing:

• A character improving at something
• A relationship forming or breaking down
• A plan being prepared
• Travel or a journey
• Progress over days, weeks, months

Example (Montage):

A character trains over several weeks: morning runs → strength drills → sparring → exhaustion → improvement → victory.

Time moves.

Series of Shots = Same Moment, Different Angles or Locations

Use a series of shots when you’re:

• Showing multiple details in the same time frame
• Revealing clues within one location
• Building tension in a single sequence
• Cutting between simultaneous actions

Example (Series of Shots):

Detectives enter a crime scene:

shot of the broken window → shot of footprints → shot of blood smear → shot of an open safe.

Time does not move. These are observations within a single moment.

The Rule of Thumb Every Screenwriter Should Memorize

If time passes, it’s a montage.

If time doesn’t pass, it’s a series of shots.

Keeping that distinction clear not only strengthens your writing but also helps directors, editors, and production teams instantly understand what kind of sequence they’re dealing with.

See how stronger visual prompts can refine your montage beats in 20 AI Video Generator Prompt Examples Creators Can Use

When to Use a Montage?

A montage earns its place in a script when it moves the story forward faster and more cinematically than individual scenes ever could. If a sequence represents meaningful change, growth, preparation, or movement through time, a montage is often the cleanest and most effective tool.

Here are the story situations where a montage genuinely works.

1. Character Transformation

Montages excel at showing who a character is becoming, not just what they’re doing.

This can be:

• A rise
• A decline
• A shift in mindset or emotional state

You’re not documenting tasks; you’re illustrating change.

2. Training or Skill Gain

The classic use. When a character needs to get better at something over time, individual scenes would drag.

A montage lets you show:

• Improvement
• Struggle
• Breakthrough moments
• The emotional cost of the process

All without dedicating multiple pages to repetitive beats.

3. Emotional or Relational Progression

Montages can track the arc of a relationship:

• Two people growing closer
• A couple drifting apart
• A friendship forming
• A bond strengthening or fracturing

This works especially well when emotional shifts unfold over days or weeks.

4. Research or Investigation Sequences

When a character is digging for answers, we don’t need every website, interview, or document.

A tight montage can show:

• Clues discovered
• Dead ends
• Breakthroughs
• Patterns emerging

It speeds up the investigative rhythm without losing clarity.

5. Planning or Setup Sequences

Heist films, capers, comedies, and action scripts often use montages to show:

• Prep work
• Gathering supplies
• Testing equipment
• Running through the plan

This keeps the narrative moving while building anticipation for the main event.

6. Travel or Time Passing

If the main point is that the character moves through time or space, you don’t need full scenes.

Great for:

• Journeys
• Relocations
• Long-distance travel
• Seasonal changes
• Repetitive routines

A montage keeps the pacing sharp while maintaining narrative coherence.

Discover tools that help you previsualize montage timing in 9 Best AI Video Generator Tools in 2026 Trusted by Creators

When Not to Use a Montage

Just because you can use a montage doesn’t mean you should.

Avoid montages when they:

1. Repeat the same emotional beat: If every shot says the same thing, the montage becomes padding.

2. Deliver raw exposition instead of drama: A montage shouldn’t be a slideshow of explanations. Show actions, not information dumps.

3. Replace scenes that would be more powerful on their own: If a moment deserves dialogue, conflict, or emotional depth, give it its own scene.

4. Run too long: Anything stretching beyond a page usually signals a montage trying to do the work of several full scenes; this dilutes focus and frustrates readers.

5. Create tonal confusion: Montages that jump too wildly from humor to tragedy to chaos can break the emotional flow.

A good montage has a single purpose, a clear direction, and a decisive endpoint. If it elevates the storytelling, use it. If it muddies it, cut it.

How to Format a Montage in a Script

There isn’t one single “official” montage format. The industry accepts two clean, readable methods, and your only real job is to choose one and use it consistently. Both methods communicate the same cinematic idea; they simply present it differently on the page.

Below are the two approaches professionals use, when to pick each, and the rules that keep your montage clear for readers, directors, and production teams.

Method A: Single MONTAGE Block With Beats

This is the simplest, most compact way to write a montage. You label the section MONTAGE: and list the beats underneath.

Why writers use it:

• Clean and fast to read
• Ideal for sequences showing steady progression
• Perfect when time is passing in a linear way
• Keeps the page tidy and visually uncluttered

This format shines when your montage is focused and rhythmic, training sequences, preparation, or emotional arcs where each beat builds naturally into the next.

Advantages:

• Extremely readable for execs and readers
• Easy to skim
• Works well for <1 page sequences

Consider it when:

You’re showing a character moving through time in a fluid, cohesive way (training, preparation, routines, transformations).

