Monday 29 June 2009

Textual analysis of a Tv drama title sequence.

Title sequence:
-Attract people with the theme tune-signature identity.
-So people know what they are watching.
-To show where the programme is set/time.
-Name of the show.
-Alerts people that the show is starting.
-Shows the characters.
-People in the setting.
-Tone/style/pace.

Dexter title sequence:
-Normal morning routine filmed to make it look wierd and scary.
-Normal with a hint of sadisium.
-Dexter-Name of main character.
-Dark tone.
-Theme of murder.
-He looks miserable/empty.
-Associates him with death.
-Casual killer.
-Music-sneaky but casual/jaunty.

Sound (digetic):
-Emphasising sound.
-Foley music- when he is eating.
-Shaving.
-Cooking.
-Slicing orange.
-When he killed the spider.
-Blood dripping.
-Flossing.
-Pulling out keys.

Sound (Non-digetic):
-Creepy music.
-Jolly music but the sounds he's making makes it sound creepy.
-Ding at the end.
-Music tune fades away when he gets outside (matches his facial expression)
-Odd sounds within casual tune.
-Casual/Jaunty.
-Rattling shakey noise makes it creepy.
-Music anchors the meaning of the image and the other way round.
-Tings, rattles-dischordant.
-Unnatural,wrong.

Cinematograhy:
-Start-focus on mosquito. Kills it. Camera refocuses onto Dexter's face (smile)
-Extreme close-ups. Eg. Cleaning blood, cooking, cutting orange-shows intimate detail.
-Close-up on face before leaving house-air of mystery. Don't see his face properly until the end.
-Mysterious- There is a dark side and a light side to his face- Represents that he comes across as a normal guy but he has a dark side to him.
-When you see the meat it's like the camera's in the pan.
-Focus on the lock, showing he is locking away his dark side.

Editing:
-Dexter is written in blood.
-Jump cuts-normal things have been cut out to emphasise death related things.
-Meat has been sliced loads of times-connotes slashing flesh.
-Way he eats- sounds crunchy-connotes meat is raw, cannablism.
-In control-doesn't seem like a crazed killer-calm killer plans well.
-Crushing grounding-coffee beans.

Mis en scene:
-Blood-A lot of red; Blood orange, Ketchup, Title, Murder, Violence.
-Clothes-White t-shirt (normality) - T-shirt is used to show smothering when being put on.
-Facial expression-Creepy and seems like a physco, but is the total oppisite when he leaves the house (again shows his locked his dark side away when he leaves the house).
-The way he shaves-shows the first sign of blood.
-Normal things-morning routine; but the way they are used and anchorage of music suggests murder and violence.
-His actions-Eg. Putting knife in egg and twisted, eating meat straight off a knife etc. shows evilness.

Friday 15 May 2009


Wide-shot/establishing shot.

Long shot.

3/4 shot.

Mid-shot.