An Deygas Managed To Incorporate And Interpret The Essay Example
An Deygas Managed To Incorporate And Interpret The Essay Example

An Deygas Managed To Incorporate And Interpret The Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (989 words)
  • Published: October 28, 2017
  • Type: Article
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The title sequence for the movie Catch Me If You Can, created by Olivier Kuntzel and Florence Deygas, utilizes retro-inspired graphics and a jazzy theme tune to establish the era, style, and tone of the film's narrative. While representing the basic story of the ongoing chase between conman Frank Abagnale Jr and FBI agent Carl Hanratty, the title sequence also incorporates different themes in a way that becomes apparent after viewing the entire film. This paper will analyze how the sequence evokes a 1960s feel, how the designers interpreted various aspects of the story for the titles, and the impact of John Williams' score on the title sequence.

The titles for Catch Me If You Can (CMIYC) have a handmade visual style that brings to mind the classic film titles created by the iconic Saul Bass. According to Bass, creating a main-title was equivalent to

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making a poster that captures the essence of the story or introduces a character in one metaphor. The title sequence of Mad Mad World, which playfully integrated visual elements with credits through hand-drawn animation, is likely to have inspired CMIYC’s title design. Interestingly, CMIYC’s graphic design exhibits greater sophistication tailored to a more contemporary audience.

The movie's titles evoke nostalgia for the sixties, but also emphasize that it is a contemporary film that updates the caper genre for modern audiences. Critics have compared the visually playful and memorable title sequence to that of The Pink Panther, a classic crime comedy from that era with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. The director, Steven Spielberg, instructed designers Olivier Kuntzel and Deygas to create a sixties-inspired feel, which was typical for film openers

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during that time period.

Spielberg aimed to transport the audience to the movie's era while introducing the narrative. Kuntzel and Deygas skillfully integrated various elements from the movie into the opening titles, notably Frank and Hanratty's chase. The characters move through different locations referencing scenes from the movie, with Hanratty trailing but gradually closing in on Frank before sharing the screen at the sequence's end. The titles conclude with Hanratty almost catching up with Frank, creating suspense as in the movie. A subtle hint of humor is introduced by juxtaposing imagery with corresponding credits that establish a lighthearted mood.

The library sequence credits Frank W. Abagnale as the novelist and title designers Kuntzel and Deygas on the spines of two books. John Williams' credit is also next to a grand piano. This approach of linking technical credits with relevant images was popular in the sixties, notably seen in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) where Harper Lee's credit appears over a crayon and pen nib and the musician's name is placed alongside a tin whistle. The title's characters are crafted with handmade stamps, referencing Frank's forged documents, as seen when his hand stamped character moves from location to location in the sequence.

Despite Frank's perceived adulthood in the film, the designer emphasized his youth by comparing the size of his stamped character to Hanratty's. Additionally, although the title sequence score was not based on the film's narrative interpretation, it deserves mention as it sets a lively pace similar to The Pink Panther and helps establish the film's mood. According to Walter Parkes, the producer of Catch Me If You Can, "We were starting to animate in earnest when

we got that music, and we were able to heighten the sense of story and drama."

Overall, the film title designers of Catch Me If You Can effectively incorporated and interpreted the movie's narrative in the title sequence. They drew inspiration from the 'chase' and 'caper' sequences of the 1960s and adapted them for a modern audience. For further research, I consulted the following sources:

  • DVDs Bass on Titles (2004): I referenced this DVD in my paper and cited a quote from the film.
  • Catch Me if You Can (2002): This DVD was crucial for me to re-watch the title sequence several times before starting my research paper.
  • Journals Inceer, Melis (2007) An Analysis of the Opening Credit Sequence in Film.

The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania has a journal chapter that briefly explores the narrative of the title sequence of CMIYC. In Entertainment Weekly magazine on January 24, 2003, producer Walter Parkes is quoted about the titles. This information can be found on the internet at http://www.prnewswire.

Describes Nexus Productions and their contribution to the titles: www.nexusproductions.com/cgi/news/release?id=96033 (accessed 03/03/2008). Also available on www.geocities.com/FilmDweeb/archives/catchme/page.

The following HTML link was accessed on February 28th, 2008: "http://www.senseofcinema.com/contents/03/26/retro_titles.html". The link contains information regarding sixties film titles, as well as insight into John William's score and Spielberg's impact on design style. Additionally, another analyzed link found at the same source discusses inspiration drawn from the narrative of sixties film titles.

Accessed on March 3rd, 2008, information on Saul Bass' method for titles can be found at moviemaker.com/editing/article/using_movie_title_sequences_effectively_20071227/ and at neplusoneequalsthree.com/2004/06/the_cinematic_r.html.

Links to websites discussing Saul Bass quotes on titles, a brief history of titles, and video titles throughout time can be

accessed through feedmelinks.com/t/203165, digitalcontentproducer.com/mag/video_titles_throughout_time/, and playafter.com, respectively. These links were accessed on 04/03/2008 and 02/03/2008.

The source of the information is from the web page accessed on 10/03/2008 at com/blog/index.php?paged=4 and it discusses the creation and inspiration behind the titles. Additional information can be found at www.telegraph.co.The following and their contents refer to two sources on Saul Bass. The first source is a page titled "bfbass17.xml" on the website "uk/arts/main.jhtml?". It was accessed on 02/03/2008. The second source is Bass' biography page on Wikipedia, specifically the English version. This page was accessed on the same date.

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