Dexter Title Sequence Re-Edit Evaluation

I was in a group of three with Mahalia John and Harry Kettenis. Our task was to complete a re-edit for the opening sequence of Dexter, a US crime drama series. We were supposed to place, style and edit titles into a video template without any reference to the original title sequence. The role of the title sequence is to present the key institutional information along with representing the concept of the programme.

What were the conventions that were most important to this task?

It was of most importance to credit prominent names in the crew. The placement of the titles is also important so they don’t detract from the video sequence. The sequence should establish the setting, characters, genre and themes. The titles should generally be synergistic, fitting in with the brand of the programme. The titles are usually placed in different areas of the frame so the eye moves around to focus, thus engaging the audience. Titles can also be 3D and combine with the background. Sometimes events in the narrative impact titles e.g. contact of a running person with the title can lead to an explosion of the letters. The sequence would also be accompanied with a music soundtrack to connote the genre.

How did your group plan to edit the title sequence?

We first watched through the opening to obtain a sense of the narrative of the video. We then made notes on suitable shots to place the titles. Since we had a limited time frame, we couldn’t do the realistic number of titles. We took turns to edit each title. When we had determined a frame to place a title in, we discussed the options for the properties for the title. We carefully thought about the alignment, sizing, and timing of the title compared to the shots.

What were the creative decisions made by your group?

I liked the way we arced the words for the Sound Mixing title. This allows the title to fit over the coffee maker. Another example is the title for music. We decided to have the blood on the tissue soak over the red credit, therefore enabling the title to have a 3D effect. We chose red so it stands out from the white tissue and so it also becomes camouflaged in the blood. We chose this sizing so the title would not dominate the frame and also allow the blood to be noticed.

How does your re-edit compare to the original?

I prefer the typography seen in the original opening sequence however most titles had short durations. Our titles were predominantly white while all the original titles were red, being synergistic of the colour scheme. While our re-edit titles were in the lower case, all the original titles were in block capitals. Our second title is placed in the same part of the frame in the original however our title appears for longer than the original. Another title is placed away from the soaked blood tissue whereas ours is placed so the blood overlaps it. Overall half of the time, we placed our titles in similar areas of the frame and the duration of each of our titles was longer.