I think that your observations about this sequence are absolutely spot on. It is a psychological thriller with a hint of dark comedy that the intro enhanced and makes viewers appreciate the series that much more. Overall, it gives the audience a small roller coaster of emotions in a matter of 100 seconds, and that is exactly what the show does as well. It would always take me a second to remind myself that it was a morning routine and not something gruesome. It would appear to the left, right, and middle of the screen in order to not obstruct what was happening in the picture.Īs I mentioned before, watching the opening credits for Dexter was initially hard to do. The typography was also colored red to match the blood theme and was not subject to a singular spot on the screen. There was an instance where the name “Erik King” shuttered before abruptly changing to “Lauren Velez” right when a chime beat hit in the music. The instant a beat changed with a shot, a new name appeared in the credits. When the music had a set of several acute beats back to back, the shots given were fast-paced In addition to the music and camera movement moving concurrently, the typography showed up the same way. When the music was slow or was holding out a beat, the camera followed with a prolonged shot. The camera operated hand in hand with the music. Nonetheless, each of the design elements worked great together to convey Dexter and would not have been able to do so individually. It was as if the chime aided in lightening up the eerie tone and letting the audience in on a ‘joke’ that no one else knew. For instance, at the end of the intro, there is a ding that almost feels as if Dexter is winking to the audience. There was also a chime that rung periodically. I would get a feel of chills whenever the audio for the slicing occurred. These particular sounds gave a grim touch to the ambiance. However, some of the actions performed in the clips were also given audio. I immediately felt the eerie tone with a hint of playfulness in the music. I then played the intro with the sound, but I did not watch it. I watched the intro without the sound, and it set a weird tone, but not necessarily eerie. Ultimately, I think the use of sound was the most effective in this particular opening title sequence. It is a drastic change in mood that I believe was done with the purpose of demonstrating how Dexter carries his dark self behind closed doors, but to the rest of the world, he is a harmless guy. Dexter locks his apartment door and steps outside into a sunny day with a smile. Despite the stagnant lighting throughout, the last clip is very bright -and even cheery. The lighting used is low thus enhancing the dark mood as well. The audience is drawn in with the slow-motion and without warning the shots speed up or change quickly. However, there is also the juxtaposition of fast-paced shots that add to a more heightened uncanny. At first glance, the ham looks like human flesh, or perhaps that is the connection viewers make because of the fact Dexter saws his victims into pieces. For example, there is a closeup of Dexter chewing on ham that makes it uncomfortable to watch, especially after seeing him cut the ham. There is a sense of the uncanny established with the closeups and slow motion. The use of the camera movements and the shot durations complemented each other well. He is never fully revealed until the end. The audience also feels an underlying sense of suspense because Dexter’s face is partially revealed in the beginning then followed by shots of his hands, feet, neck, and mouth. There also seems to be an overarching yellowing filter that visually ties the clips together. Each of these themes was interlaced to convey a deathly mood. Dexter is cutting ham, a grapefruit, and blending coffee beans. There are also frequent inferences to strangulation with flossing teeth, tying shoes, and putting on a t-shirt. There is the actual blood that comes along with killing a mosquito and cutting yourself while shaving, and then there is the depiction of blood by juicing a grapefruit and putting hot sauce on eggs. The images throughout the title sequence have a repetition of blood. Hence, the show being about a forensics expert who also is a serial killer that no one knows about. The intro gives the audience a normal-looking guy performing a mundane morning routine with an emphasis on an underlying violence. I have seen the entire TV series, and I remember as I watched the first few episodes, I could not look at the opening credits without grimacing or looking away. Dexter has one of the most brilliantly composed opening title sequences.
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