Method B: Mini-Slug Method Under a MONTAGE Heading

Instead of a single block, you introduce a MONTAGE: [Purpose] heading, and create mini scene headings under it. Each beat becomes its own short “shot” or moment, like tiny scenes within the montage.

Why writers use it:

• Great for sequences with varied locations
• Helps distinguish each beat visually
• Ideal for comedy, action, or stylized moments
• Gives the reader a stronger cinematic impression

This format lets you create a more dynamic rhythm without overwhelming the page.

Advantages:

• Highly cinematic
• Excellent clarity
• Let's each beat land with more emphasis

Consider it when:

Your montage jumps across locations, tones, or types of action research sequences, investigative beats, travel, hustle/grind montages.

Consistency Rules (Don’t Skip These)

Whatever format you choose:

• Stick to it throughout the script.Mixing methods forces the reader to mentally recalibrate and slows them down.
• Label the montage clearly.Use MONTAGE or MONTAGE: TRAINING or MONTAGE: PREP, etc.
• Signal the end of the montage.Never leave the reader guessing where the present timeline resumes.

Clean consistency = smooth reading = fewer questions in coverage notes.

Length Guidelines (Keep It Tight)

Montages that run too long become red flags for readers and producers. Remember: a montage is designed to accelerate time, not swallow it.

• Aim for less than one page
• Anything longer usually indicates you’re trying to do the work of multiple scenes
• Overlong montages often feel unfocused, repetitive, or indulgent
• Executives skim long montage blocks; they assume it’s filler unless proven otherwise

A good montage is a burst of movement, not a chapter.

Exit Cues (How to Return to the Present Timeline)

Ending a montage cleanly is just as important as starting one.

Use a clear exit signal, such as:

• END MONTAGE
• A return-to-scene action line
• A VO concluding line
• A beat that mirrors or contrasts the montage’s final moment

The reader must instantly understand when the montage is over. Ambiguous endings cause more confusion than bad formatting.

Learn how short-form creators use montage-style pacing in 5 Best AI Video Creator Tools for Instagram Reels: 2026 Guide

How to Write a Voiceover Montage

A voiceover montage layers two storytelling channels on top of one another:

1. Visual progression (the montage beats)
2. Narrative or emotional framing (the VO)

When done well, VO montages can reveal motivations, shift tone, or recontextualize what the audience is seeing, all while compressing time. When done poorly, they read like dense narration sitting on top of unrelated images.

Here’s how to write VO montages cleanly and cinematically.

When VO Works Best

Use a voiceover montage when the character’s spoken perspective adds something the visuals alone cannot:

1. Explanation or Context: When a character is recounting an event, plan, strategy, or realization.

2. Emotional Framing: The VO reframes the images emotionally with nostalgia, regret, confidence, and irony.

3. Character POV or Confession: Great for subjective or introspective moments.

4. When Contrast Is the Point: What the character says vs. what the audience sees (Comedic irony, dramatic tension, or unreliable narration.)

If the VO doesn’t add meaning, don’t use it. Let the visuals speak.

Strengthen your script fundamentals, so montages integrate naturally in How to Write a Script: Step-by-Step for AI, Shorts and Film

How to Structure VO Relative to the Visuals

A VO montage should read like two parallel tracks that interlock without competing.

Here’s the structure pros use:

A. Start With the VO, Not the Image

Open with a line of VO that establishes tone or context.

Then let the visuals kick in.

This gives the reader orientation before the montage starts moving.

B. Keep Each VO Line Paired With a Clear Beat

Don’t stack multiple VO paragraphs above a single shot.

And don’t force one VO line to “cover” five unrelated beats.

Think rhythm:

VOICEOVER → Visual beat → VO → Visual beat

C. Use VO as a Guide, Not a Caption

Avoid describing exactly what the image already shows.

VO should deepen, not duplicate.

Avoid VO Walls: Keep Lines Tight

A VO wall is a blocky paragraph of voiceover sitting on the page like a monologue.

Readers skim these; they look like exposition dumps.

Best practices:

• 1–2 sentences per beat
• Avoid multi-line blocks unless it’s a deliberate speech
• Break VO into clean, readable chunks
• Match VO emotional shift to the visual rhythm of the montage
• Keep the VO purposeful, not poetic for the sake of it

The montage should feel like it’s breathing. Walls kill momentum.

Example Beat Structure

Here’s the structure without showing explicit screenplay formatting:

VO: “They tell you starting over is simple. They forget to mention the messy parts.”

