Dexter Title Sequence Re-Edit: Evaluation

1. Summarise the conventions of title sequences that were most important to this task.

• Should include the names of the cast and crew
• A title graphic using a genre-appropriate font
• A consistent colour scheme and branding throughout
• Should portray the genre of the show

2. How did your group plan to edit the title sequence? (consider timings, industry requirements etc).

Initially, our group watched the sequence through twice so that we could get a feel for the timings of the shots and so that we could also get the overall feel of the sequence. We then decided to make the titles red, because the title graphic (which was already included) was a dark red colour and therefore we chose to include a synergistic colour scheme. Then we decided to use a sans serif font similiar to the font used in the title graphic, to ensure that sequence flowed and made sense. We knew that one of the conventions of TV title sequences was to have all the names of the actors appearing first (in descending billing order) and then to have the names of the crew appearing afterwards.

3. Explain the creative decisions made by your group.

• Using a blood red colour scheme
• Using a sans serif font to match the font used in the title graphic
• Using a choppy effect on the titles to disorientate the viewer and link back to the genre
• We left the titles on for the same length of time
• We made sure that the titles didn't clash with any of the objects in the shots

4. How does your re-edit compare to the original?

• Our re-edit had less titles than the original because we ran out of time. If I had to do this task again, I would ensure that we plan ahead, so that we know how many titles we need to complete.
• The font that we used was similar to the original Dexter font, as they were both sans serif
• The colour that we used for our font was quite similar to the original font colour
• We didn't include the names of most of the production crew
• The title for the Writer vanished too quickly
• The title for Sam Claflin was overlapping with a drop of blood, and so it was difficult to read

Sound Analysis of 'Coraline' - DYM H/W 3

 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE SEQUENCE!

MUSIC & DIALOGUE

• STARTS OFF WITH RHYTHMIC DRUMMING, SOUNDING QUITE CREEPY
• MINOR PIANO BROKEN CHORDS START PLAYING STRAIGHT AFTER
• BREATHY SINGING OF A NON-ENGLISH (RUSSIAN?) POSSIBLY NURSERY RHYME, SOUNDING TWISTED AND EERIE
• SINGING FITS IN WITH THE CHOPPY VIOLIN PLAYING
• VERY SUBTLE HUMMING ALONG TO THE SONG, ADDS MORE DEPTH TO THE SONG
• VERY METALLIC CLICKS, PERHAPS A TRIANGLE BEING PLAYED AS THE DOLL DESCENDS THROUGH THE WINDOW, MIRRORING THE EXPECTED SOUND OF THE NEEDLE HANDS
• ONLY ONE PERSON STILL SINGING AS THE DOLL IS BEING TAKEN APART, SOUNDS OMINOUS
• LOTS OF CLICKY, (XYLOPHONE?) INSTRUMENTS BEING PLAYED
• CACOPHANY OF MINOR NOTES, MAKING THE WHOLE SEQUENCE SOUND FOREBODING
• VIOLINS COME BACK IN AS THE BUTTONS ARE TAKEN OUT, HEIGHTENING THE SENSE OF UNEASE WITHIN THE AUDIENCE
• GROUP OF FEMALE SINGERS JOIN IN TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE CREEPY ATMOSPHERE
• LOTS OF STRINGS THROUGHOUT WHOLE SEQUENCE
• MUSIC SLOWS DOWN AND DIMINUENDOS AS THE DOLL FLIES BACK OUT OF THE WINDOW, AND ALL THAT IS HEARD IS A LONG BRASS NOTE (PERHAPS PLAYED BY A TRUMPET), SOUNDING LIKE THE WIND

SOUND EFFECTS

• SCISSORS SNIPPING THROUGH THE DOLL'S BACK
• RIPPING FABRIC SOUND AS THE MOUTH IS CUT OPEN
• FLOWING SAND BEING POURED INTO THE DOLL
• CREAKING OF THE DRAWER BEING OPENED
• RUSTLE AS THE NEEDLES ARE PLACED INTO THE DOLL'S LINING
• WHIRRING OF THE SEWING MACHINE
• CREAKING AS THE WINDOW CLOSES

OVERALL, WHILE LOOKING THROUGH THE DIFFERENT LISTED SOUND EFFECTS I NOTICED THAT ALL OF THE SOUNDS WERE QUITE EERIE; SNIPPING, RIPPING, CREAKING ETC. THESE SOUND EFFECTS BEING PLACED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CLIP HAVE THE EFFECT OF A PROLONGED TENSE ATMOSPHERE, WHICH WORKS WELL WITH THE IMAGES OF THE DECONSTRUCTION AND LATER CONSTRUCTION OF THE DOLL.