The iconic introduction sequence for HBO's hit show Game of Thrones works so well because it helps viewers visualize the world of Westeros from a bird's-eye view. Cities, castles and important locations are all depicted on the map, letting viewers get a better idea of where each landmark is in relation to the others before diving into the events of the show.
It's a style that works surprisingly well in the real world, as one Game of Thrones fan has recently shown in a video uploaded to Vimeo (via Reddit). He's taken the Game of Thrones intro format and applied it to the real world city of Bayreuth, Germany, and the results make for one of the most technically-sound recreations of the show's intro ever made.
In the video, you'll get a virtual tour of Bayreuth, as the camera sweeps from city landmark to city landmark. You'll see the city's university spring to life just like buildings do in the show. From there, the video sweeps viewers off to other locations, such as one of Bayreuth's prominent churches and the city's festival hall, all as Ramin Djawadi's Game of Thrones theme adds a sense of epicness to the entire tour.
Reddit user Checkheck says a member of Bayreuth University put together the video as part of an invitation to the university's graduation ball. There's no telling how long it took to put something like this together, but it's certainly one of the most pitch-perfect intro remakes to have ever hit the world wide web.
Game of Bayreuth from Jan K on Vimeo.
Why isn't the Game of Thrones intro used for all kinds of real world locations? Nearly any town, city or country could be made instantly more interesting by applying the clockwork structure method featured in the show's opening moments. It would certainly make studying geography more entertaining.
