Corrected entry: The opening credits are supposed to be the camera panning over Adam's model of the town, but if you look carefully you can tell that the majority of the footage is of an actual town and the only real shot of the model is shortly before we see the replica of Adam and Barbara's house. After production designer Bo Welch's name appears on screen, you can see a dissolve edit and the trees suddenly look artificial and the street is suddenly missing the yellow lane divider, with the integrity of the asphalt being noticeably different.
Phaneron
1st Oct 2015
Correction: That is not what it's supposed to be. It was suppose to be exactly what it is, a transition from a shot of the real town to the model so that its established the model of the town is in fact a real town and also that there is a model of the town. It's a cinematic way of telling a story without a wordy exposition.
Bishop73