Why dont film makers ever seem to use 'real' software (ie Windows) on computers in films & TV?

Question

This may well be similar to the 'why do most phone numbers in films/TV have "555" in them'...

Answer 1

Royalty issues
Films are made up of lots of individual pictures and it is impossible to show properly
Advertising

Answer 2

Every time you see a brand-name product such as a bottle of Coca-Cola, or a Toyota, or a Sony Walkman in a feature film, or on television, you are getting what is called 'product placement' -- the product is being advertised, by being distinctly present in the film or show. Often, independent filmmakers fund films this way, because these advertisements are paid for.

Some companies simply don't allow 'product placement'. They don't want the hassle of having to work out how long and how prominently their product appears in the film, and what it is worth, to them. And companies like Microsoft honestly do not need the advertising, since they hold contracts with virtually all PC manufacturers, to sell their PCs with Windows OEM.

I think that is the case with Windows. I have seen the Apple logo on computers, and the Sony Vaio logo, but not any software names.

People also don't usually go shopping in 'real' supermarkets for the same reasons.

'Product placement' is never accidental. The filmmaker is always paid for advertising.

The use of someone else's copyright material, such as showing people watching a specific television show, in the background, means that has to be credited at the end, and the copyright-holder paid. In some cases, so does the actor/s in the scene/s. It's like using music that was not written for the show. You have to pay out to do that. This does not qualify as 'product placement' except...

The two biggest film distributors in the USA are owned, respectively, by the Coca-Cola Company, and the Pepsi-Cola Company. You can tell by which soft-drink is served at the concession stand, who owns the chain. They do not show each other's movies.

They also own cable networks. So, in a Pepsico (parent company) film, a clip from a Pepsico (parent company) show could be promotional, rather than not. Usually, you can tell from the age of the show. If it's really old, nobody is promoting it.

They also own fast-food chains. Try getting Coca-Cola at a Burger King, KFC, or Pizza Hut. If a Pepsico (parent company) film shows a pizza with a brand name, it won't be Domino's.

All this is very, very sneaky, and legally tricky, and what is and isn't 'product placement' can best be avoided by filmmakers using entirely fake products.

As for '555', the is no such telephone prefix anywhere in the USA and Canada. They use that to protect themselves from the liability of broadcasting someone's actual number.

Answer 3

Paying royalties for the use of Windows is not strictly true!
If that were the case, then every advert billnboard, or drink, or cupboard with food in would have to be blurred out.
Also, only TFT monitors will cause lines to show as the refresh rate on the monitor can not be captured by the camera - LCD monitors are fine.

You'll notice that quite a few films do actually use the proper interface be it Windows (seen recently in The Sentinel) or Mac - Mac computers pop up everywhere in movies that want to look cool and "with it" (off the top of my head, I believe one is used in Constantine when she reviews the security tape of her sister).

At the end of the day, the computer companies WANT to be used in the film as it is great advertising, but the reality of why they aren't used is usually down to the film maker wanting a clear message.
At the end of the day a Windows interface may be recognisable to 70% of the population, but a customized "fake" operating system can make things much clearer - a screen with a big phat button saying "Detonate" is a far clearer message.

So it's mainly down to making things as easy to understand as possible for the audience rather than rights and restrictions of copyright.

Answer 4

It's a little more complex, but not much more. Showing the Windows interface in a television or film production involves obtaining permission from MicroSoft and paying them a licence fee. Rather than go through the complex paperwork and pay money over to those tight-fisted, obscenely wealthy twats, filmmakers just trick up an animated screen on a design programme.

Answer 5

Have a look at the Arnie film True Lies.

At the beginning he uses a PC and the Windows logo appears with writing in Arabic.

Answer 6

Because that is seen as promotion of windows . So unless they are getting funded somewhat from windows they try and avoid it. Same with drinks and snacks they are placed there for promotion . Most drinks could be put in a glass but people will drink out of a can to show off the name

Answer 7

Films and TV programs have a shelf life of 5 - 6 years. If they showed real computers and real programs, they'd date far too quickly.

Answer 8

And 555 is used because it isn't used in real life.

Answer 9

They would have to pay Microsoft for the royalties to use it in the film.

Answer 10

because computer screens run at different resolutions, and you will often see the lines moving up and down the screen, so the images you see on computer screens are often simulated in order to avoid this.