As part of our week 4 exercise on world-building, Stayci asked that we bring something to class in terms of an audio, visual, or audiovisual piece that illustrated a good example of building a world.

My selection was the first trailer for Rockstar Entertainment’s 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V, as seen below.

I chose this trailer as I think it not only showcases some of the stunning visuals of the game (set in the fictional Los Santos – a nod to real life Los Angeles, California); but the narrated monologue by one of the games three protagonists establishes his perspective on Los Santos, as well as who he is as a character.

“Why did I move here? I guess it was the weather.

Or the… Ah, I don’t know… that thing. That magic — you see it in the movies.

I wanted to retire. From what I was doing, you know?
From that, that… line of work. Be a good guy for once, a family man.

So, I bought a big house. Came here, put my feet up, and thought I’d be a dad like all the other dads. My kids, would be like the kids on TV – we could play ball and sit in the sun.

But, well… you know how it is…”

As it turns out, Michael is a retired former-criminal. Having agreed to give up crime and go into witness protection as part of a deal that would see a detective promoted to a high rank, Michael moved from the state of “North Yankton” to Los Santos and tried to settle down to become a family man.

However, things unraveled for him, and his family life began falling apart. Needing to repay a large debt to a mob boss after tearing his house off the hills in a fit of rage, Michael returns to crime to repay the debt — hence the “you know how it is” line. I also like how this line creates a notable shift in the pacing of the trailer – moving from scenic shots to more edgy shots – showing the underworld and crime elements of the city, and highlighting the interesting dichotomy of Michael’s unstable life compared to the picturesque lifestyle he had envisioned.

 

After the exercise, I started noticing more trailers that had excellently set up the world that appears within their respective media. Some other trailers that did an excellent job of world building are below. I have also made a few notes on each of them.

 

Bethesda’s Fallout 4 (2015) tells the story of a WWII-veteran; who is put into cryogenic stasis at the beginning of a nuclear war. Awakening 210 years later, the “sole survivor” (who can be customized by the player right down to gender) ventures out into the post-nuclear wasteland, searching for answers. I often think games actively try to engage you into their worlds to a greater extent than that of films, as they often create a deep and immersive world for the player to explore — particularly in the case of sandbox (free-roam) game styles — so that the player continues to invest time into the game.

 

 

Without spoiling too much of the plot, the trailer for Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island (2010) excellently sets up the world, the conflict and establishes some of its characters, such as Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Dr Cawley (Ben Kingsley). It also establishes the genre of the film (horror), so people who see this trailer already know to expect they will be thrilled by the film, if they are fans of the genre.

 

Finally, there is the trailer for Christopher Columbus’ Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001). I remember first seeing this trailer at the cinemas when I was five, and hearing my older brother cry out in joy that his then-favourite novel was becoming a feature film. As a child that had not yet read the books, I didn’t quite have the same expectations, but I remember this trailer certainly interested me, as I began reading the first book the next day. The use of monologue by Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore really establishes quite a lot of information about the world, as well as the montage of sweeping shots of the grandiose sets used as Hogwarts.