Montage

What is Montage?

A montage is a sequence of short shots edited together to condense time, summarize a process, or create meaning through the juxtaposition of images that would not carry the same weight shown individually. The technique draws on the idea that two shots placed together can produce an idea that neither shot contains on its own.

When you'd use it

1. 1When a process has multiple steps that individually would be too slow to show in full.
2. 2When you want to compress days, weeks, or a full journey into under thirty seconds.
3. 3When individual clips alone are not strong enough but a sequence of them builds the story.
4. 4When the video needs to show variety, range, or transformation across multiple scenes.
5. 5When a music track calls for a sequence of images cut to rhythm.

Example

A skincare brand posts a 20-second TikTok showing a morning routine: eight clips, each two to three seconds, cut on the downbeat of a trending audio track. The sequence moves from cleanser to serum to SPF to the finished look, giving viewers the full routine at a pace that keeps the video under the platform's 60% drop-off window. Because each shot shows a distinct product and a distinct action, the juxtaposition communicates both "this takes effort" and "it doesn't take long."

Use cases

1. 1Sequencing ten product-use moments across different settings to show versatility.
2. 2Compressing a behind-the-scenes production day into a fifteen-second clip.
3. 3Building a transformation sequence from raw ingredients to finished output across six shots.

FAQ

Related terms