I need to represent several tasks in a short amount of screen/script time; so I need to use a series of shots or quasi-montage type formatting.

How exactly do I do this? I've read a couple of scripts, some of which do it like so:

EXT./INT. VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND CAMPUS

And they then explain in the action what's happening on screen, however they don't use a scene heading to explain the jumps in location.

Alternatively, other scripts use "SERIES OF SHOTS: EXT. LOCATION". Followed by ascending numbers (or letters) with scene location headings, followed by a brief block of action. And, SERIES OF SHOTS is trasferably with MONTAGE, depending on the content of the subsequent scene.

What would you recommend?

Also, if using "series of shots" or "montage" should the subsequent scene headings have the correct scene heading formatting (double spacing and all that)? Or, can they be blocked in with the action, but, say capitalised, to make them stand out?

Cheers,
Al

You are writing for the READER. Make it easy on her- You could just write
MONTAGE and then, for example in CAPS.
ROADWAY a car whizzes along.
DOORWAY Bill looks suddenly up.
CHURCH BELLS ring out
TREE BRANCH A squirrel races further up the tree.

If your writing is compelling, little idiosyncracies in standard format
will be overlooked. Don't let that stuff get in the way. If Hollywood's
current hot item loves your STORY it could be chipped into stone.

Interesting Bill but I'd stay away from CAPS in a spec script..

INT./EXT. MID WESTERN COLLEGE - DAY

MONTAGE:

College building in the background.

College grounds, trees, park, benches.

Hustle and bustle of students on campus.

Clock on the wall of main entrance.

Inside college assembly hall.

Inside college cafeteria.

Inside college bar.

END MONTAGE

Keep it simple. The idea is to give only an impression of your intended montage. Once you have given an impression it is the director's job to visualize your ideas into images. So you basically provide a flavor..

If you need to get specific then try and list the items in your montage but keep them as separate lines as these also represent shots because these are also master scene descriptions but you can also suggest a shot by way of your description like I did with the clock which suggests this is a close-up or meduim-shot..

Don't CAP anything..

MONTAGE:

Place you shots here...

END MONTAGE

That simple...

I opened The Burnout with a montage.


FADE IN:
EXT.  TIMES SQUARE - MONTAGE -NIGHT
Theme restaurants and shops line the tourist-filled streets.
Happy families leave the Lion King Theater.
Police cars race down the street, away from the tourist area.
A car alarm WAILS on a side street.
Four guys drink beer outside a burned-out storefront.
A teenager scores a nickel-bag from a friend.
END MONTAGE.


Phil