This Is What the Building Will Look Like: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

So a character, often a [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]], has a big construction project planned. The problem is that the odds are this project will not come to fruition, or even if it does, we are just likely to see ground broken on it at the end. So the writers have this character show a model of it so the audience can know what it would look like.

''Important:'' If we see the actual building in anything before the last minute of the show, it doesn't count.

 

{{examples}}

 

== [[Film]] ==

* In ''[[Zoolander]]'', he confuses a model for a finished design, and asks how it's supposed to help people "when they can't even fit inside the building?"

** It shows up again in Part 2.

* The Hawk Plaza in ''[[The Love Bug|Herbie Rides Again]]''.

* A twisted take on the concept occurs in ''[[One Crazy Summer]]''. Bobcat Goldthwait, through a series of contrived coincidences, gets stuck in a Godzilla costume while spying on the Big Bad's business party where he is showing off his planned project to some Japanese investors. A cigar idly tossed away (still lit) ends up in the godzilla suit's mouth, Goldthwait goes berserk trying to get it out... and the Japanese investors are treated to the sight of Godzilla roaring and screeching, stomping the model flat. They find it hilarious, naturally.

* In ''[[Darkman]]'', Louis Strack Jr shows a model of his new waterfront city development to Julie.

* ''[[You Don't Mess With the Zohan]]'' has [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|Walbridge's]] planned shopping mall [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|with a roller coaster.]] For added comedy there's also one of his hot supermodel girlfriend.

* The 1983 movie ''[[Get Crazy]]'' follows this trope explicitly, as the corrupt music producer displays a model of his big sinister skyscraper to a meeting of big sinister investors. All that stands in his way of building it is the old-school music theater run by the good guys.

* Lampshaded in ''[[Austin Powers|Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me]]'' when Number 2 shows Dr. Evil a collection of minututre models of companies they own including a factory that makes miniature models of factories

* Spoofed in ''[[Freaked]]''. Evil freakshow owner Elijah C. Skuggs shows off a model of his facilities, then proposes that the [[Evil, Inc.|Everything Execept Shoes Corporation]] upgrade it to 'Super Mega Freak World', which is represented a larger version of the same model.

* ''[[Star Wars]] Episode II: [[Attack of the Clones]]'' features a miniature hologram of what is soon known as the Death Star

* In ''[[The Brady Bunch Movie]]'', Mike Brady displays scale models of three different buildings he's submitting designs for. All three are clearly the same model, and identical to the Brady house, aside from the sign out front.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* In Part 1 of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' two-parter "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", Burns shows Smithers a model of Springfield to demonstrate his plan to block out the Sun. After he kicks Smithers out, Burns starts stomping the buildings, only to accidentally crush the miniature power plant.

* An episode of ''[[Rugrats]]'' had Angelica trying to sneak away from her mom's boring business meeting so she could play with the scale model of the theme park he company was planning. Yes, she utterly wrecks the set.

 

== [[Real Life]] ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Building Tropes]]

[[Category:Tiny Tropes]]