This media technique executes sensually provocative montages, generating an illusion of danger where there is none; emphasize the emotional truth in an actor's performance; hint at the pace of a story; construct a vital subconscious emotional connection to the viewer; and even emphasize elements that would not have otherwise been noted.
Editing manipulates the perception of the audience on a specific character depending on the extracts shown. The pace can also be altered by showing continuous frames in a limited time to implement the sense of rapidity; whereas fewer frames in an extended period of time can subtly invoke a slurred atmosphere.
The general meaning of both extracts consists of the basic outline of the plot. In Pillow Talk a song writer, Brad Allen, attempts to manipulate the protagonist perception, Jan Morrow, on a charming Texan Business man named Rex Stetson. However Fringe explores both a solemn subject intertwined with a ridiculous conversation over a ‘dying pen’. Peter Bishop; the estranged son of Dr Walter Bishop is questioned by Sen Van Horn regarding his father. Peter commences by confessing how his father ‘never had any intention to fix the other side...but destroy our side’. The conversation radically changes from a serious issue to a pen.
In Pillow Talk, the protagonist Jan Morrow; played by Doris Day appears to be the quintessential women in the 1950’s. She has blonde coifed hair with subtle makeup accompanied by an elegant cocktail dress with her date, Rex. Her slim figure suggests that she takes pride in her appearance; may be inspired by the Hollywood star, Marilyn Monroe. She is also draped with a diamond and sapphire encrusted necklace to portray her wealth. Jan can also be described as the strong stereotypical female commonly found in TV dramas. This is highlighted with her sharp attitude towards the ideology of Brad in the opening sequence; during the phone conversation.
Controversially Brad Allen is perceived as a casual character; shown in his open tie and creased shirt. He has an unstable job as a songwriter which penetrates through his personality. During the phone call with Jan, he is blunt in conveying his ideology of Rex Stetsons’ sexuality. He intervenes in Jans’ love life which may suggest subtly that he is jealous of their relationship, due to his admiration of Jan Morrow.
On the other hand Rex plays the role of a stereotypical gentleman. He does not view women as a sex item and is well mannered; shown during the way her drinks (pinkie up) and refers to the protagonist as ‘Ma’am’. His outfit is a sharp black suit with a crisp white shirt, which contrasts dramatically against Brad. He seems to be camp which is emphasized during his sheer interest in fabrics and collection of cooking recipes. However the audience is shocked when it is revealed that he is a heterosexual as he passionately kisses Jan Morrow.
In Fringe the protagonist Peter Bishop, played by Joshua Jackson is an intelligent young man; an IQ of 190 (six points less than his dad, who has a 196 IQ). However he only graduated from high school and dropped out of college to become a professional fraud. As the TV drama is targeted at young adults, hope may be given to some less academic students to still succeed. He also has a dark side that the audience can relate to as everyone has skeletons in their closet. Peter once had a gambling problem and still owes Big Eddie money.
Another vital sub element of meaning is colour. In the early 1950’s, the demand for colour filming in the United States increased, and Technicolour was unable to keep up with the Hollywood Industry needs. Hollywoods approach to colour filming changed significantly with the introduction of Eastmancolour tripac Negative film. In pillow talk the colours used are fairly bland as technology was not advanced enough to film vibrant colours. The quality of the series although was at a very high stantard which entertained the audience. The colours of the costumes consisted mainly of black and white as this represented an elegant/sophisticated sense of fashion. For example both men were dressed in a simple evening suit whilst Jan Morrow was dressed in the typical black cocktail dress.
Even though vibrant colours can be filmed using advanced equipment, the film director decided to use tones of greys and blacks for the props and costumes. This emphasises the genre of horror and deepens the tense atmosphere. Dark colours are also the connotation of misery and create suspense; in tone with genre of the extract.
The pace of the two extract vary dramatically due to the era the episodes were produced in; as audiences change frequently. Pillow Talk sequences travel at a slower pace with an average of 12 seconds per cut. An explanation to this may be that the audience back in the late 1950’s were not used to watching television. Therefore in order to help them gain a better understanding of the plot, the pace was slower so one had more time to comprehend the situation. On the contrary, the hit TV series, Fringe, was released in 2008. The audience has evolved over 50 years therefore the viewers were more experienced in Television viewing. Fringe has a rapid pace to keep the audiences attention and gain interest by having on average 4 seconds per cut. This is a television drama centred on a female FBI agent who is forced to work with an institutionalized scientist in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena. To help create this anticipating atmosphere the rates have to be much higher which also establishes the genre of drama/horror/mystery (higher frequency- the number of occurrences within a given time period); whereas Pillow Talk focuses on romance/comedy (lower frequency).
As previously mentioned, editing plays an essential part in the formation of a successful sequence. Editing can be classified under various styles. For example, in Pillow Talk a dissolve is used from Brad’s conversation with a friend, to the phone call between the protagonist and Brad Allen. This portrays the illusion of time passing by between the two scenarios. Also a wipe is used followed by a split screen to show the two way phone conversation. This enables the viewer to see both situations at once. The audience can sympathise and empathise with the characters emotion. This was a ‘funky’ camera technique used in this time period which was known to be both fluent and stylish. The shot was focussed into a close up so the audience can see Jans’ facial expression when confronted by the controversial topic of the sexuality of Rex. This evokes the audience to feel the same emotion and be placed in Jan’s situation therefore express sympathy.
Both extracts are similar in the sense that a two way conversation is being held. In Fringe, a discussion is held between Peter Bishop and Sen Van Horn concerning Dr Walter Bishop. Correspondingly the protagonist, Jan Morrow, debates the sexuality of Rex with Brad Allen during the phone call. A conversation involving Jan and Rex is also held at a refined restaurant.
On the other hand there also major difference between both extracts due to the production era of both sequences. Fringe commences with an establishing shot of a grand stone building to introduce the audience to the environment. It is generally a long- or extreme-long shot which hints the location of the remaining scene. Although this camera shot is not used in Pillow Talk. This may affect the audiences reception as in Fringe, viewers are able to familiarize with setting of the scene; however this unlikely in Pillow Talk. Also in Fringe a motivated cut is used. This is a cut made just at the point where what has occurred makes the viewer immediately want to see something which is not currently visible (causing us, for instance, to accept compression of time); shot/reverse shot technique in this extract. This may not have been used in the late 1950’s as media technology was not as advanced as the present moment. This shot was also not discovered until the modern period. The audience however are able to engage with this camera shot as their perception is also more sophisticated due to the complex technology recently used. For example the current audience will find the phone conversation boring and extremely static. Another key difference is that Pillow Talk consists of diegetic music played from the piano; sounds are heard in the TV world by the characters. This lightens the atmosphere; the ballad also helps emphasize the romantic ambience. There is also brighter lighting in Pillow Talk as the genre is romantic comedy, however the same cannot be said for Fringe. This extract is dark and eerie which are a common connotation of a mysterious environment and a foreshadowing of death.
From this, one is able to gather that the various techniques of editing can dramatically affect the viewers’ perception. In Fringe the rapid pace, sinister colour and lighting, complex plot help illuminate the genre of mystery. Nevertheless Pillow Talk exploits the opposite genre in comparison with Fringe, of romantic comedy by including both a slow pace and bright lighting. The audience therefore is able to obtain different opinions due to various personalities of viewers.
