Critique on Dexter Intro
Critique (Dexter intro)
“Based on novels by author Jeff Lindsay, Dexter follows the life of Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a charismatic blood spatter analyst who works in the forensics at the Miami Metro Police Department. On the outside, Dexter seems like the perfect guy — he has a sister, Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), that adores him and a steady girlfriend, Rita (Julie Benz), with two kids that look up to him. However, what they don’t know is that Dexter moonlights as a serial killer, only he isn’t your typical killer. Basing his life on the teachings of his foster father, Dexter only kills people who truly deserve it: he ensures that those who got away with horrible crimes will never kill again. “
from http://www.tvrage.com/Dexter
One part of project one was to critique another project from class, since we didn’t get to see any group’s project in class it was agreed upon to find a piece of video and critique the first minute of the clip. We choose to direct our critique/overview to the first minute of the intro for the HBO show named Dexter.
Editing/Transition:
The editing of the video is carefully thought out and very interesting. Every transition is planned. The video uses circles as a transition device to connect the different cuts (at 0:25, 0:32, 0:41, 0:49, 0:54). The circle shapes appear again and again through out the video, sometimes as the sink, than as a drop of blood, than as something else. The circle becomes a visual element that unites the video together. It is actually using the same technique as we did in Ex 2.
Another special technique that is used in the video is the jerky cuts. The jerky movement of the camera at certain times of the clip indicates that the protagonist is a little offbeat, peculiar, even slightly mentally unstable. The jerky cuts (e.g. at 0:03, 0:24) are also used as a signal of bloodshed.
At 0:03 seconds, the squashed mosquito on the arm transitions to the bloodied text on the screen with the splatter of a drop of blood. The transition could have been better if the camera focused more on the detail of the dead mosquito rather than changing focus to the protagonist.
The soaking of blood with tissue paper from razor cut goes into the cutting of the meat with parchment over top of it (0:32 – 0:35) demonstrates the thin line between prey and predator. The first cut of the meat seems like a dissection cut referring to the characters occupation.
Composition:
The screen seems to be divided in a natural 1/3 grid (thirds) to create interest with the aspect ratio of the camera screen. Throughout the video, a shallow depth-of-field is used to emphasize the character’s intense concentration while performing banal tasks. With the composition of tight shots and shallow depth-of-field, those everyday actions appear so normal that it have an air of to the eeriness. This creates a tension between the actions and the way they are executed. (0:22, 0:43, 0:52, 0:57).
Visual
The people who made this video are very creative in the way they are introducing the drama. Instead of simply telling the story, it uses lot of metaphors and symbolisms to subtly hint the background of the protagonist. For example, at 0:53, the splatter of ketchup symbolizes the strong presence of blood in the drama. The tension of the grip at 0:57, shows the sinister/superior side of the character by making the hand to look as if it is descending from the heavens. The roasting/brewing of the coffee beans signifies the inner anger of the character (0:54 – 0:57). The exaggerated chewing actions from 0:57 – 1:00 reveals the monstrous side of the protagonist.
Audio
The soundtrack of the video has a feeling of innocence and happiness, but it also sounds quite quirky and strange. On top of the strange soundtrack are perfectly synced sound effects. These sound effects are loud and crisp. It comes at the exact right moment to accentuate the action (usually sinister) on the screen. (0:05, 0:29, 0:39, 0:53)
Pacing/Rhythm
Throughout the video the pacing is slow, methodical and precise. The slow pace is very effective in reflecting the meticulous nature of the protagonist whose profession is a forensic scientist. Then there are fast/short bursts of speed like ‘snapping’, for instance at 0:05 and 0:53 seconds. Those sudden changes in rhythm reveal the character’s other profession as a serial killer.
Improvement
Overall, this is one of the best video that we have seen. If we have to change something, then maybe the video should have some parts that are less dark. Right now, every action seems to have double meaning. It may be good to have some shots that are completely untainted by the sinister side of the character. That could be done with different lighting, or lighter coloring. This could show the good side of character, rather than focusing on his negative side.
