Montage editing

Montage means a series of seemingly unrelated shots that the viewers must work to connect. Montages usually are the to create a feeling for the audience rather than a purpose, it can be through music and speaking.  Many montages show a passing of time or events. Some may show a accomplishment and its journey, this will create the sense of pride or happiness for the viewer. They can be inspirational or sad; the goal is to create a feeling for the viewer.

I chose this montage from up because it’s an excellent example, even in animation form you can still create something so powerfully beautiful. The clip demonstrates that music has a major effect on the mood, and can either show the scene as happy or sad. Montages show a passing of time very beautifully as shown in the clip. However montages can include words, which at certain times can add to the mood that is perceived. This example relies highly on the music though, for example 1:23 the music shows a softer tone to fit with the dark imagery and tragic message, the picks back up at 1:54 showing the passage of time.

Above shows two print screens from the montage giving an example of the passing of time. They use the same location but different situations. It shows the roles reversed between the two and the setting is older as time has passed. It can link with the fact they have grown older as has the settings, nothing is how it used to be.

However the montage from up still shows a passing of time but it shows it more continuously, the shots all connect in less of a random manor. 

The video above is a music video that uses montage in a way that the shots don’t tell a continuous story like UP. It still shows a journey but the shots alone would seem more unrelated till they are put together. Although the lyrics do not actually tell a story of what is going on in the video, it still fits with the hidden story of the journey/ tour they have been on. The montage can still cause an emotion to appear though, however not as strong as the UP montage, which leaves you feeling happiness from the memories but sadness from the outcome. The music video shows memories that people will have lived so it gives you a sense of happiness and proudness because its showing a journey a band has taken but it involves fans showing that they are just as a big a part of it as the band.  

180 degrees rule

The 180 degrees rule is an invisible line that states the camera must be placed on a particular side filming two people in a sequence. If the camera crosses the line suddenly it looks as if the people have changed places to the viewer. A clever way of moving across the invisible line but not breaking the 180 degrees rule is to slowly move the camera round, from there you will only film on that side of the line. 

The image above shows the confusion people can get when the 180 degrees rule is broken. However people purposely break the rule sometimes.

This scene in the shining is good for breaking the 180 degrees rule because it clearly jumps from one side of the room to the other causing the view of the actors to change. This was purposely done to fit with the characters, jumping between the split personality’s splitting the scene, suggesting jack is talking to himself. Although breaking the rule is usually not allowed, in some scenes it holds a hidden message and is a deeper way of connecting with the characters and the movie, such as in The Shining.

The 180-degree rule is either broken for a hidden message like the one in the shining or so they can continue the 180-degree rule at the other side of the room. Although they broke the rule instead of smoothly moving sides in the shot, many carry on the 180-degrees rule after and don’t jump from side to side.

Above is an example of the 180degree rule being used correctly.  All throughout the scene the camera is kept on the left side of the room so we get the sense of the continuity in the scene, most films tend to follow the 180 degree rule as if  its broken can cause disruption to the scene for the viewer as they get confused at where the characters are in the room.