Catch Me If You Can Credits "Find New Currency in Retro Images"

My question is, what are the two fonts in the 'Catch me if you Can' credit sequence?

The Helvetica-ish large one looks like Chalet, NewYorkNineteenSixty, but what's the wide, block-serifed smaller face?

FWIW, that title sequence certainly evokes Saul Bass... and, along with the opening credits for 'Panic Room,' is the among most notable of the last year.

Coulb be Zapatta by FontFont/LettError, but it's really hard to make out. Does anyone know if there are hi-res samples somewhere online?

I really liked the titles for Far from Heaven or whatever it was called. The movie was pretty cliche though, not well written, but the titles were consistent and neat.

The ironic thing about the story is that whenever my agency tries to sell something that has the smallest reference to any era (with the exception of early 90's CalArts/David Carson typography) the client gets upset and explains very slowly that the movie is not to be sold as a "period piece", why would 18 year olds want to see a "period piece"? This happens with any movie we have in, be it an actual period piece or not.

Literally 9 out of 10 times if I have a hand drawn title, I get told the movie doesn't take place in the 60's. It's weird. They have these blinders that almost only allows them to see Trajan, Impact, Compacta with poorly masked giant heads floating in the sky - it is SO rare to be able to move away from that particular style (not for lack of trying).

Sorry to rant, it's a topic that hits close to home for me. Maybe the difference is that my agency designs movie posters and not movie title sequences. And we aren't an exceptionally talented agency so often we get second grade movie and only get first grade when the big agencies have failed.

I disagree, Corey. I was just at your place the other day and I think you are exceptionally talented.

I do hear you on the Trajan/Impact abuse, though.

>I was just at your place the other day and I think you are exceptionally talented.

Not to hugely inflate Corey's ego (as he seems very modest), but yes, kick-ass work! the Death to smoochy poster is genius!

...albeit genius borrowed from Bass, of course.

I think Corey's posters - client rejects they may be - are all significantly more interesting, witty and good looking than the vast majority of what I see up at local theaters.

I was referring to the agency that employs me when I say that we are not that talented. If you took the mean average of our roster, you would come up with a total that is less than that of our competition. There are some very talented designers, but there are many legacy employees that are not very interested in design, let alone innovative solutions to design problems.

I fear however, that my particular skill set is not geared towards selling movie posters. I think I would be more productive and offer more to a company that is not entertainment oriented. I think that's why I get so frustrated when I hear industry people saying they wish there was more creativity in entertainment advertising - I think that most agencies consistently produce very creative work. The problem is in selling it to the client. Often times the client is looking for something that looks as similar as they can legally get to a poster for a movie that did well - there is a confusion between a movie that is successful in the box office, with the idea that the movie did well because the poster advertised it correctly. Therefore, since Titanic did well, the client is interested in recreating that poster as faithfully as possible because they can then use a formula that is a proven success.

Thanks for the compliments, I appreciate them. The Smoochy thing was meant as a joke capitalizing on the popularity of the Saul Bass poster, it was meant more as a parody (the ridiculousness of a dead rhino chalk marked on the street) than as a homage or direct rip.

>...albeit genius borrowed from Bass, of course.

Of course Mr. Coles... we all know that, pfuh!

Actually, I don't think all who read it, knew it.

I understand that it was an homage. I'm just trying to inform our expanding readership, many of whom have never heard of Mr. Bass. Maybe it's a lost cause to make this journal work for the lowest common denominator. We still need to find a balance between stating the obvious and making our content accessible to novice type lovers. I welcome your input.

It was just an attempt to be all snobby and sitting on my high-horse and stuff. Now to a more productive comment: this is Saul Bass. A legend for all graphic designers, typographers, filmmakers, artists, etc. Pfuh! ; )

I keep hoping a DVD a/o VHS release of Bass's Academy Award-winning short Why Man Creates will be available for less than USD $125

I understand from the artist SHAG that there will be a book produced this year that chronicles Mr. Bass' entire career visually.

I am drooling . . .

Stuart :D

Gary Burke asked:

My question is, what are the two fonts in the “Catch Me if You Can” credit sequence?

Just got back from the movie. I was so stoked by the opening titles I turned to Miss Wardle, who was seated to my right, and said “That was so cool!”

