ABSTRACT
In the chromosome-like words dispersed across the screenplay page, the structure of the future living film is determined. If something goes amiss here, it will eventually have repercussions somewhere else. Depending on the producer and writer, some scripts are better refined than others. Studio films, because they have access to the top writers in Hollywood and the money to pay for them, often derive from painstakingly crafted scripts. But sometimes story problems of a more chronic nature rear their heads following production. From the initial genetic material, that kernel of an idea, the film passes through various mutations. Editing's ability to expand or contract time becomes evident in the use of the montage. In the world of film time, the montage allows filmmakers to show a progression of events that would take too long if pictured in detail. The elemental draw of the montage can be so compelling as to become a setpiece for the entire film.
