How are the sequences from ‘Pillow talk’ and ‘fringe’ different? Discuss the difference in pace and style of editing as well as the effect the editing has on meaning/the audience’s receptions of the extracts.

In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting two extracts ‘Pillow Talk’ and ‘Fringe’. Pillow talk is a romantic comedy directed by Michael Gordon and was released in 1959. Fringe is an American science fiction series broadcasted in 2008. These two extracts have been selected because of the time difference between them showing great differences in pace, style of editing and the effect the editing has on the audience.

The style of editing is extremely different as we can tell by the diverse range of cuts and shots which appeal to both target audiences. In “Fringe” a conversation has been broken up into many different shots. The cuts used are fast and fluent. Each shot length lasts about three seconds focusing on the characters facial expressions. By focusing on the characters reaction to dialogue the director has brought the audience closer to the character making them feel emotionally connected. An establishing shot is then used to show the outside location of the next scene. Using CGI, the director places a huge spacecraft or blimp above the next location which vanishes from the air creating dramatic effect which builds tension as the audience is given a quick change of scene.
In Pillow talk the editing in cuts is hugely reduced in comparison to Fringe. The shots used in Pillow talk are very basic consisting of mainly over the shoulder and medium shots. Pillow talk is much slower paced and uses fairly long shots at a time without cutting for up to thirty seconds. This is due to the time the film was released when multiple shots had not fully merged into films yet due to the technology of editing. We can see in Pillow Talk that a split screen is used in a telephone conversation instead of alternating cuts. This is to connect to the audience with the characters. Because we can see both characters facial expressions at the same time, the responses to each other’s dialogue is emphasised. This shot at the time would also be considered impressive and trendy as it pushes boundaries for a film of its time. A dissolve shot is used for a change of scene creating a soft transition from one location to the next and also creating a feeling that time has passed since the last scene.
The difference in pace is not just due to the difference in era and technology. Pace is used in these extracts to match the genre of the film or show. Pillow talk is a romance and is much likely to be a slower paced film with fewer shots to create intensity and emotion throughout the conversation. Fringe, being a sci-fi uses the common conventions of that genre meaning many multiple shots are used to create tension and excitement as if something big is about to happen.

The mis-en-scene plays a big part in setting the mood and scene. ‘Pillow Talk’ uses lighting to create a calm, relaxed, romantic scene with dim backlights and lighting on the main characters making them the focus of attention. ‘Fringe’, to create a mood of tension and danger, uses mainly backlights from behind the blinds, allowing only a shed of light to enter.

The audience of these two extracts would contrast quiet greatly due to age and gender. This is because of genre and the large time period between which these extracts were filmed. As Pillow Talk was shown to audiences in the 1960’s, the style of editing isn’t as diverse as it is in modern day films. Because of this someone who is used to modern day editing in film would not read Pillow talk the same way that an audience from the 1960’s would read it. This is because an audience member from the 1960’s would see the editing being at its peak where as a modern day audience would see it as dull, simple and with much to be improved since a modern day audience member is used to multiple camera angles and fast paced cuts. In terms of gender, women may prefer ‘Pillow Talk’ to ‘Fringe’ because of its genre. ‘Pillow Talk’s appeal towards woman may be greater than men because it is a romance, whereas men may appeal more to ‘Fringe’ because of the action it contains. 

In conclusion it is clear that both extracts have a significant difference in style and pace, (due to the difference in time and technology between them) however, both extracts aim for the same audience reaction of tension and focus. Both extracts attempt to do this by using close ups on facial expressions as they react to dialogue.