Part 2 Final

Seven Pounds


          Our lives can never be sure, and they can change in an instant. Mistakes are made and circumstances can be altered. Some people can bounce back emotionally, while some people will be completely consumed by guilt. Seven Pounds is a film that portrays this guilt and the way it can affect someone’s mind set using cinematographic . Ben Thomas crashes his car years before the majority of the movie is set and inadvertently kills seven people, including his newly proposed fiancee. He emotionally dies the day he kills his wife, and since then he is just a dead man walking. We can see this connection through the parallel editing and mise en scene of the car crash and the suicide scene. In the crash scene, there is broken glass all over the ground surrounding Sarah, she is wearing a purple dress, and we can see the frame of the car as it rolls. In Ben’s suicide scene, there is ice around him from the water, his shirt is purple after getting wet from the bath, and the poles from the shower curtain are near him (Seven Pounds). This shows that he died on that same day he killed Sarah. His physical death is presented in the same way as Sarah’s, teaching us that he died in spirit as Sarah died. He is confined in his bathtub the same as the car, and the ice around him is placed in the mise en scene just like the broken window glass surrounding Sarah. For years following the accident, he cannot escape his grief. He spends his time planning and carrying out plans to redeem himself through organ donations, but he cannot escape what he did. He is shown in his beach house with all the shutters closed and very little light, and he is also shown later on, after meeting Emily, in the motel with just one lamp and all the walls and shelves are bare (Seven Pounds). Both of these decors are important. The one in the beach house shows that no amount of material wealth will help him get better, and he will remain in the seemingly endless abyss. The abyss is shown by closed shutters, like he is in a hole. Also, no relationship can fix it because even after he meets Emily, he still is empty. The motel he stays in is barren, with no decorations or extra features. Like his feelings, the motel room is empty and will never be full of life. Another way it consumes him is the way he calculates the time down to a science. Even when he is with Emily and his friend, he is on his watch timing every aspect of how long things take. The editing leading up to the suicide scene shows this by switching back and forth between him doing it and how he is on his watch looking at how much time he has. His mind has been reduced to intelligence, which he has a lot of. Being a NASA engineer he can easily plan out the extravagant death to preserve his organs. This is all he has left because his emotions are scraped out. It is true that what Ben goes through is particularly tough, but he cannot overcome it. His guilt destroys him and this is common with very traumatic mistakes.

PressPausePlay

Art and entertainment have been around for centuries, and many different styles have been created. There are different formats for the creation of art, including collaboration and technology. Collaboration lets people with different views come together and create a single piece encompassing varying ideas. It diversifies a style of art and allows for more variety when working on the same platform. Olafur Arnalds breaches the traditional method of a musician being in charge of every part of their final product. He allows and encourages different views to be able to come together to assemble what he will release. He says, “Why can’t the fans also inspire me, and we can work together to make an interesting collaboration” (PressPausePlay). He realized that although his music contains great power to inspire others, he has much to learn as well. He can’t think of an manifest every option and every possibility, so by allowing creative input his own work will be more complex and inspirational. This is different from many artists who just create music and visuals from their own mind. The film industry is generally based upon the same concept of isolated jobs. Normally each person does their own job and then eventually they all get put together. Shiloh production is a company that mushes it all together, allowing everyone to provide input on each step in production. Tracy Chandler of Shiloh says, “It’s not about whether something is better or worse...it’s just that it can be different because you’re coming from another perspective” (PressPausePlay). It is true that many people work on a traditionally produced film, but each piece is just an individual working on it. Her philosophy is that each section can be improved through added input from everyone. It might end up better or worse, but the idea is that it can lead to pieces that would never have come about because they include many views. Having many people work together can lead to greater beauty in art, but sometimes there requires a way to get the message across. Technology and it’s development have allow easy sharing and distribution of art to people who otherwise wouldn't have the means to experience it. Sean Parker created a site called Napster which facilitates sharing of mp3 files online. Parker says, “The vision behind Napster in the very early stages was just to come up with a system that made the sharing of mp3s so easy” (PressPausePlay). Before any sites like this music could only be shared by physical distribution or live shows, so this is huge in catalyzing inspiration. It puts music out there so easily and lets people discover new music after a few clicks on the computer. Art has always held an important role in human history, and recent developments allow for more easy and quick distribution and creation of new forms of art.

