Best way to show time pass [Montages or Text]

[Delano]

Hello All,

 

Im currently writing a script for my thesis film and I'm at a point where I want to show time passed I was thinking about fading out and have text written saying"3 days later" then fade back in or montages of events happening and times passing by. Im not sure which way to go or if they're any alternitives, However I do want it to look professional. Any suggestions? 

 

Delano Samuels.

[Chuck]

I've seen big budget Hollywood films that use normal cuts to a new scene (not fade to black), but have text on the lower third of "3 days later" or "3 years earlier" to indicate time.  If the same actor is in both scenes before and after the cut – you can have the actor in different clothers in indicate time passage…  There are many ways to accomplish this…

 

[Jackson Wong]

There are plenty of ways to show time passing, just as Chuck mentioned.

 

Here's a few, though the fade to black is probably the most professional:

 

-fixed closeup of a clock, you may add crossfades here

 

-fixed closeup of a calendar being flipped

 

-wide shot of the outside of a building or city with the sunrise or sunset.

 

(stock footage may apply for the three above)

 

-"waiting room" for this one, LOCK down your tripod in a wide shot of a still area, then shoot multiple takes of your character going about waiting, pacing, stretching. These are then slowly crossfaded in editing.

 

-clock wipe: a little cheesy, often combined with a swoosh sound effect

 

– in the animated feature Bolt: the dog is put into a box, in a moving truck with the gate slammed down. CUT to Black, sound effect of an airplane flyby and CUT. – the time and place have now changed.

 

Delano Samuels, complete this project and good luck doing so!

[Delano]

Thanks guys. Now I'm more certain with what path to take and I will finish this project!

[gldnears]

" fixed closeup of a calendar being flipped "       Yeh! . . . yeh . . . . classic!

[John]

Jackson's comment up there is right on the spot. Have a go at stock footage to represent passage of time. As per his recommendations:

 

Fixed Close Up of Clock or you can add in a Sped Up Animated Clock yourself. You can find more.

 

The Flipping Calendar is also standard.

 

Personally I like Time-Lapse Footage of places the best. Just pick a prominent one relevant to your video's setting and there you have your quick passage of time. Sunsets are a pretty good transition from day to night or vice-versa.

 

Hope you find what you need for that transition.

[Nachyketk]

Need to show passage of time in months. A guy living in a single house, locked. Please give inputs.

[Delano]

What if you captured a timelapse of the sun going down and rising, then seemlessly looped it as many times as needed to simulate a month?

Also, I know it's been years since I ask for help here, but here is the short film I made: https://vimeo.com/137910299/3f99358f2e

What I did for similate time passing was a push in on the actor's face, and with some vfx I made his eyes grew some eyebag, and have the actor change his clothes for the wider shots after the face close up.

From years later,

Thank you all!

[civory]

Hello Delano? You can make use of dissolve repeatedly. The character or object in the dissolve should be seen differently at each dissolve scene. More info about movie scripts here.

[paulears]

Disolves, quite slow ones, is the standard trick for this.

[Author]

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