Editing technique · used in 1 film

Establishing Montage

Opening with a run of shots of a place, held longer than needed to establish where we are. It tells you the place is a character.

Examples

Where you can see it

  1. Midnight in Paris (2011) poster

    Midnight in Paris

    Woody Allen · 2011

    The film begins with views of Paris, longer than a simple location setup needs. A critic read this as Allen saying to pay attention because magic can happen here. It prepares you for a story in which the city itself does the work.

    Where to see it: The opening. A series of shots of Paris plays before the story begins.

Questions

Quick answers

What is establishing montage in film?
Opening with a run of shots of a place, held longer than needed to establish where we are. It tells you the place is a character.
Which films use establishing montage?
Midnight in Paris (2011).
What kind of technique is establishing montage?
It is a editing technique. Related editing techniques include Kinetic Set Piece Architecture, Animation as Emotional Amplifier, Callback Editing.