Text messaging is new enough that movies and TV shows haven’t landed on a consistent way to show viewers what their characters are saying. Done incorrectly, an on-screen text session can look immediately dated or weird. But with the right visuals, the effect can be great.
Tony Zhou edited and narrated this five-minute look into the myriad ways motion pictures depict texting, and it’s absolutely fascinating. Just look at the huge changes in visuals that have occurred over less than a decade. What’s your favourite film form of texting? Tell us in the comment section below.