Line #10 Main/PopUpTexting


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4	[[quoteright:300:[[Series/HouseOfCardsUS https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pop_up_texting.png]]]]
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6	This occurs when a character is looking at something on a phone, which is small and hard to show to the audience, and the contents of the screen are shown as a pop-up floating somewhere in the midst of the action. This is done to avoid having the character either read or say what it is he's looking at, or the camera cutting to a tight shot of the screen over their shoulder or from their POV. In this way, viewers are kept in the loop without having possibly needless exposition dialogue or close shots that limit action in other places.
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8	While most often used with cell phones, it can be used to show what's on any kind of screen without showing the screen itself.
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10	[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFfq2zblGXw This video]] by ''WebVideo/EveryFrameAPainting'' has further examination and analysis on this trope in the first half (the second half is about the portrayal of the internet).
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12	Contrast SoundingItOut, and ViewerFriendlyInterface, which is having impractical interfaces on computers that are easily seen by the audience.
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14	----
15	!!Examples:
16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
19	* Occurs frequently in ''Manga/LaidBackCamp'' whenever characters text with each other, usually with small SuperDeformed versions of their faces next to their texts.
20	* Like in ''Laid-Back Camp'', the cast of ''Manga/AsteroidInLove'' text a lot. While most of them are displayed in a phone-screen cut, in many cases they are depicted as LINE screens appearing on on-screen speech bubbles.
21	[[/folder]]
22
23	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
24	* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'': A variation was used when Snoopy was typing on his typewriter, and the text would be shown in the air above him. This was all the way [[OlderThanTheyThink back in the '60s]].
25	* Done in ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'' frequently, since Jeremy, being a child of the 21st century, quite often communicates via text. The strip often uses these to satirize modern teen's near-dependence on texting, [[http://zitscomics.com/comics/april-9-2011/ even when there's another person mere feet from them]].
26	* In a ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' comic strip, Garfield attempts to write poetry by dipping his paws in ink and pressing them on the paper. In the air, we see what we think is what Garfield is writing, but when Jon Arbuckle comes to see what Garfield is doing, all we see on the paper is just paw prints.
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
30	* Used in ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGONinjagoMovie'' when [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer Lloyd Garmadon]]'s classmates start texting to complain about having to wait for the school bus at the same stop as him.
31	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePeanutsMovie'': As in the original strip, Snoopy's story appears in the air above him as he types it out on his typewriter.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
35	* In the French lesbian romance film ''Film/{{Besties}}'', all of the SMS that are exchanged appear in big letters on the screen as they are typed.
36	* ''Film/NonStop'': The terrorists initially contact Marks via text, which is shown appearing next to his phone. All phone communications are displayed this way, even one when he's gotten a hold of a suspect's phone, which has a cracked screen, also visible in the pop-up.
37	* In ''Film/FruitvaleStation'', Oscar's texts and various other cellphone functions (like searching his address book) are displayed in pop-ups.
38	* ''Film/TheFaultInOurStars'' did this, with sketchy "hand-drawn" bubbles popping up whenever main characters August and Hazel texted each other. They come across as a sketch of iPhone text bubbles.
39	* In ''Film/TheSecretLifeOfWalterMitty'', text relevant to the scene often appears on the background. One time Walter gets a text from a coworker and it appears carved on a mountainside behind him.
40	* ''Film/MenWomenAndChildren'' makes use of this a lot, often in crowd scenes to showcase all the intimate (or mundane) secret thoughts going on in people's heads.
41	* ''Film/SexDrive'', In the first scene when Ian is messaging "Ms_Tasty," over the internet on his laptop.
42	* ''Film/OtherHalves'' has highly interactive text message (as well as app screens) that disappear behind objects on-screen, as if they really are floating in space. One even plays as a MeaningfulBackgroundEvent, showing the audience that a character left her phone behind.
43	* ''Film/TheShallows'': Seen as Nancy looks at pictures on her phone, texts with her friend, and even has a video call with her sister and father, with the video screens moving aside as she walks through them. Her watch is also shown this way as she keeps checking when the tides come in, and when she's using it as a timer or stopwatch.
