DEXTER - What is happening?

DEXTER

Dexter is an American television drama series whose “Dexter Morgan” performed by Michael C.Hall is secretly living his life as a killer killing serial killers who at the same time works as a blood splatter analyst at Miami Metro Police Department.

The opening of the series shows a morning daily routine of Dexter which implies him as being “the ordinary”, this is suggestive of a pattern that is a repetitive behavior of a “serial killer”. His daily routine consists with* him preparing breakfast ; eggs, bacon, coffee and orange. Also, his morning shower, flosses, how he ties his shoes and gets dressed.

The Camerawork that is seen throughout the opening is “Close-up” ,this tightly framed shot shows most of detail. It also introduces Dexter to us by showing the activity of his body and his moves. This is very effective since it creates an emotional relationship between Dexter and the viewer because the perspective causes the object to be the center it makes the shot looks unnaturally enlarged which also creates a mood of unease and discomfort. As a result of this, it conveys the message of confusion , bringing life to the character. Another Camerawork that is used is the “Extreme Close-up” which is again very effective as it emphasizes the character’s behavior or physical appearance creating  a bond between the character and the viewer. The extreme close up also creates this ominous feel to the shot as it being dramatic, serious and disorienting. It also makesthe scene intimidating and excited at the same time as the shot is cropped to some parts that the creator wants the viewer to view, creating this disconnection and confusion in the scene.This triggers the sense of danger and paranoia.

The Editing consists of mostly jumpcuts and slow motions. The Jump cuts adds on tension and impact.It also creates an odd transition giving a sense of confusion and uneased. The slow motion that is used throughout the film is very effective since it creates suspenseful aura or to stress a moment in time.

Both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds is used throughout the film. The diegetic sounds are the sound of the razor, coffee beans and mostly food preparing. These sounds is dischordable of music to give an edge to the film. Occasionally there will be musical “ stings” to accompany the actions like the sound of a blood drop or a wink.This contributes to creating a mood of ominous and suspense.It also makes the audience feel uncomfortable and on-edge. The non-diegetic music is very repetitive with a  regular beat as it fits to the theme that the film maker is trying to convey as it fits in everyday life of Dexter’s morning routine is repetitive (Emphasizing).The soundtrack is very creepy since it is played with a harpischord.

Dexter’s morning routine is symbolic for something. The denotation has a connotation. The  scene where the egg is cracked it seems like a skull is being cracked along with the fried egg that is being cut it creates and imagery of someone being stabbed. The Ketchup is also a representation of blood being splattered and the coffee beans creates an imagery of body parts along with the orange segment ( blood orange) is suggestive of flesh and wounds and the action of the floss around finger vividly portray strangulation.

The first scene we have is a mosquito sucking on the blood of Dexter. The sucking of blood suggests predator and threat that is invisible by the victim ( being unprepared ) as well as foreshadowing something bad the is going to happen. This creates a tension to the starting off of the opening credit. The tension was released by the killing of the mosquito. Which this is a jump shot, emphasizing on the hitting action of the character.

The Capitalization of the font makes it seems like a warning message that is used during crime scenes, accidents and dangerous messages  etc. This use of the characters also seems as if it was a newspaper headlines which are the words of important meaning which is just like his job , a detective.
The colour red has a religious connotation just like the ones in rubric is traditionally written or printed in ink for emphasis.

Later in this scene the text also became quite saturated from the top to the bottom which emphazises the actual blood.The drop of blood also connotes for danger/death/anger and revenge.

With the zooming it it makes the text seems as if it is expanding like the blood that is oozing and completing the space of the floor for example ( spreading of blood )creating a sinister feel to the scene. Furthermore, it creates eerie for the viewer as the different angles of the text makes the scene seems questionable making the viewer/audience audience what's coming...

The morning routine tells the viewer information about him.The things that he do reveals his personality and who he really is. It also represents him from the perspective view of the public which makes him look vulnerable as he is living a normal person's life with constant unavoidable hassles. This is effective as it makes the audiences pity him and feel for him.By his morning rountine he also demonstrated the way he can kill/murder.

The shot that consist the white cloth over the face /tightening his face suggests a method of murder. But however, the scene is really about Dexter's putting on his shirt however, the long scene of the cloth on the face suggests his method he might use for suffocating his victim.