Video montages have created some of the most memorable scenes in movie history.
Honorable mentions include Rocky's run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the opening sequence of Up, showing the milestones of Ellie and Carl’s relationship (we’re not crying, you’re crying).
Video montages are a great way to tell a story over a short amount of time. They evoke emotion in a simple and very visual way, which is a great storytelling device.
TLDR: Animoto is the best video montage maker because it's fully online and drag-and-drop easy. Just upload your video clips, drag them into a block, trim as needed, and you're done.
What is a video montage?
A video montage is an effective and visually striking way to tell a story through a rapid succession of short clips, photos, and sound. The word "montage" derives from the French term meaning "to put together" elements to create a cohesive whole.
Montages are a popular technique for conveying messages, emotions, or the passage of time in a highly condensed format. Through simple editing, a plotline that might require multiple scenes can be powerfully concentrated into a captivating series of visuals. Think of the iconic training sequences in movies—that’s the power of the video montage.
Montage vs. collage: What's the difference?
The distinction between these two visual storytelling tools is simple and important for content creators:
- Montage: A compilation of video clips (and photos) woven together sequentially, often with music and specific pacing, to convey narrative or emotion.
- Collage: A composition of still photos, typically arranged in a single frame or static image layout.
The video montage is the more dynamic format, using movement, sound, and transitions to create a richer, more cinematic experience.
Looking to create a video collage? Animoto's picture montage creator can do that too! Just check out this guide.
Why make a video montage?
Are you looking to elevate your storytelling or brand identity? Video montages might just be for you.
86% of marketing professionals use video as a marketing tool. Video montages are a great way to market your brand while keeping it fun and fresh.
The fun part about making a video montage is that no two montages look the same. You can personalize your montage through the power of editing. Don’t worry, we’ll give you some ideas on how to do that later on.
3 creative video montage ideas
If you’ve never made a video montage before, you might be wondering what the benefits are. Video montages are a great storytelling tool. There are endless ways you can use a video montage to your advantage.
Here are three creative ways you can use a montage to your advantage:
- Share a special event: If you took many short videos during a wedding, family vacation, or birthday, a montage is the perfect way to condense those memories. It’s better than any photo album at instantly bringing you back to that moment.
- Promote your brand: Did you know that 54 percent of consumers want to see more video content from the brands they support? Use a montage to quickly showcase a wide variety of products, share customer testimonials, or highlight company culture. It’s an easy, affordable, and highly effective way to grab an audience's attention on social media.
- Set the scene: If you are editing a longer video (like a vlog or presentation), use a short montage of surroundings to transition between locations or establish a new time period without losing narrative context.
How to make a video montage with Animoto's video montage maker
You might be wondering how to make a video montage. Not to worry, we’ve got you covered with a step-by-step walkthrough using Animoto video montage maker.
Step 1: Pick a template
Choose your idea and stick with it. Your first opening seconds will set the tone of your video montage, so make sure you use them wisely. Just keep your intended audience in mind, stick to the purpose of your video, and you’ll be good to go.
Animoto’s video editor is free and easy to use. Start from scratch or use a video template to achieve your desired video montage.
We recommend a template that fits with the theme you’re going for. For example, if you want to make a montage of your recent holiday, the Vacation Recap template would be perfect for you.
If you’re feeling stuck, consult one of our tutorials on how to make videos. All your questions can be answered there.
Step 2: Collect your media
Use a variety of clips to convey your story. The last thing you want is a stagnant video. Try different angles, locations, and pacing—have some fun with it!
You can easily upload photos from your phone: just open the media library, hit the phone icon, scan the QR code, and refresh to instantly fill your library.
Editing a bunch of short clips can be overwhelming without a game plan. If it’s easier for you to map out your video montage on a storyboard, do that.
Also, don’t hesitate to try out different sequences until you get it just right.
Step 3: Add music
Don’t forget the music! In all honesty, this is what will make your video montage worth watching. A good song can take any video to the next level.
Browse through our song library to pick the perfect song for your video montage. This part might take the longest—it’s always the toughest decision to make. Filter songs by mood and genre to find the track that conveys the right emotion for your video montage.
Step 4: Share away
Once you're happy with your new montage video, it’s time to share it. You can share your video to a variety of social media channels directly from Animoto.
3 tips on making a memorable video montage
- Use narration: Narration is a powerful tool to enhance your message. It's an efficient way to get information across to your audience while the montage is playing, keeping the video entertaining and moving forward.
- Keep it concise: Engaging and memorable video montages are concise and get straight to the point. The worst thing for engagement is content that drags on without a clear direction. A video montage should naturally speed up your content. When in doubt, keep it brief—your audience will thank you.
- Make it personal: Anyone can use a picture montage creator, but adding your personal flair and unique media will make your montage memorable and engaging. Don't be shy about customizing the look, transitions, and text to truly make it your own.
Video montage examples to inspire you
Unsure on where to get started? Use these examples as some inspiration for the tone you want to strike with your video montage.
Keep it light
Do you know when the geek gets a makeover and somehow becomes the most popular person in school in just a few short minutes? That’s all thanks to the power of video montages!
These video montages are often the most fun scenes of the whole movie. Here’s one of our favorite video montage glow-ups from the classic film Clueless.
Use this as inspiration to have fun with your creation. Between the clips, you include to the music you choose, try to never take yourself too seriously!
Powerful storytelling
In this commercial, Apple uses the triple threat of video montage, voice-over narration, and inspiring music to set the tone.
Whether you’re looking to promote your brand or are creating a video montage just for fun, try playing around with narration and music. They’re bound to enhance your montage. You can add narration by using Animoto’s voiceover feature to either upload a prerecorded voiceover or record directly into the platform.
Songs for a video montage
Think of what emotion your video montage is trying to evoke from your audience and choose a song accordingly. Is it happy, hopeful, sad, or frustrated? Whatever it is, there’s a song for it.
There’s no wrong choice when deciding on a song, but we’d advise you to align it with the theme of your video montage. Putting a sad song over a vacation montage might give your viewers the wrong idea.
Luckily, you have an endless amount of songs to choose from with Animoto’s music library. You can even search by mood, which is perfect for editing video montages.
Video montage FAQs
Ready to make a video montage?
Whether you’re looking to up your content creation game or just want to try something new, a video montage is a perfect solution for all your storytelling needs.
With Animoto’s easy-to-use video montage maker and all of these video montage ideas, all you need to do is start.