44	* Played with in the film adaptation of ''Literature/IBoy''. Whenever Tom texts someone, the message will show up like this for the viewer, but this is because he's actually got [[{{Technopath}} the ability to see electrical signals]]. He doesn't even have to use his hands.
45	* In order for the audience to follow the chat conversations in ''Film/{{Disconnect}}'', some of its content is displayed as on-screen text.
46	* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'': Briefly used as Peter sends a text to Happy Hogan telling him he's ready for his next mission... still.
47	* ''Film/Desperados2020'': When Wesley is writing [[StronglyWordedLetter her hate email to Jared]], we get a pop-up screen showing its contents, including misspellings and autocorrections.
48	* In ''Film/LeftBehindRiseOfTheAntichrist'', this occurs when Rayford Steele is looking up things about the Rapture on his phone, and when Dirk Burton tries to hack into the Eden website using his computer.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
52	* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' is the TropeCodifier, making considerable use of this, showing texts and anything else on a phone screen floating in the air, and allowing Sherlock to have his EstablishingCharacterMoment when he's not even present!
53	* The second episode of ''Series/BurnNotice'' used pop-ups as Micheal texted his friends, although they didn't notice because they were too busy arguing. Later episodes did away with the trope, so it only existed early on.
54	* This trope pops up (no pun intended) on ''Series/TheMindyProject''. The episode "You've Got Sext" uses it a lot, as it's about Morgan and Pete taking Mindy's cell and sending fake texts to Cliff.
55	* Creator/MeTV seems to be having a series of TV promos featuring this.
56	** In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdzhpkzonig one ad for]] ''Series/HogansHeroes'', Col. Klink texts Sgt. Schultz asking where Hogan is. Schultz responds with his catchphrase.
57	--->'''Schultz:''' I know Nussink!\
58	'''Klink:''' U type with an accent??
59	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDuBmVwDbk Another promo]] for ''Series/GilligansIsland'':
60	--->'''Li'l Buddy:''' Where R U?\
61	'''Skipper:''' On an island. Why?\
62	'''Li'l Buddy:''' Just checking... SOS LOL!
63	* ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'': Used frequently, with characters texting each other furiously to make deals, arrange meetings and conduct other governmental or personal business. Commentary tracks reveal that the creators felt their use of this trope was ground-breaking and were dismayed to learn that the same effect was being deployed in ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' while they were finishing the first season.
64	* UK Soap Opera ''Series/{{Hollyoaks}}'' will do this sometimes, especially if the text is important to the storyline. This was pretty unique for the time.
65	* In the first episode of ''Series/{{Utopia}}'', a group of characters have a conversation on the forum dedicated to a cult GraphicNovel called [[FictionalDocument The Utopia Experiments]]. Each line of text appears floating next to whoever the camera is focused on. If it is the person that is typing the message, it appears next to their head. At one point, a line text distorts as it passes behind a glass of wine.
66	* ''Web of Lies'' is an Creator/InvestigationDiscovery series about online relationships that lead to disastrous, sometimes tragic, results. Given the nature of the subject matter, it should be no surprise that much of the correspondence between the subjects is shown this way.
67	* ''Series/CSICyber'': Not surprisingly, many displays are shown floating in the air next to the devices, though they also use close-ups of the screens.
68	* ''Series/JaneTheVirgin'' uses this whenever text conversations are involved.
69	* ''Series/{{Selfie}}'''s main character, Eliza Dooley, spends most of her time looking at one or more screens simultaneously. While all the things she's looking at are done in this manner, important text conversations are usually displayed more prominently and legibly, while the less relevant windows are shown in thumbnail, represented as icons, or scaled-down.
70	* ''[[Series/Batwoman2019 Batwoman]]'' uses this method to display texts. As well as fellow Arrowverse show ''Series/BlackLightning''.
71	* Pretty much every text message in ''Series/MimpiMetropolitan'' is displayed as a pop-up, usually combining it with VoiceoverLetter or more rarely, SoundingItOut.
72	* Every text message in ''Series/JejakSuaraAdzan'' is shown to the audience via a pop-up.