Visual Literacy


Since the development of film and video as a form of entertainment, methods of using this have been created. Cinematography is a way for filmmakers to use subtle hints to convey messages that might be uncomfortable if shared outright. It leads to greater depth and meaning that just moving pictures that tell a simple story. In Rise Against’s music video for Hero of War, they employ these methods to describe the PTSD that many soldiers return from war with. One recurring image in the video is a infrared shot of the soldier, taking place after his return from battle. It is edited in throughout the video and in one scene it shows him applying shaving cream becoming disturbed (Hero of War). The editing is important because it shows the distress the soldier is in. It shows it throughout the video to say that the soldier was having a hard time throughout the entirety of his service and it got worse as time goes on. The diegesis of using the shaving cream is that it triggers a memory of putting on warpaint. This makes him remember what he did after putting on the warpaint. There is also an important sequence towards the end of the video that shows it flashing between war and home. It shows him fighting, then him with his girl, then back to fighting, then him emotionless after having sex with his girlfriend back home after the war (Hero of War). It shows them intertwined like this to stress that it is because of what happened at war that is preventing him from a full life afterwards. He is with his girlfriend who he was so happy with before, and he can’t connect with her emotionally because of his guilt and pain for what he did when he was away. The video also employs a flash forward to give a hint as to what he will go through after the war. It is in the middle of a scene of him at war, in a gunfight. It shows the soldier fighting, then it flashes forward to what is presumably a welcome home party. All of his family and his girlfriend are happy and interacting with him, but his face is showing pain and he is not in on the fun (Hero of War). The meaning of the flash forward is just as it seems, it is showing what will happen in the future. The lyrics describe the camaraderie between the soldiers and how good of an experience it was, but it reveals that it will soon be bad for him because the joy will not last. The use of these visual tools is important in depicting the message, because the lyrics suggest otherwise. They talk about the honor and  good things of war, but they are sarcastic. Using the video techniques the artist can tell the audience their opposition to war but more artistically and discreetly.

Craigslist Joe


In the past century, the way people interact with strangers has been changed completely. It used to be that people would show hospitality and care to people they had never met, and it was expected to do so. Now things have done a one hundred and eighty degree turn. We teach that strangers are dangerous and to be avoided. Although there is unfortunately true for some instances, we can still put faith in humanity and trust strangers to pull through. In the documentary Craigslist Joe, a man puts his faith all in the goodwill of others and lives of craigslist for a month. He analyses the current status of how we view those we don’t know and tries to disprove it. Joe says, “Some say we've lost the sense of community that used to get us through hard times” (Craigslist Joe). Joe looks at society as a whole and realizes that there is considerable pessimism towards the goodwill of others. He acknowledges that most people probably wouldn't trust in the community to get them through, and  sheds light on the fact that many people will try to go it alone when the going gets rough. He puts it on himself to go out and change this view, by dedicating himself to help and be helped. He comes across a woman in dire need of organization. He says to her, “I’m here to help...whatever you need” (Craigslist Joe). It is quite obvious that the woman is in need of psychological help, but he puts all judgments on hold. Instead of complaining that people don’t care for each other anymore, he goes out and cares for this woman. He is a shining example of how to act in these situations by doing selfless service. By looking past all the things that people would normally to get out of helping her, he changes a life and inspires others to do the same through his film. He shows compassion that will carry her through, and she will think on that if the opportunity comes for her to help someone else in need. This chain reaction of service and caring is what we need to revert back to a society that relies on caring for others to keep people going through hard times. Despite many people thinking that it is embarrassing to ask for help, or putting a burden to ask for it, he goes and puts his safety on the line. He knows the dangers but realizes one important statement after his trial. “We can take care of each other” (Craigslist Joe). This simple statement just demonstrates everything that Joe went through during his experiment. By putting our trust in others, we will understand that others are putting their trust in us. More often than not, a person will have the means to provide for someone else. If the attitude can change, then it will result in a change in culture that everyone will be taken care of. In times of prosperity, you can help someone who is in a time of need. A symbiotic relationship like this will help bring us back to a community that works on everyone helping and receiving aid, leaving no one behind.

