Evaluation of Technical Codes in Crime Thriller Title Sequences

From watching the four title sequences in The Departed, Memento, No country for Old Men and Heat, I have noticed many similarities between them.
The first similarity that I noticed was that they all seem to have a black background, however one of the differences is that the writing that is on the top of the black background in each movie is different. From the four I have watched the colour tends to either be blue or white. One reason why the colour white has been used is because it is clear, making sure that all of the writing can be seen and stands out from a distance. The contrast between the black background and white text makes it more striking and dramatic.

Secondly, another similarity is that all of the four title sequences in which I watched used many mid shots. One reason why I believe many mid shots have been used is so that the audience can clearly see the facial expressions of the person in shot but also some of the background and surroundings. This allows for the setting and place to be established on one shot. In addition to the above, we also see many close-ups being used. For example in 'Memento' we see a close up of one of the characters faces. By the audience seeing a close up of the characters face it allows them to distinguish how he is feeling as they can see all the emotions on his face. Furthermore, it allows for the audience to see, in this circumstance the blood on his face, which would not be as visible in a long shot. This leads the audience to be curious and suspicious, as after this you see a body on the floor with blood surrounding it. This could lead the audience to believe that he killed that man.

Throughout all four of the title sequences the most commonly used editing technique has been cutting. This technique speeds up the pace of the sequences. Another reason why cutting has been used is because it allows for a sudden change to happen quickly. However in ' No Country for Old Men' a fade is used when the titles disappear and a voice over begins, which allows for a seamless transition between the titles and the voiceover.

From completing this task, I now understand the main technical codes that have been used throughout the title sequences. This task has also allowed me to see why using these technical codes is effective and also how they help to portray the purpose of each different title sequence.
I have also learnt that the most common shot is a mid shot and the most common editing technique is cutting. I believe that in my groups opening two minutes these should both be used. One reason for this is because they have proven to be very effective and when making the opening two minutes, I need to make sure that I refer back to these technical codes.