Pillow Talk Vs Fringe

Pillow Talk Vs Fringe:

The two sequences belonging to Pillow Talk and Fringe are both similar and different in terms of pace and style of editing. This implies that the views that the audience will possess on the films will also differ in many ways, creating many different opinions and enhancing the power of different editing techniques.

Both of these sequences successfully appeal to the audience of their time but as we find that Pillow Talk’s choice of style appeals directly to the era of the 60’s, although, we as a modern audience find Fringe more exciting due to a more modernised take on editing and quicker paced scenes. This is reflected in the split screen shot, portraying the development in editing techniques as well as the needs and expectations of an audience. This is also exposed in terms of pace. Pillow Talk has an average of twelve seconds per cut, whereas Fringe has a much swifter pace due to an average of cuts occurring every four seconds. This means that Pillow Talk is a much slower sequence, although creating excitement in the era, disappoints and bores the younger generations as the current audience need bursts of excitement around each and every corner.

In Fringe the cuts in the sequence are pretty much at a steady pace throughout, this means that in order to obtain and maintain the audience’s undivided attention quick paced scenes and a variety of shots are needed as well as a variety of lengths of the actual shots. This not only implies that the modern audience is exceptionally needy but also that a larger variety of shots have been developed and can be used successfully in order to enhance the ambiance of a scene as well as possessing the inept ability to elongate the tension factor.

However, in Pillow Talk the cuts are far more spaced out, although become both more frequent and regularly occurring towards the end of the sequence. This portrays to us that, perhaps, the more frequent cuts within a scene, the higher the ability possessed to prolong suspense and create a dramatic ending in the scene, and in this case the swift cuts allow for the tension to build up to the “big kiss” enhancing the passion in the scene.

The cuts in Pillow Talk mainly consist of dissolve, fade, straight cuts and the favourite wipe to split screen. The wipe to split screen shot (shot 3) was a clearly desirable shot in the 60’s and as a result it lasts for over a minute, 69 seconds to be precise. The popularity of this shot allowed it to last for a quarter of the entire sequence implying that it is of great importance and without such a scene the context of the following would have been lost. After 35 seconds of the shot the frame goes to a close up whilst remaining in the split screen form and does not cut between both figures. This means that both parties are equally as important in this scene and possess equal status as both are constantly seen as well as the fact that the shot enhances the emotions in the scene as we can clearly view both of their facial expressions meaning that their reactions play a part on what is to follow. The split screen shot allows us to see what is going on the both locations, this makes our understanding of the plot much more in depth and accurate.

The dissolve shot (shot 2) implies to us the passing of time in the sequence and shows that we are at a different part in the plot, in this case, a few hours later. This is a rather play like shot as it allows us of transportation to another location, and perhaps another set of events, which due to the jump allows us to reflect upon the changes given and of that regarding time. In Pillow Talk we also find that straight cuts are used. This allows for continuation of a scene but from a different perspective and can help to enhance strong emotions and tension within a scene. This is also done as to allow for the scene to flow and create a better understanding for the audience, which in turn creates more positive and uplifting responses and can assist in reference to the overall opinions of the audience, whether modern or not. In Pillow Talk the straight cuts help to build up to the “big kiss”, this can be proven as cuts become more frequent due to the fact that the drama in this sequence is held until the end and after which occurs the cuts then cease as to help the audience get over their initial shock of the matter in hand. 

 In Fringe a much larger range of shots are used. Panning shots, reverse tracking shots, straight cuts ect. The panning shot that begins with a close up of the man writing on some paper and then travels across to Peter’s reflection and then to a close up of Peter.  This is an exceptionally effective shot as it gives us insight straight away into the scenes context and what is likely to follow as we, as an audience begin to discover understanding, for us, within the plot. This shot also gives us an insight into more than just one segment of the scene. This shot is one of the longest in this sequence lasting for twelve seconds which means that it has great importance in the sequence due to this insight which is given as well as a great sense of boredom on Peter’s part and makes us want to know what is actually occurring and why it is taking so long.  However, throughout this sequence all of the shots vary from close ups, extreme close ups (i.e. shots one, three and five), long shots and mid shots. All of these are an exceedingly successful method of portraying to the audience either a sense of anger and annoyance in the extreme close ups in order to back up the emotions with facial expressions, as signs of slight boredom in the mid shots and the long shots are thrown in to show us a change of scenery as to maintain the audience’s attention as well as to vary their choice of shots and create a general over view of locations. The long shots also help to elongate the process of whatever it is that is taking place between the two men and enhance a sense of emptiness within such a location as the place in which they are situated appears to be large, hollow and a cold, boring place.

When watching both of these sequences there are many factors which may influence the audience’s emotional response to them. For example gender, age, life experiences, genre likes and dislikes and even the actual audience itself. Gender and age are the most obvious of the two as females tend to go for more romantic and dramatic films whereas males tend to go for more action, comedy and horror and generally every other genre apart from romance. And so the genre likes and dislikes become apparent as they inflict such tender findings and most people find that they do not wish to watch genres which are not usually accustomed to their particular genres. Personal opinions and tastes of individuals are responsible for the audience’s emotional response. Age and experiences as obviously the more you have experienced in life the more of an understanding that you can grasp and so the greater likeness of a film, show or, in this case, sequence. The environment in which you watch these also influences your take on it this is due to others around you either talking in a cinema or laughing at the bits that are not funny so if it is viewed when a specific audience member is alone then the take on it will be much more truthful and opinionated rather than tainted with the hatred views of others.

Basically, Fringe and Pillow Talk are similar in reference to appealing to the audience of their time but differ on pace and style of editing. This means that the audience’s response to them will be conjoined with the era from which they have come.