A montage can now be found in almost every Hollywood film. A montage, on the other hand, is more than just a highlight reel paired to music: it's a storytelling technique that may help a film's director and editor move the story forward fast and efficiently.

Montage is a cinematic editing technique in which several brief images or clips are combined into a single sequence, usually matched to the music. Montage means "assembling" or "editing" in French.

Montage sequences are a way of presenting a lot of information to the audience at once, and they often imply the passage of time or numerous simultaneous events. They can elicit a variety of feelings, such as:

1. A montage in a romantic comedy might depict the building affection or attraction between two love interests as they get to know each other. 

2. A montage in a sports film can show an athlete preparing for a big game, heightening the anticipation or tension regarding the outcome.

3. In a play, a montage can be used to emphasize grief and melancholy by depicting a widow grieving over her husband's death.

4. A montage in a horror film can show the protagonists preparing to defend their home from a killer or otherworldly force.

In a film, a montage can achieve a variety of objectives, such as:

1. Make time fly by. A montage can speed up time in a way that makes sense to the audience and keeps faithful to the tale, whether it's by a day, a week, a month, a year, or a decade. It's almost like seeing a highlight reel of the action.

2. Transmit a large amount of data at once. A director might not want to spend a lot of time describing key facts in a plot. A montage can expedite this process and bring the audience up to speed in seconds.

3. Tension will be increased. Many montages take place around two-thirds of the way through a film, usually shortly after the story's conclusion. As the film approaches its climax, a montage can revive and reinvigorate the audience's interest in a character or plot.

4. Consider the differences and similarities. Montages can also occur at the start of a film. A montage that compares and contrasts the daily lives or routines of two people can reveal their respective statuses and thus levels of power.

5. Show who you are. A montage can be used to show how a character develops through time. A montage can assist the spectator swiftly in understanding a significant transition in a character's physical and/or mental state, from brief cuts of a drug hallucination one night to the ravages of sickness over the period of six months.

6. Mix and match multiple plots. There isn't always enough time to cover every story from beginning to end. A montage is a powerful tool for combining narratives and ensuring that each character receives their due.

A montage can include, but not be limited to, the following film techniques:

1. Cuts that are made quickly Movie montages usually consist of a series of scenes that are edited together in rapid succession. This permits time to pass and the plot to progress while the audience remains engaged.

2. There is no conversation. Although it isn't a hard and fast rule, many montages follow the "show, don't tell" approach. Characters discussing their feelings in a scene rarely works, so showing it in a montage instead can be quite effective. In the film, less is frequently more.

3. Narration via voiceover A good voiceover can deliver crucial information to the audience straightforwardly and artistically. During a montage, a disembodied voice may narrate what's going on, adding context.

4. Music. Montages use music to highlight fast-paced action and the characters' emotions.

6. Supers. At times, Text is superimposed on the screen in montages to quickly transmit information and updates about characters and the story. As a film's epilogue, this frequently occurs.

Filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein popularized Soviet montage theory, which takes a more creative approach to create montages.

Filmmakers began experimenting with creative editing techniques after the 1917 Russian Revolution. In his signature montage editing,

Eisenstein, who began making movies in the early 1920s, highlighted the importance of individual frames. He used a more layered approach to the art form rather than merely editing together a collection of individual photos.

Eisenstein did not develop the film montage, but he did elevate and transform the way filmmakers employ it. To emotionally affect audiences, Eisenstein toyed with shot duration, movement, and cuts. He established five distinct montage procedures during the course of his career:

1. Metric: Regardless of the action, editing shots after a set amount of frames.

2. Cutting to maintain continuity is referred to as a rhythmic cut.

3. Tonal editing is the process of modifying pictures to elicit an emotional response from the viewer.

4. Overton: A metric, rhythmic, and tonal montage that is abstract in nature.

5. Intuitive: Incorporating shots from the movie that aren't related to it.

In the film, there are several well-known montage instances, such as:

1. La Jetée (1962) is a montage of still photographs that reflect the protagonist's memories as he travels through time. It was directed by Chris Marker.

2. Rocky (1976), directed by John G. Avildsen, has one of the most iconic montage sequences in the sports genre. Rocky's training montage, which culminates in a run up the Philadelphia Art Museum's steps, is so well-known that they're now known as "the Rocky Steps."

3. Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing (1989) is a racially charged montage that attempts to convey the atmosphere of a whole city.

4. Garry Marshall's film Pretty Woman (1990) employs montage to portray Julia Roberts' character's makeover as she goes shopping and puts on different clothes.

5. The poignant montage that starts Pete Docter's film Up (2009) looks back on Carl's wonderful connection with his late wife, Ellie.

You might be surprised to see how frequently you notice montages now that you know more about this film editing method. Identify the director's motivation for adopting this method the next time a movie cuts to one.