- to know the concepts of a thriller film
DEXTER.
We started this lesson by watching a few opening credits to thriller movies or thriller TV series. Mainly focusing on one TV series called Dexter. Not knowing what this series was about, we all had to write down why we felt it was a thriller and not a romance or comedy series...etc.
The opening TV clip showed a man going through his morning routine, starting with shaving his stubble, making breakfast, and getting dressed. Although this sounds relatively normal, the director of the short clip filmed and edited it in a way to make it grimly unnatural. The first example being the main character (male) in the clip being woken up, not by an alarm clock, but by a gnat/insect sucking blood from his arm. The man then swats the insect against his skin, squashing it.
The next frame of the clip was the title. A very slightly distorted font of 'DEXTER' came up in red on the cream coloured background, next to the title came a blood spatter. This was a tell-tale sign of the TV series NOT being a romance or comedy. The reason for this being that blood is a sign of pain, or murder, and those two concepts are not in the genre's of comedy or romance but usually thriller or horror (which we also discussed in lesson the differences between).
The next few frames of the opening credits clip were of the male shaving his stubble. We did not see the mans face, but were shown a close up of the blade against his neck, and a few droplets of blood dripping into the sink from where he must have cut himself. This clip as well as his cutting the meat, breaking the egg, grinding the coffee beans, gripping the coffee filter handle, cutting the BLOOD orange, gripping the floss around his fingers and many more short actions are shown in a slow and forceful way, rather than doing it casually without forceful effect.
The opening credits for Dexter had hidden meaning in the everyday morning routine. After the man had finished his breakfast and made himself some coffee and orange juice he then flosses his teeth. Which admittedly not many people do, however the way he wraps the floss tightly around his fingers, which maybe suggests strangling somebody with rope. The same hidden effect happens when he ties the laces for his shoes. There is also another more prominent message in the clip, and that is the element of death or murder. At many points in the opening credits, we see blood. For example at the beginning when the insect is extracting blood from the mans arm, when the man cuts himself while shaving, when he cuts the BLOOD orange, and also when he has his breakfast, there is some sort of red substance on his plate, probably being ketchup.
The sound effects of the actions the man does has a big part in how we feel about the action. An example being when he shaves his neck the editor emphasises the scraping noise against his skin, making me grimace. And as well, when he frys his meat, it isn't a gradual noise getting louder, it hits the pan making a loud sizzling noise.
The music in the background is a simple tune of jingles from some sort of chime, a few bongo type drums and other percussion instruments, in a slow to mid pace, making the music sound casual. As if he did that routine every morning.
The clip ends with the man putting on a fresh white T-shirt and revealing his face, looking into the camera for the first time. He then looks again at the camera while walking and nods, as if he was a normal 'passer-byer'. Not being able to see his face for the whole of the clip up until the end gives off the mystery to who this man is. It gives us suspense so we will keep on watching.
This ending suggest that most of the mans forcefulness and murder plans are behind closed doors, and perhaps the majority of people in the TV series do not know that he is a murderer.
Many of the aspects of the Dexter TV series are in most Thriller movies and series. Below i have attatched the brainstorm of what makes up a thriller genre.
>>>> https://bubbl.us/?h=a4aad/138c6f/670.Pr6PJh5Gs
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