— Character packing boxes

— Cleaning out a closet

— Selling old furniture

— Driving away from the apartment

— Pausing at a red light, conflicted

VO: “But sometimes you have to burn down the old version of yourself before anything new can grow.”

The VO adds emotional commentary while the visuals show literal progression.

How to End a VO Montage Gracefully

A VO montage should land with a button, a final image, or a line that wraps the emotional or narrative arc.

Strong endings include:

• A final VO line that recontextualizes the next scene
• A match cut (VO ending on a word that aligns with the next visual)
• Silence, letting the VO drop as the present scene begins
• A hard emotional stop
• A visual capstone (the last beat summing up the sequence)

Avoid fading out VO mid-sentence or letting the montage end without a clear shift.

Five Plug-and-Play Montage Templates

Most montages fall into a handful of recognizable patterns. These templates give you ready-made structures you can adapt to your story instantly. Each includes its purpose, a clean beat pattern, the exit cue, and optional VO guidance.

These aren’t “fill in the blank” clichés—they’re flexible frameworks used across film and TV.

1. Training / Skill-Up Montage

Purpose:

To show a character improving at a skill over time through escalating effort, struggle, and breakthrough moments.

Beat Pattern:

• First attempts → messy, clumsy, or discouraged
• Repetition → incremental progress
• Midpoint setback or frustration
• Renewed effort
• Improvement becomes visible
• Final beat: competence or readiness emerges

Exit Beat:

The character stands prepared, finishes a drill cleanly, or arrives at the next major story event.

Optional VO Cues:

Use sparingly, one or two reflective lines if emotional framing is needed.

Avoid narrating the training literally (“I ran faster each day…”).

2. Research / Investigation Montage

Purpose:

To condense a search for clues, information, or patterns without bogging the script down in procedural steps.

Beat Pattern:

• Reviewing documents, footage, or data
• Trying methods that lead nowhere
• Small discoveries that hint at larger patterns
• Cross-referencing, eliminating suspects, refining ideas
• Breakthrough moment: a key clue emerges

Exit Beat:

The character acts on the discovery, makes a call, rushes somewhere, or confronts someone.

Optional VO Cues:

Works well for subjective investigations (“Something about this didn’t line up…”).

Keep VO low-density and insight-driven.

3. Makeover / Preparation / Build Montage

Purpose:

To show preparation or creation: building, assembling, crafting, transforming, or gearing up.

Beat Pattern:

• Gathering tools, materials, or supplies
• Early attempts or mock-ups
• Fast-cut assembly beats
• Testing, adjusting, improving
• Final reveal or completion moment

Exit Beat:

A reveal, a self-check in the mirror, a device working, or a door opening into the next sequence.

Optional VO Cues:

Useful if the character is explaining a plan or narrating steps with humor or confidence.

Avoid over-explaining what is already visible.

4. Travel / Journey / Time-Passing Montage

Purpose:

To move characters across distance or through a stretch of time while keeping narrative momentum.

Beat Pattern:

• Modes of travel (car, train, plane, walking, etc.)
• Passing landscapes, cityscapes, or weather shifts
• Time markers (sunrise → afternoon → night)
• Emotional beats (boredom, anticipation, reflection)
• Arrival at a new location or moment in time

Exit Beat:

Arrival: feet hit the ground, a door opens, a new environment reveals itself.

Optional VO Cues:

Great for reflective emotional framing (“Funny how miles can make you rethink everything…”).

Avoid narration that merely describes scenery.

5. Grind / Hustle / Upward-Climb or Downward-Spiral Montage

Purpose:

To depict a character’s rise, fall, burnout, or relentless hustle—the accumulation of choices shaping their arc.

Beat Pattern:

• Start with optimism or momentum
• Shots of repeated work, effort, or risk
• Escalation: success OR exhaustion
• Diverging outcomes (wins or losses)
• Final beat: the cost or payoff becomes visible

Exit Beat:

A turning point, either a success that launches the next act or a collapse that triggers a crisis.

Optional VO Cues:

Strong for ironic contrast (“I thought I could handle it…”), confessional tone, or unreliable narration.

Keep the VO minimal so the visuals carry the emotional punch.

See how structured beat systems accelerate production in the Frameo Case Study: Create 30 Days of Content in One Afternoon with AI

See Your Montage Before You Lock It

Even when a montage reads cleanly on the page, it can still fall flat once visualized. Maybe the pacing drags. Maybe the emotional arc doesn’t land. Maybe the VO feels disconnected from the images.

These issues are hard to catch in text but instantly obvious when viewed as a sequence. That’s why many modern creators prototype montages visually before locking them in a script.

Tools like Frameo let you turn your written beats into quick, cinematic previews, giving you a real sense of timing, rhythm, and emotional impact.