They used Chalet New York 1980 (note the groovy ‘t’) and FF Zapata or some other derivation of what was formerly known as Antique Extended or Hellenic Wide.

> ...and FF Zapata or some other derivation...

Heh, I knew it! =D

RE: Chalet New York 1980. Here is a sample, groovy T and all.

However, they used the 'a's from the Paris 1980 Chalet because the a's in New York 1980 are without overhangs.

Ahh, nice catch Gary.

"Catch Me If You Can" certainly evoked the right time period for me. The use of type, color, illustration, style, music, pacing ... and with just enough of an homage to Mr. Saul Bass. This is definitely a titling sequence to be viewed on the big screen.

While on the topic of brilliant movie titles. IMHO you should all look at the work of Pablo Ferro. http://www.pabloferro.com/

I tried to be all clever with the html, but it didn't work. Such is the life of someone destined to be a librarian. :/

Oh yes, I love the Ferro. You need to read this wee blog more often, Miss Wardle. I posted a bit about him in September.

I believe your conspiracy theory is far from correct: there is but one sans serif typeface in these credits. Gary was close when he mentioned Helvetica, but this font, friends, is far too cool to be Helvetica. Alas, a revelation: Coolvetica, a free font from Ray Larabie, the creator of retro favorites such as Pricedown, the underused font styled after The Price is Right’s timeless logo.

If you compare Chalet to the type in Catch Me’s titles, you’ll notice a few minor discrepancies (aside from the totally different “a” and “r” glyphs): The hook on the groovy “t” along with the descenders on the “g” and (groovy) “y” in the titles are longer than Chalet’s, and the “e” is more open in the titles. Chalet New York is a bit more stout than the type in the titles, as well.

A comparison. First, Chalet New York (lighter is set in 1980, darker in 1960):

Next, Coolvetica:

(I, of course, would be the one to catch this, considering how intimate my relationship with Coolvetica is after dealing with overzealous newspaper editors who thought it was the way to add hipness to their layouts. Ah, to be so naïve.)

*applause, applause*

This is reminiscent of some Victorian drawing-room mystery. Colin has brilliantly deduced the culprit. Shall we retire for port and cigars?

Thank you for the re-posting of the Pablo Ferro link, I missed it first time around and am a big fan of his work. I don't think I would have found the Heller article without the link either, so again thank you.

On the flip side, typophiles are treated to a special kind of abuse when anachronistic faces show up in the wrong era in movies. The most recent offender (of many) I can think of is the carved-stone sign outside the orphanage near the beginning of "Gangs of New York," set in...wait for it...Avenir.

The background typeface during Gangs' end credits was one of the cooler film type treatments I've seen in some time - I wish they used it throughout.

A Guy Thing also has retro title treatments to accompany the opening, which depicts a bachelor party at a tiki bar. They’re cute and well executed, but not nearly on the same level of ingenuity as Catch Me’s titles. (To be fair, this just involves type treatments over a scene. It’s not a standalone title sequence.)

Saw what I think is easily the best film I've seen in the last year - Almodovar's new TALK TO HER - which was horribly marred by some of the most sick-making end-credits that I have ever had the misfortune of sitting through.

Almodóvar is my fav.

hhp

Same here. This new film (and his prev., All About my Mother) are darker - but without some of the surreal humor that marks many of his earlier films. Talk to Her is probably the most serious film he's made, and certainly one of the best acted. Fantastic performances throughout, the usual amazing controlled photography, sets, color. I can't recommend the film enough - really, it was tremendous.

Hi-res images of the “CMIYC” titles are appearing at this Dreamworks Fan Site.

I don't think that the Catch Me-Title is an hommage to Bass. It reminds me of the work of MAurice Binder, esp. the title sequence for Charade.

Titles-as-featurette: who comes most readily to mind? I think Binder (who in my mind will always be associated with 007) was undoubtedly influenced by Bass's work—but you're right. Taken in toto, Binder's work on films like The Grass Is Greener, The Running Man, The Chase, Arabesque, and particularly Dr. No and Charade, would suggest a closer connection to Catch Me If You Can.

The entire sequence is now viewable at Nexus’ site.

Hey, that's really nice.
Site's cool too.

hhp