Catch Me If You Can

1. BAND NAME: WALKING ON CARS
The band are a 5-piece Irish rock/pop band:
Patrick Sheehy (singer/lyricist) Sorcha Durham (pianist),
Dan Devane (lead guitarist), Paul Flannery (bass
guitarist) and Evan Hadnett (drummer).
TRACK NAME: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
The song was the bands’ debut single, released in 2012, which
went to Number one in the Irish iTunes Charts. Remaining in the
charts for over 20 weeks, which led to the band receiving national
attention from the industry.
The bands rather contemporary sound differs from existing Irish rock/pop bands, Walking on Cars;
“boasts a wide, cinematic quality with an iconic sense of hook-driven significance.”
The music video on YouTube reaching over 300,000 views, since its
release in May 2015.
The music video for ‘Catch Me If You Can’ was directed by Jack Laurance, It
stars Steven Bush and Jessica Williams as the famous couple.
The video acting as a dramatic piece, a short alongside the release of the
single.
“The band’s videos testify to the bands ability to interweave outlined narrative
and imagery within serious themes, in a way that is non-formulaic”

2. MEDIA LANGUAGE
Links to aspects of Goodwin’s Theory:
‘Perspective on Music Video Analysis’ - Sven E Carlsson: “Music videos are many-faceted multi-
discursive phenomenon.” Claiming music videos fall into 2 categories; Performance or Conceptual.
This music video is a conceptual piece; with only small sections which show the performers.
Conceptual videos: the audience watch something beyond the artist that aims to have artistic ambitions.
The reception of the music video depends on the beholder, whether they see it as beautiful or ugly.
Lyrics and Visuals:
uncomfortable, feeling like you are intruding on his personal life.
Additionally, the notion of looking is represented with the paparazzi’s
invasion of the man’s life; intruding on his personal space and taking photos
of him, blinding flashes with the point-of-view camera shot, the audience
feeling the invasion from his own perspective.
Notion of Looking:
The notion of voyeurism is present in this production. First, with the placement of the audience looking in
on the private life of this celebrity. The voyeuristic placement of viewers makes viewing rather
“But don't you get too close now,
'cause I'm a little bit scared of life.”
“I need to run just far enough,
So I can smile again, smile again,
So I can smile again.”
The topic of mental health, depression and suicide
portrayed in the music video. The idea of wanting
to escape his current life, runaway, as he doesn’t
believe he can be happy in the situation and
lifestyle he’s currently in.
The celebrity male’s emotional state is
reflected lyrically in the track. With him
pushing everyone who cares about him away,
he’s scared and terrified by his life; reflecting
his mental deterioration.

3. CAMERA ANGLES
A point-of-view camera angle is also used, from the man’s perspective as he is
swarmed by the paparazzi. The audience have the feeling of claustrophobia, they
are positioned alongside the male, feeling the insecurity and uncomfortableness.
The use of a birds eye view camera angles makes the
audience look straight down on him, the viewer possibly
placed in a position the male puts them in; more important
than him, the audience uncomfortable with that status.
The opening shot of the music video is a wide shot, establishing the location of the
scene as well as presenting the idea of the male having an illness and suggesting
the relationship between himself and the woman. The opening scene is successful
in its ability to present the idea of his physical deterioration.
The use of composition with the third screen technique
reflects the alienation and isolation he feels. Only taking up
one third of the screen, the other part empty of his presence.
He looks weaker, more vulnerable due to his situation.
Close-up camera angles are also used in the production,
achieving the sense of the audience intruding on a sensitive
issue of the male’s life. Close-ups help the audience side
with the man, intimacy created between him and the viewer
as the audience are physically close to him.
The transition between him resurfacing from the bath and
the water are edited in a way so the camera movement
matches, in both scenes he comes back up for air. The
jump cut to the next frame joins to two images together,
the audience realising his failed suicide attempt.

