Pillow Talk Vs Fringe

How are the sequences from ‘Pillow Talk’ and ‘Fringe’ different? Discuss the differences in pace and style of editing as well as the effect the editing has on the meaning/the audiences reception of the extracts

The extracts that I am looking at are ‘Pillow Talk’ and ‘Fringe’. Pillow Talk was a movie filmed in 1959 and starred Rock Hudson and Doris Day and Fringe is a television series filmed in 2008. The time between these two clips has the most influence on the type of edits, language, emotion and meaning for the audience. The difference in cuttings is used to present different ideas to the audience.

The main differences in these sequences are the styles of editing. In Pillow Talk it shows its age as an old production with its split screens and lack of cuts, However Fringe is full of quick, snappy cuts that keeps you alert and focused.

Through out Pillow Talk there are a limit variation of standard edits, the first noticeable edit is the split screen, it is an old effect used to show what is happening in different places at the same time, in this case a phone call. There are a number of close ups, this is used to enhance the emotion of the character. When Rock Hudson and Doris Day are conversing in the bar there are a number of reverse shots, this is used to show who is speaking in the conversation. But overall the straight cut is used frequently, this is a standard edit between scenes.

Fringe uses other new edits, this is what makes the scene relevant for this era. Close ups are one of the first edits used, this was used to show tension between the two characters while they interact, from this you can tell the almost have a grudge with each other. There is a long shot when the space ship is hovering over the important building, also the camera pans with in this shot. At the end of the clip, reverse shots are frequently used between the two characters, they are used so quickly to build anticipation within the conversation.

The pace in both sequences have a huge difference and contrast massively. In Pillow Talk the pace is very slow and dragging, but this was the normal style in that era. On the other hand Fringe is rapid and keeps you interested.

In conclusion the sequences from Pillow Talk and Fringe show a huge difference in editing, it is clear that they have been filmed in different cinematic eras, however you can see the features that have been kept the same such as some cuts and close ups