How do you format a montage in a screenplay?

Start with a heading like MONTAGE or BEGIN MONTAGE, then list the individual images as short lettered or bulleted beats, and close with END MONTAGE. Each beat is a brief action line; if a beat changes location you can add a mini scene heading for it.

What is the difference between a montage and a series of shots?

A montage compresses time to show a process or change (training, a relationship growing) across possibly many locations. A series of shots usually shows connected action in a tighter timeframe or place. In practice they format almost identically; the label signals intent.

How do you handle multiple locations in a montage?

Give each beat its own brief location cue — either a short slug line or an in-line location at the start of the beat — so the reader always knows where each image happens without writing full scene headings for every one.

How to Write a Montage Sequence With Multiple Locations

How to format a montage in a screenplay: the two main methods, handling multiple locations, and keeping a time-jump sequence tight on the page.

A montage compresses time — a training arc, a romance blooming, a city waking up — into a handful of images. On the page it's one of the tidier ways to cover a lot of story fast, if you format it cleanly. The tricky part is usually multiple locations without the sequence ballooning into a dozen full scene headings. Here's how.

The two methods

Method 1: MONTAGE with listed beats

Open with a heading, list the images as short beats, and close it:

BEGIN MONTAGE:

     A) Rocky pounds up the museum steps, alone, breath fogging.
     B) He hammers a slab of beef in the freezer locker.
     C) Dawn runs — the city still asleep behind him.
     D) He reaches the top step. Arms raised. He's ready.

END MONTAGE.

Each beat is a brief action line. The lettering keeps it scannable.

Method 2: SERIES OF SHOTS

Nearly identical formatting; the label signals a tighter, connected run of images rather than a time-compressing arc. Use whichever word matches your intent — see series of shots vs. montage.

Handling multiple locations

This is the real question. You don't want a full INT./EXT. heading for every image — that's what makes montages sprawl. Two clean options:

In-line location at the start of each beat:

     A) GYM - Rocky hammers the speed bag until his arms give.
     B) STREET - He runs, weaving through morning traffic.

Short mini-slugs when a beat needs more grounding:

     A) INT. GYM - DAY
        Rocky hammers the speed bag.
     B) EXT. STREET - DAWN
        He runs.

Pick one and stay consistent through the sequence. The reader should always know where each image is without the page filling with headings.

Keep it tight

One line per image where you can. Montages earn their keep by being economical.
Give it a purpose. A montage should show change — progress, decay, time passing — not just pretty pictures.
Don't overuse them. Two strong montages beat six weak ones.
Mind the page count. Montages play faster than they read; a half-page montage can be 90 seconds of screen time. Remember the one-page-one-minute rule bends here.

Format it without the friction

Montages involve a lot of small formatting decisions — headings, lettered beats, mini-slugs. A screenwriting tool that applies these elements cleanly keeps the sequence readable instead of a mess of manual indents. Scriptease handles montage and series-of-shots formatting so your time jumps stay crisp on the page.

More conventions in the screenplay format guide.