Ceremony


Unless directly attacked by a stronger force, a culture and traditions can withstand great opposition and keep true throughout centuries. This prevents too radical and too quick of evolving in societies, but they still change. This is change is because individuals will always be changing and altering the way they live the culture. As people find themselves, their views change and their culture helps them stay close to where their roots are. In Ceremony, Tayo is faced with great opposition to his culture, and has to find where he belongs personally. With the contrasting views of the traditional native culture and the drinking and war, he is stuck halfway on both sides. He eventually finds the middle ground which is where he belongs. “He had studied those books. The science books explained the causes and effects...everywhere he looked, he saw a world made of stories” (Silko 87,89). Here Tayo accepts the benefits to both cultures that are pulling at him. Unlike his friends, he retains and appreciates the ancient stories and explanations for nature, but also realizes there is value in understanding the way things work. While his grandmother promoted that the only explanation was the ancient stories, and the school said that those were useless, he had to learn about himself before he could have an opinion as to where on the spectrum he stood. The traditional ways will stay the same, but he can gradually change himself through acceptance of all sides. When he goes to a native healer, he is taught of the importance in looking at ourselves before blaming others. As opposed to sitting around, drinking, and complaining about white people, Tayo begins to look at himself as to why he is the way he is. The healers teaches that “That is the trickery...they want us to believe all evil resides with white people...then we will look no further to see what is really happening” (Silko 122). This is wise because if we always look to others as to why we are not happy or progressing, we will continue on that path of going nowhere. Again, this is where we see how it is necessary for a person to examine their own faults and benefits. Humans are complex beings and no aspect of who we are can be explained by a single outside cause. By learning more about himself, Tayo can see what he are doing wrong and how it changes who he is. After going through this examination of self, Tayo realizes that the problem is not in the way his people are oppressed. He comes to the conclusion that the hatred, drinking, and apathy of all the war vets is what is causing them to feel bad about themselves and others. He returns to them and confirms that this is the problem. “Harley and Leroy were his buddies...but now he was feelings something terrible inside” (Silko 223). After realizing the problem within, it is clear to Tayo when he sees his friends. While he was out and discovering himself from within, they stayed and continued in their ways of self medication and talking about other people’s problems. They made no progress, which made it easy for Tayo to see how much progress could be made. Although he personally made progress in helping himself, he kept and learned to love his culture. It hurts him to see his friends in such a bad life like he used to be in, but he understands that only through personal reflection can a person see what is wrong. The same way that the healer left it up to Tayo, Tayo knows that his friends will never get better unless they can learn more about themselves and find out where progress can be made.

Part 1 Final

Seven Pounds

Braden Pape

Seven Pound Redemption

  Humans sometimes have the opportunity to save, or to take away, the life of another human. This decision is made in accordance to the person’s bravery, sense of duty, moral code, and personal responsibility. Some would say that it is noble to intentionally give your life to save another person.  This sacrifice is sometimes thought to be the ultimate sign of love because you care more about that person than you care about yourself. However, others would say that suicide is the ultimate sin and can be justified by no amount of generosity. These people would usually look at it from a religious side, saying that God alone has the right to decide life and death. Any topic that pulls in morality or religion creates controversy, and the film Seven Pounds addresses one of these topics. Presented in a very sincere and sacrificial way, Ben Thomas kills himself to provide vital organs for those in need. The film is riddled with cinematographic methods used invoke emotion in the viewer. The movie makes a strong point which is contrary to how many people would feel, and presents it in such a way as to make us notice it all at once. Even though Ben Thomas kills 7 people due to not paying attention, he successfully redeems himself and it was morally sound that he sacrificed himself to save lives.
   
