Learning Frame Control From Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld became a billionaire thanks to his TV show Seinfeld, which ran from 1989 to 1998. And it turns out Jerry has been teaching us frame control since the very beginning.
One thing you may have noticed about the show is that Jerry Seinfeld didn’t do any acting at all… He just played as himself, so you can see that he understands it beyond just his ‘acting’ in Seinfeld.
Jerry Seinfeld’s Frame Control In An Interview
In an interview with Steve Kroft on 60 minutes, Steve Kroft talked about how much money Jerry Seinfeld earned from his show, Seinfeld.
Jerry: Yeah.
Steve: You get a check as an actor.
Jerry: Right.
Steve: You get a check as a creator.
Jerry: Right.
Steve: You get a check as an executive producer.
Jerry: Right.
Steve: And you get checks every time one of these episodes is shown anywhere in the world.
Jerry: Right. And I get nothing for doing this. Nothing.
Instead of feeling cornered or feeling a need to explain himself, he comedically turned the table on how he’s doing the interview for free.
Jerry Seinfeld’s Frame Control In A Breakup
In Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld’s girlfriend tried to break up with him, only to be totally surprised by his careless but positive attitude.
Jerry: Yes?
Rachel: I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.
Jerry: Aha?
Rachel: Well, I don’t think we should see each other anymore.
Jerry: Oh, that’s okay.
Rachel: What?
Jerry: Nah, that’s fine. No problem. I’ll meet somebody else.
Rachel: You will?
Jerry: Sure. See, things always even out for me.
Rachel: Huh?
Jerry: It’s fine. Anyway, it’s been really nice dating you for a while. And… Good luck!
Rachel: Yeah, you too.
The reality is that most guys don’t tend to take it well when a woman tries to break up with them. But not Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry understands abundance and future opportunity. He dated numerous women in the show, after all.
Seinfeld wasn’t bothered by the fact that she doesn’t think they should see each other anymore. He got up and walked away whistling.
Jerry Seinfeld’s Frame Control With A Close Talker
In another Seinfeld episode, Jerry demonstrated some interesting frame control with a ‘close talker’, played by Judge Reinhold. Judge Reinhold’s character would approach people’s faces very closely during conversations, causing other characters to very obviously retreat from his closeness. However, Jerry Seinfeld was the only person not to react to his closeness. This left the two characters face to face, or almost nose to nose.
In an interview with Judge Reinhold, it was revealed that Jerry Seinfeld was actually very uncomfortable doing the scene. The crew were laughing in the background during the takes, because they knew that Jerry was a germaphobe. This is perhaps one of the few times Jerry Seinfeld actually was acting.
