A leading TV producer for ITV Studios Australia has confirmed editing tricks are used on Married at First Sight Australia – but she insists that villainous cast members only have themselves to blame for their portrayals.
Jaala Webster — who is the head of post-production at ITV — confirmed that “frankenbiting” is used in the editing suite, as it is on most reality TV shows.
ICYMI: Frankenbiting is when a cast member’s words are cut up and mashed together to form new sentences. MAFS fans may have noticed the (very blatant) use of this technique throughout the show’s 2022 season.
To What Extent Is Frankenbaiting Used During the MAFS Editing Process?
According to Jaala, while MAFS producers do make the most of the editing tactic, it is not for the reason you may think.
“[Frankenbiting] is basically where you take different parts of what someone has said and you make a cleaner sentence, which is generally what we use it for,” the executive said at the Screen Forever conference on the Gold Coast last week, as per TV Tonight.
Further, Jaala insisted that the technique has its limitations.
“I can’t frankengrab you together having a fight with someone. I don’t have the capacity to do that. So if you look back in the edit, it’s probably because you did say or do something not so great.”
So much for blaming the edit…
Jaala did acknowledge, however, that the selected music (who could forget the awkward backing track that played every time Kate Laidlaw and Matt Ridley were on screen) and the juxtaposition of key scenes can influence how a contestant is portrayed.
Nonetheless, she maintained that it is incredibly difficult to change somebody’s whole persona using editing alone.
“I have very rarely been able to make someone more villainous or questionable in their behaviour than they were actually being,” she said. Oop.
So, Were This Season’s MAFS Villains Edited Or Were They Really That Bad?
Throughout the ninth instalment of Married at First Sight Australia, there have been questions as to the truth behind the edit of season “villain” Olivia Frazer.
The MAFS star claims she has received “the bad edit”.
However, as reported in episode 166 of the So Dramatic! podcast, Olivia’s behaviour has actually been toned DOWN in post-production.
After the 27-year-old received a sh*t ton of public backlash for her roles in the glass-smashing incident and nude photo scandal, producers had to water down her behaviour as a part of their duty of care.
Fellow bride Holly Greenstein confirmed this. The bride divulged that Olivia had made a series of snide comments towards her which were left on the cutting room floor.
Yikes!
Was Tamara Djordjevic Edited Or Is She Really a Hospo Hater?
Tamara Djordjevic has also copped some flack for being a hospo hater and generally rude to her “husband” Brent Vitiello.
The Queenslander was slated with the villainous edit towards the end of the season following production’s efforts to take the heat off of Olivia.
Nonetheless, in an interview the HIT Network‘s Jimmy & Nath, the hospitality expert revealed that his former bride wanted to be painted as the season’s villain. Wut?
However, post-MAFS she has not been coping with the backlash.
Accordingly, she has spent countless radio interviews blaming the edit for how she has come across.
Want even more goss about Married at First Sight Australia? Listen to episode 172 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
Know something about the Married at First Sight Australia editing that we don’t? Spill the tea here!
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