Analyses of Dexter Opening Scene

- Close Ups

There are many close ups utilised in this opening scene. For example, the extreme close up on the bacon. This is done in a very special way, which tricks the audience into thinking it is human skin. Then there’s the close up of blood; this can represent many different things such as murder or pain, but really he is just shaving his face. Psychological trickery is an important part of the thriller genre.

- Sound

Music used in this opening connotes mystery, giving the impression that the person in the scene is up to something menacing. The cutting and “squishing” noises give a sense of uneasiness, and can make the audience feel uncomfortable. Really though, he’s just making his breakfast. So the use of sound is very successful at playing with the audiences mind.

- Lighting

The lighting in most shots is dark around the actual subject, therefore putting more emphasis on the subject. This means there are no distractions, and allows for the director of the opening to control what the audience is able to see. For example, when the man is slicing the orange in half, the area around it is dark and blurred, and only the orange is in focus.

- Pacing

The pace is quite fast, with rapid transitions. This method is used to keep the audience from fully working out what’s going on and to cause confusion. More specifically for this scene, quick transitions are used to keep the audience from realising just what it is that the man is actually doing, and causing them to believe that he is doing something much more sinister than making breakfast and getting ready to go out.

Over the shoulder Shot

This shot consists of looking from behind the person at the subject. This shot helps to get the feel of looking at someone or something from the person’s point of view, plus it helps to establish the position of each person. It's common to cut between these shots during a conversation, swapping between the views of the different speakers.

Long Shot

This shot consists of the subject or person taking up the whole frame. The persons head and feet should be close to the edges of the shot. A long shot is also called a Wide Shot.

Mid Shot

This shot consists of a person or subject being viewed in more detail whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel like they’re looking at the whole subject or person. These usually are taken when the person the purpose is to deliver information, and they also allow for hand gestures and a bit of movement.