  If Ben was capable of having a life devoted to service and deserved to keep his life, then killing himself would not be justified. However, he does not deserve the health and life he is lucky to have because he was mentally in a state which made it impossible for him to contribute. He felt the only thing he can do to make up for the accident he caused was to donate his physical body, because his spirit and his emotions were beyond repair. He emotionally dies the day he kills his wife, and since then he is just a dead man walking around on a mission to redeem himself. We can see this connection through the parallel editing and mise en scene of the car crash and the suicide scene. In the crash scene, there is broken glass all over the ground surrounding Sarah, she is wearing a purple dress, and we can see the frame of the car as it rolls. In Ben’s suicide scene, there is ice around him from the water, his shirt is purple after getting wet from the bath, and the poles from the shower curtain are near him (Seven Pounds). These parallels, and the way the editing makes it look similar, gives the idea that Ben died in that crash in spirit. The deaths are presented in the same way, and tied together with the color of the clothes. He is connected to her through that. The ice is placed out of the water, next to him and looks like pieces of broken safety glass which is the same as the windows of a car. The vehicle for Sarah’s death is recreated as well in Ben’s death. He is enclosed in the bathtub and the pole of the curtain reminds us of the car frame as it rolled. We also see that he can’t move on from her, because he continually dreams about Sarah. These dreams stay with him throughout his mission to save his soul. There is a scene with him driving his car, and then going home to see his wife (Seven Pounds). This is a dream, which we can tell even before he opens his eyes in the real world. We can tell because of the bright exposure, contrasted with the dark lighting before and after this scene. This style of lighting is meant to give a feeling that it is surreal, and is used to indicate a dream. When he wakes up and realizes that he is back in real life, he is visibly depressed about the reality of his situation. His dreams show that he is stuck in the past, and won’t be able to get over being separated from his wife. Right when he wakes up from this dream, we see him in his beach house. He is seen as disappointed and sad that he woke up in his house, alone. Throughout the presentation of the setting, we are provided hints as to how he is feeling. He is seen in various rooms and with various arrangements in the mise en scene. He is shown in his beach house with all the shutters closed and very little light, and he is also shown later on, after meeting Emily, in the motel with just one lamp and all the walls and shelves are bare (Seven Pounds). The first one is important because it tells us that he has little hope of getting better. The darkness signifies that he is in an abyss and cannot reach the surface. He will not get over Sarah. Even with all of the amazing things he has in his life, he will always be stuck in this depression for killing Sarah. The other scene shows that even with an amazing woman like Emily, he is still very sad. The mise en scene of the empty motel room mirrors how empty he feels, and that he has no positive emotions left. Added on to the fact that no material wealth, even the expensive beach house and items inside, will heal his pain, we learn here that no relationship will be able to make him forgive himself. He knows that he will always be depressed, and makes a decision that he thinks will take full advantage of his remaining use. He will never be able to redeem himself otherwise and will not help anyone emotionally.
   