4. CHARACTERSMale:
The male occupies the most screen-time as a character in the music video. The audience are mainly
placed alongside him compared to anyone else featured in the production. As a viewer, you are
immediately presented as assuming he’s a celebrity, having this breakdown. It soon becomes clear that
the man is struggling through some dark times in his life.
Female: The woman in the music video is presented to be the lover of the main male character, their
The breakdown of their relationship is portrayed visually through their
arguments and the way they become distanced from each other. The
choice to include his relationship deterioration as well as his mental
state being challenged adds to the severe tone of the music video. The
audience placed on edge, where they cant predict the outcome of all
these factors which are building up in his life.
relationship is seen to be very public,
but at breaking point. She appears to be
trying to act to support the man, trying
to help him through his struggles, when
in fact she is also struggling to come to
terms with it herself. The audience view
her as a victim, another sufferer.
As a viewer, I felt slightly distanced from the character with his
seriously damaging acts, the consequences of what he’s doing seem
clear to him as well as the audience. However, with close-ups and
extended screen time you feel sympathy towards him, feeling death
is the only way to escape. Viewers may also feel sorry for his lover,
who tries but fails to help, a sense of betrayal included there.

5. REPRESENTATION
For a production to deal with mental health is
risky, due to it being a sensitive issue.
However, it is essential that the
representation of those effected by mental
health disorders are fairly portrayed. The
male suffering with suicide is seen as a
victim of his own mind. The audience are
positioned with him, watching him suffer
through traumas and suffering to cope. The
portrayal of mental health is seen to weaken
the individual into an unhealthy mental state.
The male not receiving support he needs, his
lover trying but failing.
‘Silver Linings Playbook’ links intertextually as a film explores mental health disorders in
relation to their relationships with others. The male character suffers with bipolar disorder, the
film centres around him and how he copes with his situation. But also, similar to the music
video, mental disorders are stigmatised by those around them, who are ignorant to their
situation. In addition, more mainstream films like ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and ‘It’s
The male character presented in the music video is representation of someone suffering with mental
health problems, reflecting a character with suicidal issues.
The producers of the production would have to have been very cautious when exploring the sensitive
issue, needed to ensure that their portrayal of a suffering character isn't offensive or inaccurate.
Kind of a Funny Story.’
As well as ‘Girl, Interrupted’ which has been praised for its accurate depiction of mental illness.
The film based on writer Susanna Kaysen’s account of her 18 month period of time in a mental
hospital during the 1960s. Some films don’t respect the representation of mental health.

6. NARRATIVE
The narrative of the music video is linear and includes montages of the concept side of the production. but
in addition to this is the performance-based aspect, which includes the band performing the track.
It’s initially implied that he may have a terminal illness, walking to his own
coffin, that he may be trying to beat death, before it beats him.
The audience follow the man through the ups and downs of his relationship, his
fame and career and also his attempts of suicide.
The montage narrative cuts between different scenes, all building up to the
end, where he emerges from water in multiple different locations. The
portrayal of his descent as a character, leaving his lover disconnected,
suggesting that they have drifted apart and their relationship has broken.
The suggested suicide attempts are linked lyrically to the track, the line; “But
don't you get too close now, 'cause I'm a little bit scared of life.” reflects the
males insecurity. It’s presented that he is somewhat famous, not being able to
cope with the public nature of his relationship, which in front of the cameras
seems stable, with them kissing in front of the paparazzi.
But as soon as they are out of the public eye, alone in the car, they are
immediate distanced and remain separate. Conformation of their
relationship breakdown is shown in them arguing in their house later on.
with contrasting shots and sequences are used in order to create emotional and intellectual responses,
especially needed with such a sensitive topic. The technique relies on association between symbolic
action for continuity. A lot of the shots used being metaphorical, the audience having to interpret.
Claude Levis Strauss: “constant creation of conflict or opposition drives
narratives.” His narrative theory suggesting that the technique of montages

