The World Speaks - Easy Allies Movie Podcast Episode 1 Discussion Topics (Patreon)

Worldbuilding.  Lore.  Ambient storytelling.  In games it means things aren't handed to us, the player has to discover the background of the world on their own, Dark Souls is a great example of this, but in film, it is much the same.  The viewer is in charge of understanding the context of the world we are inhabiting.  It is a kind of active, engaged viewing that, when done well, encourages even greater connection to the material.

For the first episode of the Movie Podcast, we're going to be discussing films that not only have great worlds but whose worlds tell a deeper story and that respect the audience enough not to spell it out to a tiresome degree.

Examples of such films include not only this month's (pre-series) assignment film Mad Max: Fury Road, but films like the John Wick series, Blade Runner, Alien, Children of Men, Gattaca, Brazil, Dredd, Dark City, 12 Monkeys, Miyazaki films, City of Lost Children, Monsters, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Robocop, The Fifth Element, Pacific Rim, Avatar, Star Trek, the  Alejandro Jodorowsky films.

Notice something many of these films have in common?  Sci-fi or fantasy is a big contributor to worldbuilding because they often take place in a world dissimilar to our own.  What about films that do take place more in "our" reality?  What about the films of Wes Anderson?  Is John Wick fantasy or sci-fi?  What about Lars Von Trier or Gus Van Sant or Pedro Almodóvar?

Does the very nature of fictional narrative film necessitate the building of a world different from our own or do most narrative films take place in "our" world?

Does Star Wars have good worldbuilding?

When does information cross the line into exposition?  Are The Matrix and Inception examples of great worldbuilding or is that just expositional dialogue?  If you do feel that Inception is expositional, what about The Prestige? 

And what about films that are less critically well received but have great worldbuilding like Daybreakers or Waterworld?

Terminator... great worldbuilding or absolute trainwreck of plot insanity?  Both?

Does television's long format give it the edge over film in worldbuilding or does a more conscience timeframe actually help quality worldbuilding?

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This is the first episode but, as mentioned above, the assignment film coming into this episode is Mad Max: Fury Road.  This means we will use this film as the crux of our discussion and we will not be shy about spoilers in this film, so it will be best if you've watched it prior to this episode going live.

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The following information may change if we deem something works better for the schedule or there are production issues:  Currently the first episode is slated to go live sometime late night April 12 or early 13 for Patrons and will go public 10AM Friday April 14th.  The Movie Podcast will go live to the public the second Friday of every month to offset Fiasconauts which goes live the final Friday of every month.