  It is very unfortunate that Ben is incapable of moving past his mistake, but before he leaves the world he gives the priceless gift of life to many. He is aware that there are good people and bad people, and has enough feeling left to be able to sense if a person is generally good or not. He gives his flesh and bone to deserving people in need, and makes sure they will help improve society more than he ever could. Ezra was a man of great patience and depth, but also blind. Ben surveys his character on multiple occasions, and we don’t know why until the unveiling of Ben’s plan. From the phone call scene until the diner, Ben was rude and horrible to Ezra, to test him. In the diner, it is a low-lit room, there is a couple making out next to him in the dark who are both wearing dark clothes, and Ezra is brightly lit with a spotlight from above and he is dressed nicely with warm colors (Seven Pounds). This reflects Ben’s growing image of Ezra. With the bright lighting all on Ezra, we think that he is a good person, despite all the bad around him. The couple shown before is meant to contrast with him and magnify the fact that although he is visibly uncomfortable, seen by his facial expressions, he keeps his composure and remains pleasant. Later on when we find Ezra again in the same colors as he is helping children by playing piano for their choir and it is verified that Ezra is doing well and is deserving of the gift he receives. Another one of Ben’s gifts is given to a hockey coach for a team of underprivileged kids. The coach provides a safe haven for these kids that have otherwise tumultuous and unstable lives. What impresses Ben the most about the coach, George, is that George does good things when he thinks no one is watching. One scene shows an ice rink with a team and a George on it, and there is practice. After the coach talks to the players about it being a sanctuary, it shows Ben looking at the rink while it appears very white with grand chandeliers (Seven Pounds). The first part of the scene is what everyone else sees, which is a hockey team practicing. Then it shows how Ben sees the events. He notices that the coach is giving up his money and time to selflessly provide a refuge for these kids; a sanctuary. Ben then sees him as an angel. The hockey rink is like heaven for the boys, which is shown by the mise en scene, including the big crystal chandeliers. Everything is white, like the great halls as they must be in heaven. In Ben’s quest for qualified and deserving recipients for his organs, this coach fits perfectly because he can help these kids have a better life. In contrast to the light he sees in the coach, he knows that his own body is useless to him because he doesn't have the emotional fortitude to keep helping others. Ben connects with George and Ezra in order to determine that they deserve the parts of his body he can give and they need. However, these gifts both lead up to his ultimate gift in the end which is bestowed upon Emily. Emily clearly has much to give and much to do in her life. Even though she ends up falling in love with Ben, he still can’t fully get over what he did and it would always affect their relationship. In the scene where Ben first comes to Emily’s home, it shows her house and all the decorations inside. The shelves and counters are full of food, flowers, and spices. Emily also is wearing a bright shirt with butterflies (Seven Pounds). Emily is shown is this scene to be full of life and love. The décor of her house, being full of food and other things, shows that she is still very full of life despite her illness. She lives with it and always makes the best of bad situations. The costumes also reflect this idea. The butterflies are a sign of spring and life, but also represent the life cycle of a butterfly. It is a symbol of coming out of trials in life and transforming into a stronger and better person. This gives us hope for Emily that she will survive her illness. After what Ben did, he is just a dead man walking and he knows that he owes a debt to society. We know his soul left his body that day of the crash. However, mindless suicide would not repay the debt, and through giving his body to these good people in need he receives redemption in a way that is justified morally.

  Life and death seem to be present in many situations. Because both are inevitable to every person, it is impossible to go on without both of them being present in some form. Ben often represents death and despair, while Emily is the human representation of life. As Ben and Emily grow closer together, it becomes obvious that only one of them can live. We see the deterioration of Emily’s health, and Ben remains a shell of a man. While walking Duke, they come across a large field, with long green pieces of grass that flow naturally with the wind. Ben and Emily come into the frame wearing dark clothes (Seven Pounds). The setting of the field shows that there is life all around, and it surrounds both of their lives. Also, Duke’s lively attitude and energy add to the fact that life can flourish. In contrast, the sad attire of Ben and Emily represent that even amongst all that is alive, death makes its presence known. Both of them have an ailment, and death will claim one. In addition to the overarching presence of life and death, specific symbols in the movie can hold the responsibility of being both. Ever since Ben was a boy, he loved the jelly fish. The beauty and mindless serenity which the creatures possess astounds him. While it can live for years with no motive other than to survive, it can take life away so easily with absolutely no remorse. Ben keeps the jelly fish in a tank and eventually pours it into his bathtub to kill him (Seven Pounds). Throughout the movie it shows the jelly fish lit up in the tank, which can show that the jellyfish was Ben’s way of dying and therefore saving his soul. While Ben was in shadows and darkness, the jellyfish presented his path to redemption. The jellyfish can easily kill, but can survive easily on its own as well. The key thing for Ben was that the jellyfish will have no remorse while killing. This is added as a contrast to Ben because a great deal of the movie is showing how much grief he is in because of the people he killed. He can’t move past it, while the jellyfish kills and eats without ever knowing what it does. He chooses an animal that will be incapable of harboring the deep-set depression that he feels. This is an important closure to his life. Another recurring symbol in the film is water, and it has connotations of birth and death. At the opening scene, Ben swims through the water with the undershot and the light shining down, and then he emerges from the water and onto the beach (Seven Pounds). The shot from beneath symbolizes a sort of hell or abyss, which is what Ben is in. He suffers from the depression of killing seven people, and this first scene shows that this is how he’ll feel during the whole movie and until his death. When he comes out of the water, it is a birth or purification. It shows that water will be the only way to purify Ben’s soul after his mistake, and we realize later on that it is in water that Ben dies. His death is also his liberation from the pain and anguish he feels so wholeheartedly. Although seemingly just a lifetime apart, life and death coexist in many situations and the blending of these symbols in the movie shows that death is always present in Ben’s life.