7. LOCATION
The use of underwater locations is a motif throughout the music video,
The use of this obscure location, the lights and people reflecting on the dark
water as he emerges from the water, bursting up, all the paparazzi camera
flashes are disorientating. The use of this location includes the man
resurfacing from the dark water, managing to escape his dark mind and
feelings briefly, but when he does, he’s surrounded and smothered by the
public. Reflecting the dark place which he is trying to escape.
Some of the scenes are presented to be in the home of the male. Sitting in
the corner, ripping up money; reflecting he has no interest in material
wealth. In the same room he argues with his lover, their relationship
breaking down under their own roof. The male essentially building his own
grave in the house, which he is down in. It’s implied he is ready for death
already. The connotations of home being a place of sanctuary and safety
repeated imagery of the male being
submerged in the water. Frequently used, the
man tries to drown himself, but both times
rising from the water unsuccessfully.
The cloudy bathwater engulfing him as he slips under the surface. Also,
his body encased in the coffin trap and sinking lower in the ocean.
is challenged, with him being alone,
isolated and exposed to the darkness of his
own mind. The choice to film in his own
home places the audience uncomfortably in
a position of voyeurism, viewing the male
in his private internal moments.

8. LIGHTING
Performance Lighting:
The use of the performance segments of the music video interrupt the
narrative of the production, breaking you out of the intense actions often with
quick camera movement; but also back-lighting of the performers. The
single-source light situated behind the lead singer creates a defined
silhouette from the audience’s positioning. Outlining his figure, so the
audience don’t manage to pay full attention to who stars in these performing
filler scenes, instead the main focus being on the conceptual narrative, but in
order to promote the band, the music video being an advertisement, the
band and their performance included.
The use of ambient lighting in this scene may be from behind the closed
curtains, the couple blocking out everyone else as they argue. Non-Ambient
key lighting may have been used to create the harsh whiteness of the light.
The male crouched in a darker part of the room than the woman. Possibly
representing him cowering from her, or even his situation and illness.
The ambient lighting of the sunlight in this scene reflects the lovely sunrise,
but the audience quickly realise that the man’s decision to come up onto the
roof is in fact another attempt at suicide, jumping off the building. His actions
reflecting his mental state are a contrast to the sun in the sky. The scene is
beautifully lit with ambient sunlight, which makes his decisions and actions
seem more helpless and unjustified.
Non-ambient lighting is used to ensure the sinking coffin is lit. When filming,
constructing this scene to look like a wide stretch of water. The eery
emptiness of the water which fades to darkness where the coffin isn't lit. The
darkness engulfing his body in the coffin may reflect how he feels he has no
support, the light through the water the only slightest bit of hope left.

9. GENRE
Katie Wales’ theory of genre notes that “genre is an intertextual concept” which is supported by John
Hartley’s theory which suggest that “we need to understand genre as a property of the relations between
texts.” Referencing this information, the genre, tone and atmosphere in this music video production can
link and resemble that of other texts, having intertextual links:
The topic of terminal illness and dealing with it, is shown in the film ’50/50’ however, the two
representations are very different from each-other. ‘Catch me if you can’ is much more melancholic and
metaphorical, while ’50/50’ is a comedy, dealing with the topic in a different way.
Steve Neale notes that “genres are not systems; traditionally, genres tend to be regarded as fixed forms,
but contemporary theory emphasises that bother their forms and functions are dynamic.”
The audience’s expectation for the ‘catch me if you can’ music video may be light-hearted and connoting
club or gig culture with the electronic pop / rock sound to the track.
When in fact, the production complexity challenges this expectation, having a more direct link to the lyrics
than the sound of the track. They have chosen to explore the sensitive and controversial topic of mental
health disorders. The issue is becoming more prominent and a topic which is in regular conversation in
modern society, with a change in attitude towards sufferers. The choice to present the video about this
topic may be a way of promotion the bands personal view on this issue, delivering a statement through
the music video produced alongside their track.
AUDIENCE
The audience are placed as voyeurs throughout, watching this man as he battles internally with his
illness. My overall interpretation of the piece is that he’s trying to kill himself before the illness kiss him;
this on top of his lover also trying to care for him, but their relationship going through a tough period as
they both fight to cope with the situation. Because of the sensitive issue of the production, I think there’s
leeway with the encoding to decoding process. Referencing Stuart Hall’s theory; the creators intention
when encoding the text may not be the same as what the audience decode from it. As well as this, I think
the audience can be split on how they decode this kind of topic.