Type In Space

Why is it that creating the illusion of typography in real space is so trendy right now? 'Heroes' uses it for their episode titles, as does the new show 'Fringe'. 'Heroes' does a particularly bad job with it, as they don't make any attempt to blend it into the space by applying any shadows or ambient light to the lettering. The whole effect is really just kind of a lame graphic gimmick that doesn't really provide much enrichment in most cases. One exception is this sequence in the movie 'Stranger Than Fiction':

In this case it is used to enhance the image of a mathematical man, and it is used during a narration sequence in which the character is basically being diagrammed, and the floating type is the visual equivalent of what is being spoken. It also helps that all of the type animation is very well done.

The first (at least to my knowledge), and probably most elegant, use of this technique is David Fincher's 'Panic Room' in 2002:

Since it is used during the title sequence, it doesn't really pull you out of any action. It just helps establish the tone of the movie, which is all most title sequences are hoping to achieve in the first place. At the time, it was new, and it carried on David Fincher's tradition of having great title sequences (check out the Se7en title sequence here if you haven't seen it). But now it kind of feels like everyone that uses it thinks their the first one to think of it, when they are really just 6 years too late.