  The answer to “who can decide life or death” is largely a moral, legal, and religious question. There are also many different ways that a life can be saved or taken. Few question the morality or goodness of a solider giving his life to protect those he loves. Although many disagree with war and violence, the selfless act of leaving loved ones behind to fight for one’s country shows a great deal of character no matter what. In contrast to a soldier sacrificing his life for his country, no one will ever think that a mentally ill person killing people is noble. These are polar opposites, and each has a fairly clear moral categorization. The decision a person has to make to decide life and death, however, is not always so clearly good or bad. For example, a person defending his property by force when armed people threaten his safety. They don’t necessarily know if they are in real danger, or whether the intruders are simply looking to intimidate. There are civil laws in place to determine the legality of every type of situation like this, but many disagree on the basis of moral and religious laws. Families have been torn apart by people who receive minimal punishment, but of course it is wrong. Determining the difference between what wrongdoings should be punished according to laws, and which should be punished according to religious beliefs has been the cause of countless wars. One instance where the law plays no role is suicide, because a dead man cannot be tried. Out of all the things that must be considered, the most important is if the person killing themselves will leave the world a better place, or with more grief and turmoil than it had before their death. This balance is what ultimately determines the morality of a suicide, and if ones moral code permits it, then actions will follow accordingly.

T.V. Analysis

Decor
In the show this example of decor appears very often. It is in the scenes where he kills his victims, and there is consistency. He wraps up his victims and the whole room in plastic because he is very meticulous about what he does. He works in forensics as a blood specialist, so he knows how much a drop of blood can show as evidence. Another part of the decor is the pictures of the men the victim killed, and Dexter forces him to watch and know why he is dying himself. Dexter does this because he believes very strongly that the people he kills must deserve it and that they must know why they die and understand that they deserve it. He must also make them suffer, shown by the sacrificial methods of killing. Another piece of decor is the location of where he is killing his victim. He is a mechanic and Dexter kills him in his shop. He always kills these criminals in their own setting because he wants them to feel the symbolism of how the killer took his own victims out of their homes and away from their families.

Low-Key Lighting
The contrast in lighting in this shot is very distinct. There is a bright light shining on Dexter and even more on his victim, and everywhere else in the scene is in darkness. The light in this specific scene reminds me of a heavenly light shining down. They are in a church, shown by the stained glass window in the background which appears to depict saints, and part of what looks like a statue of Christ on the cross. There is a small amount of light on that statue, which makes us this that the victim is being related to Christ in a way. This connects these two images because the man that Dexter is killing is a horrible criminal. The same way Jesus had to die in order for man to be saved, Dexter is being justified in his murder because he doing good by removing this bad person from the world. Another meaning of the rest of the room being dark is that Dexter feels hopeless in his real world. From watching the show, we know that he feels alone because of his urge to kill and he can't connect with other people. His victim is a release of these pressures and is a bright light because it is his way out of despair.


High-Key Lighting
As opposed to the low-key lighting, this frame is very brightly lit from all sides. With the exception of a few faint shadows on the subject, he is well lit and clear to see. He is in a wide open room as well as the room being lit, which would make it easy to see him from any side. This is showing him wide open and in full light because Dexter is vulnerable. Even though he is doing what he feels is right, he knows that it is against the law and that he would go to jail for the rest of his life and maybe get the death penalty for what he has done over the years. He feels vulnerable as well because he works for the Miami police department and his sister is a cop there. He likes the rush of investigating cases when he does the same crimes. He knows that he is vulnerable and he likes that feeling, so that is shown with the high key lighting.



