CATCH ME IF YOU CAN - title sequence analysis

‘Catch Me if You Can’ title sequence analysis

‘How does the director use media techniques to make the title sequence of ‘Catch Me if You Can’ effective?

The director has chosen to use an animated title sequence for the movie ‘Catch Me if You Can’, this gives the movie a more “comical” look instead of a serious one, this may suggest an element of comedy within the movie. The animation also shows us some kind of chase scene which is one of the conventions of a spy film. From this opening sequence alone the audience may be able to understand that it is a spy film with an element of comedy. The sound helps to do this as there is a non-diegetic soundtrack. This sound track is fast paced with many short notes; this helps the audience to imagine someone perhaps running away which adds to the idea of a spy movie. The upbeat rhythm of the music may also sound quite happy and therefore tie into the idea that it is a comedic film. Something which helps the sound to portray a spy film is the mise en scene, especially the costumes. The costumes of the main character are constantly changing which links into the idea of a spy movie and the idea of hiding as many different identities. I think that the sound and mise en scene work effectively together to help the audience understand the genre of the movie.

After a while the music becomes tenser, by it becoming deeper in pitch. This has been done to draw the audience into the sequence, by changing the music it makes the audience gain interest in the sequence again instead of them losing interest because the music is too repetitive. This tense music may be used as foreshadowing that the film will start light-hearted and become more dramatic. This tense music is paired of lots of close ups of the animated main character, he keeps looking behind himself, this hints that he is being caught up to by whoever is chasing him. Although we cannot see his facial expression this may show that he is getting scared about being caught, again foreshadowing the end of the movie where he is caught. This makes the title sequence effective as the audience will want to watch the film to find out if he is ever caught and what happens to this main character.

A tracking shot is used to follow the main character swimming through a swimming pool, this has been done to emphasise some kind of luxury within the characters life. This may be suggesting that he is running away because he has stolen some kind of money which has allowed him to buy things such as a pool. It may also show that he cannot enjoy these luxuries as he is constantly being chased, emphasised by the man who has been chasing him appearing the second his gets into the pool. This pan/ tracking may also be used to show the story as a whole, a journey. This idea of travel is emphasised by the mise en scene which shows us many different types of transport, planes and cars. These both emphasise the idea that this chase is occurring on a global scale instead of just being in one country. This makes the title sequence effective as the audience will want to continue watching to find out where they go and why they are even going there. It will also attract the audience attention as stereotypically the target audience for spy films (middle aged men around 25 to 40) like exotic settings as escapism from their everyday lives.

Zooms, specifically zoom outs, are used to show a new setting.  We see the main character enter a new setting and then there is a zoom out of the setting. An example of this would be when he is standing in a pink ballroom are of some kind. We see the main character wearing a suit and then there is a zoom out to reveal where he is. This is effective because it helps to maintain the level of mystery within the opening sequence, it also makes the audience wonder which new setting the character will find them in making them more involved within the storyline. It is also effective because it helps to promote the films genre, spy, through this level of mystery. It may have also been used to represent some of the setting which the character will actually find himself within the film. The mise en scene adds to this level of mystery as we only see a rough silhouette of what is actually there, this means that in the actual there is still an air of mystery about where the character is. This is effective because it will make the audience want to watch the movie to find out about where the character will actually go and thus make them watch to watch the entire film.

The audience never sees who the actual main character is within this opening sequence. This again adds to the level of mystery within the sequence. We are given many actors names but we are not sure which is the actual main character. This idea could be used to add to the idea of the spy work, an unknown identity or false identities may be things which are present within the movie. This idea of “no identity” in fact plays a key role within the movie itself and so the audience will want to find out who this person is, therefore making them want to watch the movie as a whole.

I think this title sequence is very effective because it presents the genre of the film and some of the key storyline features of the film without giving away too much. I feel like the idea of animation creating the idea of a character with “no real identity”, I feel that if I had the technology available I would definitely make an animated sequence as it gives you a lot of freedom. I will use some of the idea such as, constantly changing music and pan outs to reveal things like setting within my own work.