From Concept to Screen: How does the credit sequence from Dexter work?

Where did the creative ideas come from?

Eric  talked over with the show's original creators to find out what kind of a character 'Dexter' was. They spoke about personal things about the character himself such as his likes and dislikes, so Eric could determine how to present the show. After seeing that the upside down letter forms in 'DEXTER' are very similar the right way up, lead Eric to find that big link between the word and the character, 'Dexter' - as like the word, he doesn't undergo a huge transformation when he turns into his inner serial killer. He found that Crime Scene photographs were made to have mundane and a sense of overwhelming importance that could be very important to this piece. Eric thought that by looking at something from the surface it could just be a normal object, such as a window. But after finding out that it is the window Martin Luther King was shot out of, the 'normal' window begins to have a troubling presence. Eric did his own creative research into this idea and so he made a creative team with a few designers to try and capture things as if you could feel their negative presence. Eric was keen to keep the 'distorted' image in mind, so did further research into changing something seemingly 'normal' into something a bit more sinister. After attempting to re-contextualizing usual and everyday things into something more horrific, the idea of a 'twisted' morning routine changed into something nearly identical to a crime scene investigation that Eric is also fond of. The image below won Eric Anderson the job as he has the ability to capture normal things and zoom in closer to reveal the horror that lies within them.

Eric Anderson: "Everything, no matter how mundane or beautiful, has an undercurrent of violence to it. It is just a matter of how closely you look. We are conditioned to see a blossoming flower as beautiful. But if you look closely, if you look differently you will see it more like an explosion. Here we see a mundane morning routine illustrated in extreme close-ups showing the underlying tension found in everyday situations making violence a part of everything."

How did they fit in with the concept of the character of Dexter?
His idea of making everything look seemingly normal at first glance but as you start to look closer it becomes apparent that under the surface everything is more twisted really appealed to Eric. The character of Dexter is supposed to be a normal man with a normal everyday job who seems to live a normal everyday lifestyle. However the closer you get to know Dexter, unveils that he isn't so 'normal'. Similar to the pictures, where at first glance appear beautiful, yet the further you zoom in reveals the sinisterness of everything about them. Because Dexter would work for a 'Crime Scene Investigation' unit, linking that idea in to a normal day routine would on the surface be usual but appear more abstract the further times you watched it. Eric had to link in 'Dexter's' usual morning routine and turn it into some a bit more horrific. They did this by making a list of things Dexter would do, and then choosing specific normal things that could be turned into an activity a lot more sinister; such as cooking an egg and the yolk leaking out linked back to how the blood spurts out of a dying victim yet still making it seem normal like Dexter is on the surface.

How did the actual sequence communicate this meaning about Dexter?

Because Dexter is the main character of the series, he needed to be seen as a normal person living a normal and everyday life; like how the majority are seen on the surface before getting to know them. The opening sequence was representing Dexter's morning routine, showing the viewing audience that he is shaving like a normal man and then going on to him making his breakfast, like a normal man. But because we see an everyday routine with a secretive sinisterness about it suggests that we are seeing it how Dexter is, giving him a private and a dark side. The use of sharp jump cuts between various parts of the scene reinforces the idea that the opening sequence is dramatic, and although doesn't reveal anything murderous about Dexter, it hints that he does have a hidden profile to him.


How did the use of noir lighting and shallow depth of field add to the atmosphere of the piece?
The use of the shallow depth of field in the opening sequence to Dexter was so that it captured the pure grittiness that the directors and editors wanted to achieve. It makes it seem as if we are looking at things from Dexter's point of view and that is why they seem distorted. The purpose of 'noir lighting' is to portray a darker side to things by the use of shadows and different types of lighting. In the first few introductory seconds to the opening, the noir lighting is used to intensify the darkness whilst still withholding a crisp and precise light. Hard lighting is used to draw attention to the mosquito on Dexter's arm whilst still capturing the shadows that fall over Dexter which make him appear even more mysterious and a bit daunting to the audience, which leads to an intimidating and gloomy atmosphere.

How did the choice of music anchor the meaning of Dexter, why was it chosen over the Xploding Plastix track?
The original track that was chosen for the opening - 'Xploding Plastix' seemed to make the opening too tedious. The music was dark and mysterious in itself which took away the power of the distorted introduction sequence that Eric Anderson spent so long trying to create. Also, it made it too obvious that Dexter was a character with another side. Although the editors were really fond of the track, they didn't think it was the one. However, after they did more research they found a song by Rolfe Kent. The music created a controversy to the sequence itself and created two polar opposites between the track and the film. However, the new track created a push pull with the sequence and made it remain horrific in a way but with a more humorous light.