Costume
Costume is used in this series to signal what is going to happen. Dexter lives two completely different lifestyles, and he has two completely different kinds of clothes he wears. When he is working, he wears what you see here, and always has his badge. Here he focuses online on law enforcement, and he leaves his secret life behind. We know he will kill someone when he changes into his other clothes. He wears a leather butchers apron when he kills people. Although he is fascinated and obsessed with the sight and characteristics of blood, he is very careful about how he allows the blood of his victims to flow. He even equips himself with a welding mask and rubber gloves so that he can strip back down to his normal clothes and slip right back into his life as if nothing happened. His clothes he wears when he is working is also an addition on to his "act" that he has to put on so people will think he is normal, when really he doesn't care about looking good or pleasing anyone.


Frontality
This scene shows a great example of frontality, with Dexter facing with his shoulders and body square to the camera. It makes him more accessible as a character and helps us understand the situation better. It makes the viewer feel more included in the situation. By having his face pointing straight at the camera it helps us see it better, to know his facial expression and therefore what he is feeling. Knowing this makes the viewer connect with him better and understand his plight, even how crazy that is.


Deep Focus
This scene is very deep focus, because every image and every aspect in this shot is in perfect clarity. With all of his coworkers there, and each receiving an equal focus, it takes the spotlight away from Dexter. This is exactly his goal, because when he is out in the real world he always wants to lie low and blend in just life everyone else. He tolerates this life because he doesn't want people to find out who he really is. As opposed to the killing scenes, where a lot of other things in the background are blurry and out of focus, when he is investigating crimes there is always a deep focus. In addition to that, when he is in the office or out on the streets anywhere else, there is a deep focus. He hides from showing his true side because he knows that he will get caught if people realize that inside he is just empty.


Shallow Focus
This is a good example of a shallow focus shot, because only the subjects are in focus and everything else is blurry and surreal looking. By having a shallow focus, it often signifies that the subject is the only important thing in the shot or that the setting is not a real place. To Dexter, it seems unreal that he actually has real feelings for this girl. After spending his whole life avoiding feelings and putting on a fake face to seem normal, he is finally letting himself actually feel for her and come out of his shell. This new feeling is very strange for him. There is a shallow focus to show that to him, their relationship is the only thing that is important, and there is little to distract the viewer from that.


Close-Up
This shot is a great example of a close-up. It shows every detail of the scene, which is a commentary on Dexter's precision in his work. It shows us how carefully the man was fastened down to the table, with the placement of the wrap on the forehead just the same as it always is. The close up shows the blood-collecting incision made on the cheek, and clearly shows the victim in a lot of pain. In addition to depicting the exactness of the job, it also sheds light on how screwed up Dexter really is. Although Dexter protects himself from touching any of the victim's blood or body, he is very emotional about his kills. He makes a strong point to make them suffer, by symbolically bleeding them out with the cheek cut, and cutting them up, alive. He does this so that his victims spend their last moments remembering what they did to earn this punishment, and to satisfy his hunger for blood and to kill.


Exposure

This scene has a strong exposure modification to it, making the subject and the entire frame glow. This kind of light exposure makes the subject seem angelic or heavenly, and shows that this person means something to Dexter. It is Dexter's dead father who taught him how to quench his thirst for blood by killing serial killers, rapists, and other criminals who would not otherwise have to pay for their actions. He taught Dexter how to cover his tracks, how to seem normal, and how to act in a socially acceptable way as to not arouse attention toward himself. Because of these skills, Dexter was able to live on and still remain unnoticed as he fulfilled his urge to kill. He idolized this man that he even claims to live by the "Code of Harry", who is his father. He often thinks back to times he spent with Harry and how he taught him in a similar way as a father teaches his son to throw a football or how to drive. In this memory, Harry seems angelic with the exposure and we know that it is because Dexter only has the fondest and most respectful memories of Harry.


Crane Shot
This scene is shot from a camera on a crane, because it is looking down on the subject. This scene is after the man was thrown off a bridge onto the concrete below, which we don't know at this frame yet. As Dexter looks up, the crane shot is showing that Dexter realizes how the man died. A shot from above like this gives a feeling of omniscience, like we know what happens because we can see a whole situation play out before our eyes. Dexter is given this omniscience because of his knowledge of blood spatter forensics. He can tell immediately that the man was thrown off because of the blood pattern, and we know as well because we have that all-knowing power from the crane shot.