Computers in films
- Started
- Last post
- 68 Responses
- DaveO
Is it just me, or do directors / filmakers always get it pretty wrong when they show someone working on a computer?
Example: Someone says "I'm trying to get into this file" then hammers on the keyboard, which magically opens loads of windows on the screen and whatnot..... or the best is when they type on a keyboard and it makes some kind of blipping noise to indicate the typing....?
Anyone else feel the same? Or have I just set up my preferences wrong?
—
- Baskerville0
my favourite is when they have a surveilance image that is really fuzzy and there might be a car in it or something.
Then the 'computer wizz' selects the illegible liscence plate and presses the 'magically make crisp, clear and highres' filter and it magically zooms in to show a perfect photo of the liscence plate.
happens all the time in films.
- Jaline0
hahaha, this bugs me so much! But alas, viewers don't have the patience to have the character view all the files before getting to the most relevant one, and then there's also the worry about corporations and having their logos and pictures visible in a computer program.
I think it's really funny how almost anything can be found out by using a computer or how character can always find out someone's password by just thinking hard enough for 1min.
- Jaline0
Baskerville, those types of things always happen in CSI, but I hope they actually have that technology available.
- vespa0
haha i've had to fake that very effect for teevee before baskerville!
would it be better to watch the expert messing about for ages in photoshop just to get some crappy image at the end that could equally be a license number or jesus's face?
- mutanthands0
lets face it, if they filmed how we use computers in the real world it would just be tedious and boring!
- Baskerville0
haha vespa ,true. I'm sure governments do have that filter. If so they should liscence it to adobe. It would make my job easier.
My friend does effects for tv too, he's been doing all the computer visuals for footballer's wives, how depressing.
- DaveO0
Yeah, like in 24, it seems that if you've got a laptop and a fast wireless connection, chloe can hack into just about anywhere.
The best one was some really shit film I saw about the internet, called Killer net – so shit I walked out – but the web browser interface was all gothic and 'scary' and teh web pages looked like bad 1st year university projects... anyone see this piece of trash?!?
- jmteow0
Let's not forget Enemy of the State, where they magically zoomed in and rotated the angle of the image.
WTF?!
- Jaline0
Yeah, like in 24, it seems that if you've got a laptop and a fast wireless connection, chloe can hack into just about anywhere.
DaveO
(May 26 06, 05:47)Exactly like Smallville, and the character's name is the same.
- vespa0
i've also had to do the "Character Breaks Into Chemical Lab And Hacks Computer Password" bit
got a call from the producer the day before at 5 pm. "We're filming this scene tomorrow and need an interface!"
me: "what sort of computer will they be breaking into, a laptop? mac or pc? what dimensions are the screen? does it have flash on it? what's the name of the company they are trying to get into?"
producer: "don't know! the computer is locked in the back of the props van and we don't know what it is! we need it for 10 am! Make it look scientific!"
ok!
- Baskerville0
lol Smallville!
- Jaline0
There is almost always a character who can do anything with any computer at any time on every show.
- paraselene0
the computer geek girl is always called zoe or chloe and wears glasses and dresses like a ten-year-old boy and nobody fancies until the end when she accidentally gets caught with her glasses off and her hair down.
- Jaline0
lol, Chloe is actually a journalist who never had a boyfriend, hahahaha
- paraselene0
i have never seen smallville.
*upwelling of pride
- Jaline0
shuddup, it's entertaining. But the writing is definitely bad most of the time. oh well, I can shut my brain off for a while.
I love this thread!
- TransFatty0
computers have no business in films
what fucked it up for me was
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0128…
altho i never did watch it
good film?
- soda0
I did some work with some of the guys who worked on the first mission impossible movie and it was funny talking to them about the process of building interface screens. Especially in regards to email as when it was released the public's perception of email was pretty non-exsistant. I think they got Brody in to design an email application really heavy on your mail visually getting folded on screen, slipped into an envelope and flying off into space! Class.