Ex3 Soundscape – Time, Float & Burst
Rationale
The words that we chose to focus on is time, float, and burst. Floating to us means to going anywhere, not getting anything done. So when we interpret these three words, the image that comes to our mind is a student procrastinating. He is trying to work in the lab, yet his attention keeps drifting off. Nothing gets done. Time is not heading to a specific direction, and it has no significance to him.
We want to recreate this feeling of floating in time. We have tone changes in the beginning to the set up a surreal atmosphere. Then we put together various ignored sounds, amplify and slow it to show how distracted the student is. All those ignored sound comes from different directions, showing that the student has lost his concentration. A computer humming sound can be heard in the background to tell us the location. The obvious changes in volume also gives a sensation of floating. The floating mode is then burst out from a loud slap, which then is followed by rapid typing, signaling us that he is back to work.
The sound file will be emailed to the teacher.
Exercise 3
Date: Saturday, Sept 20, 2008
Time: 12:29 am
Location: My room with the window opened to the road
I can hear water running in the bathroom. It comes on and off. I can also hear people entering their rooms, their footstep, and sound of door opening and closing. There is a ongoing background sound, which is caused by the air. And there are crickets chirping almost once every second. There is also a guitar playing across the hall. The computer is humming very quietly. There is also a strange thrumming noise that maybe caused by a car. Sometime a car passed by, and you can also hear it.
The most interesting pattern that I notice is the cricket. You can hear them very clearly at night. They chirp at a very frequent rate. It is very calming and refreshing to hear their chirps.
I am more aware of the ongoing, but quiet sound that I usually missed. One of them is the humming from my computer. I have a MacBook, and it is usually very quiet (when you compare it to a PC). Yet there is indeed a humming that comes from the computer which I normally missed.
Surprisingly, the most dominant sound during midnight is the air. There is not much wind, but the sound of moving air is very loud compared to the sounds that are dulled by the closed door. The fact that the sound of the air is also constant also makes it very prominent and noticeable.
All of the sound quality is good because I heard it when it was being generated. So all of the sound are natural, there is no playing of recorded sound. All the sound are crisp and clear, though some may be muted.
It is very calming to listen to the air and the cricket. Though it is during the midnight, the whole house is still awake. And the small sound that they made from their movement is comforting. It was a nice feeling to hear that you are not alone without being disrupted or distracted by loud conversation. Through this experience, I understand the sounds is very much part of our environment. It really dictates how the mood of the environment is going to be. A place without any sound is cold and isolating, while a place with very soft background noise is much more calming. Though in both scenarios the person could be alone and may even be in the same kind of environment, but they will have an entirely different experience because of the sound.
Date: Sunday, Sept 21, 2008
Time: 8:35 am
Location: The drive way outside my house
The cricket chirps continuously throughout the ten minutes. The sound of air is loud. There is a background noise that could be from the highway that is close to the house. Sometimes, a gush of wind can be heard, followed by the sound of moving leaves on the trees and leaves rolling on the floor. Birds chirp occasionally. And sometimes squirrel will make sounds when they are jumping and climbing the tree. I can hear the water running inside the house. The sound of slamming doors and opening doors can also be heard, though it is very infrequent. When car passed by, you can hear the sound that the car made. Bus also made a loud noise. There is always a low but consistent murmur from the traffic. And finally, I can hear my brother’s annoying voice calling me.
The most interesting pattern that I heard is the sound made when wind passed by the leaves. It is like a wave. You can hear the movement of the wind from the moving leaves. One leaf moves, and the other moves, creating a wave of sounds. It is soft and very calming.
When I closed my eyes and listen, I became aware of the sound of the traffic. Even though no cars can be seen, there is always a soft background noise that sounds like the traffic. I did not know that the traffic is so loud until now.
The most dominant sound is the air again. It is louder than when I was inside my room. Maybe it is because it was a chilly morning, that is why you can hear it so loudly and clearly.
The sound quality is good, because I heard it first handed. Though I could not really made out the sound of distant traffic, because it is too far.
It is interesting to note that sound can not only control the mood of the environment, but also the temperature. It was cold in the morning. And the loud air and the rushing wind made me more aware of that. I feel cold just hearing the sound. I am also surprise to be able to hear the traffic, especially when you can not see any car. The sound made by nature and made by human sounds surprisingly pleasant together.
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