Creating Coherent Worlds: Movie Openings

For our contextual lecture, we looked into our project of 'Creatin Coherent Worlds' within our game designs. Specifically on how to create a narrative that corresponds with the surrounding environment well, so that the game appears believable enough for the player. If the narrative and environment do not work well together, it is easy for the player to become board and lose interest in the action. The importance of game design, is to understand how to create a logical, immersive and well functioning world, so it is believable to the player. If a narrative works well with it's environment, it is not always possible to notice, because you are already immersed within the game play. Many Video games today use many elements alongside the narrative within the environment to boost emotions and action within the story.

For example:

Halo has a narrative that is set in space with a war against a hostile alien race. You as the player have a high burden to protect the universe, but are also encouraged to explore different alien worlds in order to achieve your goal. Although it is obvious that our environment has changed on the alien home planet, many other assets are used to make the player feel alienated, heroic or frightened. A lot of these elements are with building atmosphere within the narrative, adding ambient sounds or music, lightning effects, dialogue and even characters such as Protagonists/Antagonists. Adding more elements like this within an environment really boosts the narrative of the game, making it believable no matter what the story is, no story is too far fetched. What matters is introducing the player into a world that is believable and with that they would become so immersed, everything within the game world feels real, emotional and dynamic. That makes a good coherent world.

For a small task, I was asked to look at the openings of some movie titles and how their particular styles portray coherent worlds. How the narrative and surrounding environments combine to add atmosphere, feeling and believability.



12 Monkeys (Terry Gilliam)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqlAs2-yl1g&feature=related

Brazil (Terry Gilliam)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeY1dxlC7Sg



Gladiator (Ridley Scott)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuUnd9Db6Hg

Blade Runner (Ridley Scott)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaR5wVL9x2I




Edward Scissor Hands (Tim Burton)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5ixJu2YvZQ

Sleepy Hollow (Tim Burton)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6O4Himch7g



Dangerous Liaisons (Stephen Frears)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GBhKrwdqjo

Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Vwe33-XBs



Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM52G2uXgbQ

Micmacs (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obDVqhso9l4