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Text Messages Find Their Way into Popular TV Programming

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Text Messages Find Their Way into Popular TV Programming

 
August 22, 2014

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By Clayton Hamshar,
Contributing Writer


In an era when high volumes of communication are conducted via text message, it is a pervasive element of our culture. And while it has taken hold as a communication fixture, it has been a challenge for filmmakers to incorporate in a way that feels natural. It’s impossible to overlook this form of communication because it plays such a large role in real life, bringing about a whole new avenue for dramatic situations.


The challenge has two main aspects. The first is that text messaging necessitates the use of a small phone screen that is difficult to film in a way that allows content to be clearly visible. A camera would need to zoom in quite close, or the text would need to be unrealistically large in order to be legible. The second aspect is that this focus on the phone technology itself instantly dates the moment and takes away valuable screen time from the rest of the scene—not to mention there is no way to portray a character’s reaction to the text message except until after views have had a chance to read the message themselves.

There have been a few examples of directors who opted instead to display text bubbles as a pop-up next to the characters, allowing the camera to show what’s actually happening in the scene as the character reads the message. As demonstrated in an article by Fast Company, BBC’s “Sherlock” was one of the pioneers, first airing in 2010, to display text message and phone communication as an overlay of surreal floating characters. Other notable examples include the shows “House of Cards” and “Glee” as well as the 2014 film “Non-Stop.”


Text messages displayed in "Sherlock," image via BBC. (Click to enlarge)

With this technique “Sherlock” is able to easily integrate phone communication into its quick-moving narrative and eliminate the need for pauses that allow the audience time to read the message. Because this method is so advantageous compared to previous ones, it can be surmised that writers are more likely to invoke phone communication to move the story along, which helps the show be realistic. In addition, the content is now separate from the device which allows the show to be more “future-proof” and not rely on contemporary devices that will inevitably become obsolete and detract from the viewing experience of future audiences.

Some people disagree, saying the pop-ups are jolting and unrealistic, and give the show a cheaper feel. Many purists reject the idea that phone communication cannot be smoothly integrated into a story and consider the “Sherlock” solution to be a cop-out. As with any trend in filmmaking there will be supporters of both sides, so the choice will have to be left as an artistic decision to be made on a film-by-film basis.




Edited by Alisen Downey
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