Catch Me if You Can Opening Title Sequence

Title sequences are a very important part of the film and incredibly powerful if done properly, as it sets the tone for the rest of the film. So if done effectively the title sequence will entice the audience from the very start and they are left wanting more, however if inadequate effort is put into making the title sequence and its not very effective then the audience will be disappointed from the start and might decide the film isn’t worth watching.

The Title sequence opens by introducing the production of company which is DreamWorks; the audience will instantly acknowledge the production company and assume this film will be a good film as DreamWorks is responsible for many successful films. We also learn that the director of this film is the renowned Steven Spielberg, undoubtedly one of the most influential film personalities in the history of film; Steven Spielberg is perhaps Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world. Therefore by informing the audience of this in the title sequence, it draws them in from the starts and creates a sense of excitement as Spielberg is such a success. The same can be said for introducing Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hanks as the main characters, as they are such prominent actors this will attract the audience aswell. The way in which their names are layed out in the title sequence is extremely effective as it tells us the basic story line; we can see a suspicious looking character (silhouette) tip toeing about with the name Leonardo Dicaprio above his head with an arrow pointing to him so obviously we learn that he is Leonardo Dicaprio’s character. Subsequently we are introduced to Tom hanks character; we can make the assumption that he is some sort of detective from his appearance and actions. The character is wearing a suit with a tie and a top hat, this is a typical outfit for a detective in past times, and he’s reading a newspaper presumably to disguise him self so he blends in but as soon as Dicaprio’s character shuffled past him he immediately throws the newspaper down and follows him. The title sequence has instantly set a cat and mouse tone for the film and the audience know what kind of storyline to expect; not only do the visuals create this tone but also the music. The jazzy music is typically used in cartoons such as Tom and Jerry, therefore this highlights the chase within the film; the tempo builds up as the detective character draws closer and closer to the character trying to evade him. The music and the visuals also work well together to set the time period and also the actual setting of the film: the jazzy music, the art deco styled set up to the title sequence, the old fashioned top hat Tom Hanks character is wearing, the women working on type writers and the classic old American cabs tells us the era of the film is likely to be the 60’s and we can strongly assume its set in America because of the classic taxis.