History Main / ModelPlanning

A SubTrope of OnlyAModel. Compare ExpositionDiagram. Compare ThisIsWhatTheBuildingWillLookLike, which deals specifically with construction projects and is often (but not always) associated with bad guys.

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''
** Dr. Doofenshmirtz does this sometimes. One episode shows a flashback to him working all weekend to make the model and hoping that Perry the Platypus appreciates it. He doesn't.
** In "Night of the Living Pharmacists," Phineas explains the plan to end the zombie apocalypse using a scale model. With the zombies breaking in as he speaks, Candace asks whether it was really worth the time to make the model. [[WorthIt He says it was.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/BackToTheFuture https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/docs_model.jpg]]]]

* Models are used to plan attacks in ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}''. At one point, the [[CameraScrew camera view of the models inverts]] just before a scene cut to show that a group of fighters depicted is concealing themselves by attaching their landing gear to the bottom of a freighter.

* ''Series/TheGoodies''. A BBC news broadcast discusses what will happen when the Goodies' moon rocket returns to Earth. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Burke_(science_historian) James Burke]] demonstrates what will happen next by [[CaptainCrash dropping a model Apollo landing module on a map of Britain so it smashes to pieces]].

* ''Series/FireballXL5''. In "Plant Man From Space", the evil plant alien knocks over a model of World Space Headquarters while EvilGloating about his EvilPlan. As its UsefulNotes/{{Supermarionation}} it may well have been the actual World Space Headquarters he knocked over.

* ''Series/TheGoodies''. A BBC news broadcast simulates what will happen when the Goodies' moon rocket returns to Earth. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Burke_(science_historian) James Burke]] demonstrates what will happen next by [[CaptainCrash dropping a model Apollo landing module on a map of Britain so it smashes to pieces]].

* The Death Star attack plans in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' films ''Film/ANewHope'' and ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' are with CGI models.

This is the use of models to represent the areas used to make plans, given that such things are easier when people have the context of an area to see what to do.

* ''Series/ComeBackMrsNoah''. A large model of the Britannia Seven (presumably the prop used to portray the real thing) is used for planning how the title character will be rescued. In the final episode, Carstairs is using a miniature man wearing a HelicopterPack to demonstrate a RocketlessReentry; he pulls a string to turn the rotor blades and yanks down its trousers instead. Mrs. Noah is not impressed with the idea that she'll be flashing the entire planet.

--->'''Mr. Burns:''' Take that, Bowlerama! ''(stomp)'' Take that, Convenience Mart! ''(stomp)'' [[RuleOfThree Take that]], [[VandalismBackfire Nuclear Power Plan--]] ''(stomp)'' [[GoshdarnItToHeck Oh, fiddlesticks.]]

-->'''Mr. Burns:''' Take that, Bowlerama! ''(stomp)'' Take that, Convenience Mart! ''(stomp)'' [[RuleOfThree Take that]], [[VandalismBackfire Nuclear Power Plan--]] ''(stomp)'' [[GoshdarnItToHeck Oh, fiddlesticks.]]

* BBC News, and later Channel Four News, were ridiculed and parodied for this when using sandbox models and toy tanks to explain British involvement in assorted wars and peace-keeping operations (First Gulf, Yugoslavia, Second Gulf). These were pushed around by an enthusiastic [[ArmchairMilitary Armchair General]] called Peter Snow.

-->'''Mr. Burns:''' Take that, Bowlerama! ''(stomp)'' Take that, Convenience Mart! ''(stomp)'' [[RuleOfThree Take that]], [[VandalismBackfire Nuclear Power Plan--]] ''(stomp)'' [[OhCrap Oh, fiddlesticks.]]

* In the remake of ''[[Film/TheItalianJob2003 The Italian Job]]'' the thieves build a replica practice course in a warehouse to practice driving their escape route, and also have a CGI animation on their computer of the car as if it were traversing the actual route in real time for no apparent reason.

* ''Series/TheAvengers''. In "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Station" the villain handcuffs Steed to a pipe so he can explain his EvilPlan with the help of a model train set.
-->'''Villain:''' I had you brought here to witness the final phase.
-->'''[[QuintessentialBritishGentleman Steed]]:''' That's very decent of you.
-->'''Villain:''' It's for me really, [[EvilGloating verging on megalomania you might say]]. But a coup is not a coup without someone to see.
-->'''Steed:''' ''(indicating cuffs)'' Excuse me if I don't applaud.

* Series/TheFlash2014 has Cisco creating a model of Iris’ upcoming death out of [[BuiltWithLEGO LEGO bricks]] to make a point. Barry is more concerned over [[SkewedPriorities the choice of minifigure to represent him]].

* Disney's ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'' has one, when the general describes the planned advance to his son.

* During the courtroom scenes in ''Film/{{JFK}}'' Jim Garrison uses an incredibly detailed model of Dealey Plaza to help demonstrate his theory of how the Kennedy assassination happened.

* During the courtroom scenes in ''Film/JFK'' Jim Garrison uses an incredibly detailed model of Dealey Plaza to help demonstrate his theory of how the Kennedy assassination happened.