Ask any tech junkie about it and they will confirm that the hacking being portrayed on-screen in CSI or even House of Cards is largely unrealistic and hilariously horrible. The scenes range from being highly infuriating to downright goofy. It may come as a surprise but Hollywood gets hacking wrong in the name of glamour.
These over-the-top hacking scenes are necessary, and to help you understand, here's why:
Real Hacking is well...Boring!
When it comes to a good TV show or movie, it has to be entertaining. Real hacking is the complete opposite of a good movie or TV show; no explosions, no romance, no CGI. In short, it is not at all fun to watch.
To better understand why hacking has to be spiced up onscreen, try to determine which scene below is based on real-life and which one has been jazzed up to appeal to the masses.
In case you are completely oblivious to how hacking really takes place, you would not be able to distinguish between the two. However, for those who guessed it, you are correct; the first scene is an exaggeration, while the second scene is a faithful representation of how hacking takes place in its truest form.
Getting Down and Dirty with the Not-so Juicy Details
It is not difficult to see why Hollywood must resort to making hacking scenes flashy. When it comes to filming real life hacking scenes, not only are they difficult to shoot but they are not visually appealing and will often confuse viewers.
But there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. Real life hacking scenes rarely have any motion and looking at screens with static data is just, well bland. Things only get worse when you realize hacking software focus more on function rather than its form, which is the opposite of what movies and TV shows demand. If that is not enough, smaller, unreadable fonts justify why hacking scenes need lots of Hollywood magic.
Similarly, the same concept applies to the sound as well. To make a scene interesting, music and different sounds are integrated, which should explain why on-screen hackers typing on a keyboard sound no different from a jackhammer, or why programs make plenty of beeping sounds.
That being said, the following video showcases the worst hacking scenes to have been shown on TV and movies. If these do not make your cringe, we do not know what will!
6 Worst Portrayals of Hacking in Movies and TV Shows
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