Dexter's title sequence

I will look at how the opening of Dexter (morning routine title sequence) is effective and anticipates the series.

The opening of Dexter does cover the conventions of a film opening, it presents the production company logo and follows a title sequence while introducing the character and the mood of the series. However what I find most interesting about this title sequence is the way the character and the mood are introduced through camera, miss en scene, sound and editing.

To start off, the title: the font and the colour as well as the blood already anticipate us about what kind of things happens in the series. The title sequence is presented together with Dexter's morning routine. The use of close-ups and extreme close ups makes us feel a bit awkward because it is too close and too detailed, specially when it is showing things such as blood, knives cutting, meat, etc.

These props makes us associate with murder, which is a good way to introduce the psychopath character and the psychotic mood of the series. The music in the background makes it all seem as a normal usual routine that happens everyday, what is a bit creepy because his morning routine is associated with killing. Other sounds effects of suspense help to create this murder atmosphere like for example when we get a close up of the knife cutting the meat.

Together with the close ups we get very accurately the diegetic sounds of what he is doing, what makes us feel a bit uncomfortable because they are not very pleasant, as well as the extreme close-ups are not very pleasant.

At the beginning of the opening, the editing is slower, emphasising this sense of awkwardness and creating tension. More towards the ending, the editing gets faster creating pace to this routine, making it more thrilling, also anticipating about the plot and the character. I think this is a very effective opening that is engaging and creates intrigue, as it anticipates some things about the plot and character but still leave us to want to know what happens.