Scott Wertsch
CI 5472
Module 3 – Final Task
This Is Sportcenter – Splat: Storyboard
Ad Analyzed: “Splat” found at http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/thisissportscenter/archive#
Shot 1:
Stuart Scott (30-ish, male, dressed in suit) seated at his desk/cubicle, talking on the phone, writing down notes. There is a wall to his left and we are seeing him from his right profile, in a medium shot, semi-steady. “SPORTSCENTER NEWSROOM, October 5, 1997” is written across the bottom of the screen. “Good. Good, alright,” is said by Scott during his phone conversation.
Shot 2:
From a short distance away from Scott, a slow, unsteady eye-level shot which moves from left to right. At first, just another cubicle wall is seen, but then you see Scott is on the other side of the wall, still on the phone. Quick backtrack from right to left, as if hiding behind the cubicle wall. “Alright,” is said by Scott
Shot 3:
Same as Shot 1, Scott at desk, still on phone.
Shot 4:
Quick repeat of Shot 2. Another movement from left to right, than back right to left and hiding behind the cubicle wall.
Shot 5:
Repeat of Shot 1, Scott at desk, on phone. “Good. Alright,” is said by Scott. A small “splat” is heard. Scott’s eyes move about questioningly. He shakes his head in dismissal of the sound. Another “splat,” louder than the others. Scott shrugs his shoulders, ducking his head. “Hold on, hold on,” is said by Scott. He looks about.
Shot 6:
Medium shot of an open area among the office cubicles. Dan Patrick (30-ish, male, dressed in suit) and Roger Clemons (30-ish, male, dressed in baseball uniform) and standing with a pitching machine between them. They are feeding oranges into the pitching machine. “Right there, right there,” said by Clemons.
Shot 7:
Close up of Scott’s left facial profile in the right foreground, long shot of Clemons and Patrick at the pitching machine in the left background. An orange zooms out of the pitching machine.
Shot 8:
A close up of the wall behind Scott’s head. An orange splatters against the wall.
Shot 9:
Same as Shot 1, Scott puts down the phone and shouts out “Hey, hey!” visibly upset.
Shot 10:
Same as Shot 6, Patrick and Clemons are upset. “Aw,” is said by Clemons. Patrick turns to him and says, “You call yourself Cy Young?”
Shot 11:
Same as Shot 1, Scott turns to Clemons and Patrick and says, “Guys! Come on!”
Shot 12:
Same as Shot 6, Clemons looks at the pitching machine and says, “Come on, let’s go fire some at Steiner.” Patrick picks up the bag of oranges, “I’ve got the oranges, let’s go.”
Shot 13:
Ground level shot of cubicle hall, Patrick is running down it with a bag of oranges, spilling them all over the floor. Clemons is following him and carrying the pitching machine. “This Is SPORTSCENTER.” is displayed across the screen.
Film and Editing Techniques:
The purpose
of the commercial is to give a comical “behind the scenes” look at the world of
Sportscenter.
It is not a truthful representation, but a humorous “What if?” type of
advertisement. The shot selection
contributes to this as it begins with a normal, boring scene, then incorporates
a second shot that is quick, playful, and out of place in the business
world. This is followed by a back and
forth between the two shots. The next
major change occurs with the long shot of the orange being fired at Scott and
the close up of the splattering orange on the wall. This sequence is closed by the ground level
shot of the bumbling miscreants running from the scene. The choice of shots establishes a reality of
a respectable work place, then interrupts it with the
humor of the pitching machine firing oranges at a co-worker. Reality is slowly distorted into absurdity
and this is aided by the choice in shots for the sequence. This commercial is, in effect, a metaphor for
the sports reporting world as it is a combination of stark reality and
reporting interspersed with the entertaining aspect of sports that the world
enjoys, and this commercial shows this to full effect.