9 frame analysis -Catch Me If You Can
- 1. 9 Frame Analysis The Opening Titles of Catch Me If You Can (2002)
- 2. FrameOne The film opening sequence to Catch Me If You Can (2002) is an animation of the opening titles. The first part of the animation is the name of the company that produced the film and a mysterious man walking along. The colours are quite simple but they add that hint of mystery into the sequence.
- 3. FrameTwo The aspects of mystery and suspense are presented in the opening sequence as well. When there is a mysterious man shown with a hat on, reading a newspaper and nervously looking over his shoulder, to check the environment around him -that brings mystery into the sequence. It is suggesting the audience what they should expect from the film.
- 4. FrameThree The design of the opening sequence seems to cover the key environments and places that the action might take place so it tells us something more about the movie. The planes, figures walking with suitcases and bags – might suggest that the action would be taking its place at an airport. The next part of the sequence is when the title is shown. All titles, names and roles and some of the functions of the animated storyline are linked to each other by the font, the designers are using, which is quite simple but every letter has its line and it can be linked to another part of the sequence later. That gives the effect of continuity in the opening sequence. The word 'me' is being blown away by the plane like a cloud, which may give away something about the film. For example it could suggest that one of the characters is getting away on a plane, from the other when the other one is looking for them or chasing after them.
- 5. FrameFour Then the action cuts nicely through the title, by the giant plane coming through the title shot and bringing another scene with it. This time it is a car chasing or a road shot, that represents that there might some car racing or just characters following/stalking one another in cars. This brings a lot of suspense to the opening sequence, again, suggesting the audience what to expect from the actual film.
- 6. FrameFive Then the shot cuts through to another one, this time the colours are far more bright, yet kept in those dark shades of a thriller. The scene includes a lot of female-shaped bodies that appear to have drinks, cocktails and swim in the swimming pool. This may suggest the erotic or romantic side of the thriller that could occur in this particular film.
- 7. FrameSix Another shot that brings a lot of mystery and suspense into the opening title sequence and the film itself is the scene when everything is dark apart from stairs, a lift and a corridor being lit. Two people in a lift (getting closer to each other -might symbolise romance), when suddenly the guy from the lift gets out on the corridor and walks through it. The other guy is just behind him, following his footsteps it would seem. Neither of those figures seem to know where the other one is. This brings a lot of suspension and anxiety and it may seem quite intriguing for the audience so that they would want to watch the film even more, just to find out what the cartoon design in the opening titles sequence actually meant in the film or what did it symbolise. The font of the design is still the same, linking all those shots and scenes together in a smooth and quite interesting way.
- 8. FrameSeven Then it cuts to another scene, and this one seems to be a party or an celebration evening or a dinner party. A big crowd of people is shown and a mysterious man in the middle. This makes the man stand out and be recognised by the viewers. It makes the audience wonder who the person in white is and why did the director and the designers of the opening scene, made him stand out so much.
- 9. FrameEight This part of the opening title sequence is when the music speeds up and the titles have stopped running for a while but instead of them, we see white strings, which then form lamps and different scenes and shots are appearing underneath the spotlight of the lamps. In this shot we see a man with a telephone in his hand, as if he was sneaking out or in, or just hanging from the telephone box, looking out from it, in a state of complete awareness of situation, studying every move. This brings suspense and mystery and it makes the audience want to see a film to find out the reason for this shot to be put in the design of the opening sequence.
- 10. FrameNine At the end of the opening title sequence, there are two people chasing one another around, what could be symbolically Earth -reminding the audience the title of the film: 'Catch Me If You Can'. Suddenly, the whole of the sequence makes sense as for whole duration of it, two or more people where chasing each other and spying on each other as if one was saying to another ''Catch Me If You Can'', and keep running away. At the end of the opening title sequence, the director's name and role is shown and the screen is in dark colours. The picture goes from ''daylight'' into ''night'' and that is when the opening title sequence ends and the movie starts.