Turn Your Montage Beats Into a Visual Animatic

Drop in your beats (training steps, research clues, travel shots, etc.), and Frameo can generate a storyboard or short pre-visualized sequence. This helps you see whether each moment earns its place or whether the flow needs tightening.

Test Pacing, VO Sync, and Emotional Rhythm

Because montages rely on rhythm, a visual preview shows you:

• Did you include too many beats?
• Do VO lines land at the right moments?
• Does the sequence feel rushed or sluggish?
• Does the emotional tone shift the way you intended?

Writers often discover small adjustments that drastically improve clarity and momentum.

Adjust Clarity and Timing Before Locking the Scene

Rather than rewriting pages after a table read or waiting for a director to interpret it an animatic lets you refine:

• Beat order
• Duration
• Visual emphasis
• Transitions into and out of the montage

This reduces guesswork for both you and anyone who reads your script.

Feel the Montage, Not Just Type It

Screenwriting is a visual medium. Seeing your montage play out helps you:

• Sense the rhythm
• Spot deadbeats
• Catch tonal mismatches
• Strengthen emotional payoff

You’re essentially test-driving your scene before handing it off.

If you want to preview how your montage actually plays: pacing, tone, VO, and emotional punch, Frameo can turn your beat list into a quick visual sequence. It’s a simple way to verify the moment is landing before you commit it to the page. Try Frameo now!

Advanced Use Cases That Rely on Montage Thinking

Mastering montage structure gives writers a deeper understanding of rhythm, compression, and visual progression. Those same skills translate directly into several advanced screenwriting tools, even when you’re not writing a montage at all.

1. Implied History

Instead of showing a character’s past, you reveal traces of it: artifacts, habits, scars, photos, unfinished projects.

Montage teaches you to choose selective, high-impact images that imply a larger unseen story.

2. Revelation Bursts

When a twist lands and the audience suddenly receives rapid-fire information, the clarity depends on montage-style sequencing: fast, deliberate, escalating.

3. Object-Triggered Memory Beats

A single object (a ring, a watch, a ticket stub) can spark a rapid sequence of micro-images.

This isn’t a flashback; it’s emotional shorthand that requires the same economy and rhythm as montage.

4. Cold-Open Accelerators

TV often uses compressed opening sequences (“hours earlier,” “the night it happened”) to launch the episode’s momentum.

These work because they apply montage logic without formally labeling it.

5. Echo Scenes

When a later scene mirrors an earlier one, the emotional impact depends on visual contrast.

Montage discipline teaches you to pick the exact beats that will make that contrast land.

6. Emotional Previsualization

Writers increasingly map emotional arcs through quickboards, animatics, or image sequences before scripting.

This is montage thinking applied to tone instead of time.

Explore the tools shaping modern visual storytelling in Top AI Tools for Film Production in 2025

Conclusion

A great montage isn’t about clever formatting or cramming as many shots as possible onto a page. It’s about purpose, choosing the exact beats that move your story forward. When you prioritize clarity over cleverness and economy over excess, the montage becomes one of the most efficient storytelling tools in your script.

Mastering the montage technique sharpens more than just transitions. It improves your pacing, strengthens your act structure, and trains you to think in visual, emotional increments, the same logic that drives great edits and great performances.

When used with intention, a montage doesn’t feel like a shortcut.

It feels like storytelling at its most cinematic.

FAQ

How long should a montage be?

Most effective montages stay under one script page. If yours runs longer, it may be trying to replace scenes that deserve their own space or repeating beats the audience already understands.

Do I need to label START/END MONTAGE?

You don’t have to, but clarity is essential. Whether you use a MONTAGE block or mini-slugs, always signal the end with END MONTAGE or a clean return-to-scene action line.

Montage vs. series of shots, what’s the difference?

A montage compresses time (hours, days, weeks).

A series of shots compresses space (one moment, multiple angles/details).

If time doesn’t move, it isn’t a montage.

Can I intercut present-day scenes inside a montage?

Yes, especially for heists, investigations, or comedic pacing. Just keep each timeline clearly labeled. If the jumping becomes chaotic on the page, separate a part of the sequence into its own scene.

Best practices for VO montages?

Use VO to add perspective, not describe what’s already visible. Keep lines short, tie each line to a specific beat, and avoid VO “walls.” Let the visuals carry momentum while the VO provides insight or contrast.

Should montages appear in TV scripts as well as features?

Absolutely. TV uses montages for cold opens, investigations, emotional arcs, relationship progressions, and season transitions. Just follow the show’s formatting tone—premium dramas, network procedurals, and comedies often handle montage rhythm differently.