Editing 1451: Background Screens

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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
Plot and characters are generally the parts a movie that most people presumably pay attention to, as the story, the emotional connection, and character development are generally the things most people find enjoyable about particular films{{Citation needed}}.
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{{incomplete|Discuss title text, Greenland, related memes}}
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Plot and characters are generally considered the major reasons for watching a movie. [[Cueball]], however, pays particular attention to what's on the computer screens shown briefly in the background. Generally speaking, these screens are shown to the audience for such a short period of time, and at such a low-level of detail, that the contents of the screen don't match what is said in the dialog or otherwise put in the movie. Also, they sometimes contain irrelevant data or jokes. It's unlikely that important information would be communicated in such a way.
  
On the other hand, [[Cueball]], likely representing [[Randall]], pays particular attention to what's on the computer screens shown briefly in the background. Generally speaking, these screens are shown to the audience for a short period of time, and at a low-level of detail, just to dress a set and make a scene feel more realistic or high-tech. They may contain endless columns of gibberish or miscellaneous data flashing by in an eye-blink (only visible by freeze-framing), or cross-hairs zipping across maps.
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Background screens typically only serve to provide a "high-tech feel" to the movie, with endless columns of data flashing by in an eyeblink, and crosshairs zipping across maps. They are designed by artists who may not even be aware of the details of the plot, and as a result, their content (where it is intelligible, such as in a map) has little to no connection to the dialog or other story events going on in front of them.
  
Often the contents of the computer screens are so unimportant or hard-to-read that the filmmakers do not bother to spend much time (if any at all) ensuring that what is shown on the screen is accurate or even relevant to the film. They may be designed by artists not fully aware of the details of the plot, and as a result, their content (where it is intelligible, such as in a map) can have little to no connection to the dialog or other story events going on in front of them. They sometimes even contain jokes. It is rare, if ever, that important information would be communicated to the viewer through background computer screens. Hence, Cueball's spending most of his time watching the screens seems counter-intuitive to understanding and enjoying the film.
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{{w|Greenland}}, a large island east of Canada, is 80% covered in ice up to several kilometers in depth, and has a population of less than 100,000 people. It is an unlikely place for aliens to land, especially movie aliens, who generally prefer more densely-populated locations.
  
{{w|Greenland}}, a large island east of Canada, is 80% covered in ice up to several kilometers in depth, and has a population of fewer than 100,000 people. Depending on the aliens' priorities (and the plot of the movie) there are myriad reasons both for and against wanting to land in such a remote area. In the title text, Cueball suggests investigating how a list of coordinates from another background screen relates to the location of the alien craft in Greenland, suggesting that Cueball thinks the filmmakers may have intended the viewers to record the information early in the film and analyze the data to learn relevant plot information - something that is very unlikely (and in the rare instance it is true, is intended to be superfluous). Most of the time, filmmakers take efforts to ensure the audience can easily follow plot points by making them more obvious than they might be in reality.
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Unless, of course, they are planning something devious. In the title text, Cueball suggests that they should investigate how a list of coordinates from another background screen relates to the location of the alien craft in Greenland, laying the groundwork for a conspiracy theory connecting the movie's story to the "real" world.
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There are a number of websites which specialize in documenting computer screens as seen in movies, including: (partial list - please expand/improve)
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* Reddit - It's a Unix System I know This! - http://www.reddit.com/r/itsaunixsystem
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* Waxy.Org - Screens on Screen - http://waxy.org/2013/07/screens_on_screen/
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* The Guardian - Computer Code in Films - http://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2014/jan/10/computer-code-in-film-movie-terminator-girl-dragon-tattoo
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* Moviecode tumblr - http://moviecode.tumblr.com
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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:Hairy [quietly]: Can we ''please'' just watch the movie?
 
:Hairy [quietly]: Can we ''please'' just watch the movie?
  
==Trivia==
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{{comic discussion}}
*There are a number of websites which specialize in documenting computer screens as seen in movies, including: (partial list - please expand/improve)
 
**[http://www.reddit.com/r/itsaunixsystem Reddit] - It's a Unix System I know This!
 
**[http://waxy.org/2013/07/screens_on_screen/ Waxy.Org] - Screens on Screen.
 
**[http://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2014/jan/10/computer-code-in-film-movie-terminator-girl-dragon-tattoo The Guardian] - Computer Code in Films.
 
**[http://moviecode.tumblr.com Moviecode tumblr]
 
  
{{comic discussion}}
 
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Pie charts]]
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[[Category:Charts]]

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