73	* ''Series/MsMarvel2022'' has a variation; rather than have the messages pop up in text balloons, they're instead incorporated into the background, like having neon signs light up with the messages or them appearing on road markings.
74	* "Social Hour" from ''Series/TheInsideMan'' uses a form of this. Each time that Mark Shepherd encounters a different employee at Kromocom, a popup appears showing all of the information he's gathered about them on social media, including their various Twitter posts, [=YouTube=] videos, etc.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Sports]]
78	* The British pop-culture segment of the UsefulNotes/{{London}} UsefulNotes/OlympicGames opening ceremony showed these as it portrayed young people going out for a night on the town, phones in hand, keeping in contact with each other, and culminating with two of them getting a RelationshipUpgrade on [[BlandNameProduct not-Facebook]].
79	[[/folder]]
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81	[[folder:VideoGames]]
82	* ''VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries'' does this whenever Bruce Wayne sends or receives text messages.
83	* ''VideoGame/TheBridgeCurseRoadToSalvation'' is already played in first-person, but even then the onscreen text will appear as speech bubbles, while your phone's screen will be fuzzy instead.
84	* ''VideoGame/GeminiHeroesReborn'', a game played from a first-person perspective, displays incoming texts popping up on a corner of the screen.
85	* ''VideoGame/GoodbyeVolcanoHigh'': The text messages seen throughout the game are portrayed this way, popping up on either the left of right side of the screen, while Fang's reactions are seen on the opposite side.
86	* Done in ''VideoGame/SplinterCell: Conviction'' whenever objectives are consulted. Instead of popping up in an in-game display, the objectives appear in the environment itself.
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Web Animation]]
90	* ''WebAnimation/MoniRobo'' shows characters interacting with one another via text messages. The original Japanese channel uses text pop-ups while the English dub uses a phone overlay.
91	* ''WebAnimation/RefreshingStories'': Like [=MoniRobo=] above, the characters will be frequently be communicating via texting. The English version uses an phone overlay while the original Japanese channel uses text pop-ups.
92	* ''WebAnimation/TroubleBusters'': The characters frequently communicate with each other by texting, which is shown using a phone overlay.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Web Comics]]
96	* Done in ''Webcomic/{{Megatokyo}}'' whenever characters communicate via text messages (for example, Erika and Kimiko's fanboys)
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Web Original]]
100	* ''WebVideo/MuppetViralVideos'': "Beaker's Ballad" has [[NoFourthWall internet comments appearing in the air next to him]], really tormenting him, and laughing as he gets set on fire.
101	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'' musical short "Perfect Day for Fun" released on Creator/{{Hasbro}} Studios Shorts' Website/YouTube channel, the main characters try to find a common meeting place at their school carnival. As they communicate via text, they have pop-ups indicating what they are saying, although they only do this through symbols, with no actual words displayed in the pop-up (e.g. "Butterfly Star @ Photo Booth" means "[[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicTheManeCast Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle]] are near the photo booths").
102	* ''WebVideo/AppleTexts'' features a blend of both PopUpTexting and SoundingItOut, in which the texts appear on screen and are "read out" by the respective senders.
103	* ''WebVideo/ViralTexts'' also features pop-up texts where the texts appear on screen and are "read out" by the respective senders.
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
107	* Happens in the ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' episode "Stakes" between Princess Bubblegum and Peppermint Butler.
108	* Parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "Kloger" when Roger is texting Klaus. Once Francine steps back, she sees the floating text bubbles, but when she touches one, [[{{Fingore}} it burns her finger off]]. Afterwards, Roger states that text bubbles are made of flesh-eating bacteria, and Francine cowers as the text bubbles surround her.
109	* Used in the ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' episode "A Rickconvenient Mort" to show the text messages Morty and Planetina exchange.
110	* ''WesternAnimation/TheWindshieldWiper'': One person texts the other (as the film shows only the communications satellite that's relaying the texts) and says "Yesterday was fun, right?". The other person agrees. After a couple of more texts the first person says that they felt a connection and they really want to see the other person again, and again, and again. This vignette ends with the other person's text window going "...".
111	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / PopUpTexting