"Montage" is originally a French word meaning "to assemble" or "to combine". In the field of film, montage refers to the technique and technique of creating a new meaning or effect by editing different frames or scenes. This technique usually involves rearranging the order of the images in order to produce a specific emotional response or narrative effect in the viewer's mind.
Imagine you're watching a movie. In the picture, a protagonist is facing an important choice. Immediately afterward, the screen switches to a close-up of a watch, the second hand ticking, and the tense atmosphere pervades. Then, it switches to the protagonist's nervous facial expression. Finally, the protagonist makes a decision, and the screen switches again, showing his back as he takes a firm step. In the process, you feel tension, anticipation, and relief, and that's the power of montage.
Montage, as a cinematic expression, can be traced back to filmmaking in the early 20th century. In the 1920s, Soviet film directors and theorists, such as Sergei Eisenstein, Lev Kuleshov, and Dziga Vertov, began to systematically study and theorize the technique of montage. They see montage as a powerful narrative tool that can be used to express complex emotional and ideological content.
The Montage School, or Soviet School of Montage, refers to a group of film creators and theorists who were active in the Soviet film industry in the 20s and 30s of the 20th century. Through practical and theoretical research, they explored the potential of montage in cinematic narrative and expression, and had a profound impact on later filmmaking.
Over time, the concept and technique of montage have been widely integrated into film, television, advertising, and other visual media, becoming a fundamental means of narrative and expression.
Now, let's answer an interesting question:
Why does montage produce a strong emotional response?
This is because montage stimulates the viewer's brain through the rapid switching of images and scenes, causing them to produce a phenomenon called "neural association". Neural association refers to the fact that when the brain is faced with external stimuli, it automatically associates relevant information, resulting in a series of emotions and thoughts. Montage makes use of this principle to guide the audience to make neural associations through the combination and switching of images, so as to achieve the purpose of expressing emotions and narratives.
At the end of the article, let's revisit the charm of montage again. Montage, a small word of French origin, has revolutionized the world of cinema. It allows us to feel the passage of time, experience the ups and downs of emotions, and see the power of narrative. Montage, you are a treasure of cinematic art, you make our lives more colorful. May you continue to shine in the days to come and lead the film to new heights.