Dexter Title Sequence Evaluation

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

It was important that we included the starring actors and significant people tasked with production as this is not only a convention, but is also often a term in a contract and therefore a legal obligation. We also followed some basic conventions of title sequences, including:

• Showcasing the name of the Show
• Varying the placement of the titles
• Keeping a consistent style throughout
• Using suitable typography and font colour for the genre

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

My group, consisting of Vivian and I, decided we wanted to use the dynamic elements of the background action in an attempt to integrate the titles into the sequence effectively. Unfortunately, this forced us to place each title in one shot only and no longer, which was not ideal. We planned to follow industry requirements by including a variety of names in the title sequence, including actors, the director, produce etc. We also planned to adhere to Dexter's style through our choice of typography.

3. Explain the creative decisions made by your group.

We used a red font colour to ensure they style was consistent from the main title 'Dexter' to smaller titles of actor names. The colour also has connotations of blood and danger, themes featured strongly in the TV show. The simple typography prevented the titles from dominating the screen, allowing the audience's attention to firmly focus upon the action. Including dynamic elements within the title sequence (such as the rotating title over the coffee-maker) creates interactivity and is visually engaging for the audience. We attempted to place titles where there was a light, consistent background (allowing for contrast) that did not overly distract from the action. 

4. How did your re-edit compare with the original.

In terms of the font used, our re-edit has a striking resemblance to that of the original. The placement of our titles was reasonably similar to the original, as we attempted to place the titles over the blankest of backdrops. This gives the audience a chance to read them, while remaining relatively subtle. Where our title sequences differed greatly was in the timings of each title. Vivian and I decided to place each title over only a single shot. In hindsight, we should have given the audience more time to absorb the information from each title. Another difference was the sheer number of titles showcased by the original compared to the four titles in our re-edit. However, this was not out of choice but due to the restricted time in which we were tasked to create the sequence.