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Top 10 tech tricks we're sick of seeing in movies
- Thread starter VPTurner
- Start date
Haha, we got into a big debate about this on another forum after I posted a short that featured an unrealistic sattelite/computer interface. Many were complaining that it wasn't real or "ruined the short".
But I mean, how boring would it be to watch somebody wait 3 or 4 minutes for windows to boot and be "realistic"?
But I mean, how boring would it be to watch somebody wait 3 or 4 minutes for windows to boot and be "realistic"?
I always have to post this link when it's cliche time...
http://www.filmsound.org/cliche/
From the list:
COMPUTERS
Every button you press on a computer makes some kind of beep
Text being spelled out on screen (whether computer or lower third) MUST make some sort of typing and/or dot-matrix-printer type of sound.
In foreign language versions of u.s. movies computers show their messages in english, but they all can speak!
http://www.filmsound.org/cliche/
From the list:
COMPUTERS
Every button you press on a computer makes some kind of beep
Text being spelled out on screen (whether computer or lower third) MUST make some sort of typing and/or dot-matrix-printer type of sound.
In foreign language versions of u.s. movies computers show their messages in english, but they all can speak!
Cellphone video had me cracking up big time.
It brings me back to the first ever horror I wrote, when I had the characters lose cellphone reception in a soundstage. "This damn tin roof is jamming my signal!"
It brings me back to the first ever horror I wrote, when I had the characters lose cellphone reception in a soundstage. "This damn tin roof is jamming my signal!"
Yep. I'm working the same dilemma in my own script right now. Teenagers and young adults these days all have smart phones. I need to isolate them somehow without using the same old cliche's.
What if they're broke teenagers, and out of prepaid minutes? Not at all an uncommon thing. Also, one of them could be a tard early in the movie, and drop a phone in the toilet (also not at all uncommon in real life).
I have this idea where the character earlier goes 'Oh no! I've got no signal!' or whatever...
...in the last scene of the film they then go 'Oh shit, I just had it on airplane mode. Whoops...'
That solves all your problems
...in the last scene of the film they then go 'Oh shit, I just had it on airplane mode. Whoops...'
That solves all your problems
Trust me. Even my broke 16 year old niece manages to scrape enough money together from her dad and her mom to keep her smart phone alive. And my other nieces and nephews would sooner die than give up their texting. And that gives me a great idea for one scene.
But dropping it in the toilet doesn't always mean death to the phone, either. Ask me how I know.
Now jumping into a swimming pool fully dressed to pull some toddler off the bottom? That does it. Been there, done that. Should've smacked the mom and all the other kids in the pool for not paying attention.dropping it in the toilet doesn't always mean death to the phone, either. Ask me how I know.
You have an Ipoo'd now?
The post apocalyptic setting usually precludes cell phones. Been a while since I've seen a post-apoc pure horror.
Of course, you could just reverse it all - the cellular frequencies attract zombies, et. al. or the bad guy is using his cell phone to triangulate on his victims. Then the victims find that out that if they use their cell phones they court death.
Last night I watched a show called "Track Me If You Can" which was all about how difficult it is to "fall off the grid" in our hi-tech society, but how it might be possible if you are really disciplined. Some of the tracking technologies - and how easy it is for identity thieves and others to hack into and use them - are quite scary.
"I know I'm paranoid; but am I paranoid enough?"
Last night I watched a show called "Track Me If You Can" which was all about how difficult it is to "fall off the grid" in our hi-tech society, but how it might be possible if you are really disciplined. Some of the tracking technologies - and how easy it is for identity thieves and others to hack into and use them - are quite scary.
"I know I'm paranoid; but am I paranoid enough?"
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Now that's awesome. You can have moments where making a call is the only choice they have to overcome an obstacle.
They gotta call characters we met in the beginning that they parted paths with. The hot girl has to stand on a tower and dial them, ringing ringing (Voicemails etc, until the last one manages to pick up, also having to fight off zombies to take the call) Meanwhile the boys on the tower stairwell have to hold off the zombies being attracted.
Hot damn, that could be a map crescendo in the video game Left 4 Dead 2.