Page 48 - Introduction to Electronic Commerce and Social Commerce

Sport on Film • 37

Movies often draw on different styles of lighting in accordance with the devel-
opment of the character and narrative. The opening scene of The Natural (1984)
depicts the central character, Roy Hobbs, waiting, half in shadow, at a train station.
The partial illumination establishes a sense of uncertainty about him, who he is and
where is he going. The screen fi lls with the image of a train arriving and departing,

with fleeting glimpses of Hobbs through the gaps between the cars. As the train pulls
off, an empty platform is revealed. The next scene shows Hobbs on the train, a pat-
tern of light and dark playing on his face, cast by the slats of the window blind. The
striped effect of the lighting accentuates the mystery and ambiguity surrounding the
character. This lack of clarity around the adult Hobbs contrasts with the next scenes,
which show him as a child playing baseball with his father in a wheat fi eld. The
bright lighting creates clear, sharp definitions of the images, conveying a sense of

certainty. Backlighting intensifies the glow of sunshine on Hobbs’s blonde hair, cre-
ating a halo effect which adds to the mood of innocence. The difference in lighting
suggests to the audience that something tragic or mysterious has happened to change
Hobbs from a carefree child to a troubled adult.

Editing

Relationships between camera shots are created through editing and montage. Edit-

ing is a central way that the narrative progresses throughout the film, as shots are
juxtaposed with other shots and structured into sequences. The demands of realism
mean that editing remains largely invisible or seamless in most films, giving the

impression of a natural transition between shots. For example, documentaries tend
to use fewer edits than fi ctional stories. Hoop Dreams (1994), a documentary about
two young, black basketball players from Chicago, has long sequences of interviews
with the boys, the coach and their families.
Film-makers employ multiple editing techniques. The simplest methods involve
straightforward cuts between one scene and the next or the use of techniques such as
a fade or dissolve, where one image gradually disappears and is replaced, or a wipe,
where one image is pushed aside to reveal another. The fade or dissolve may be used

in flashbacks to denote a change in time while maintaining a sense of continuity or
to indicate the passage of time, as the hero, as a child, transforms to his adult image.
There are also a range of transition devices that are used to move between scenes
such as overlapping sound, sudden cuts and action that begins in one scene and ends
in the next. The editing technique can help to create an emotional context, establish
a new setting or develop the action. Sudden cuts produce surprise, horror and disrup-
tion. The use of short establishing shots above a new location can help to place the
narrative within a physical context. The timing of cuts between shots can intensify
energy or slow it down. In Any Given Sunday, cuts during games are quick and ex-
plosive, highlighting the fast-paced, dynamic action of the game. Cuts in a scene of
relative stasis can slow it down and instil significance in the moment.