Why do so many movies/TV shows use Macs?

[K-Funk]

Relative to Apple's market share, it is unbelievable how often the characters in movies and TV shows use Macs, as opposed to PCs. Does Apple pay lots of money to the studios as part of its advertising budget, or do producers just like Macs?

[techlover828]

yes I've always wondered if companies payed money to have their products in movies/tv shows.

[davidwarren]

yes I've always wondered if companies payed money to have their products in movies/tv shows.

they do.

[AceWilfong]

I think it's an artistic choice that speaks to the peronal style of the character.
(Why the hero usually rides a white horse.)

[mwchris]

they do.


While companies generally pay to have their product advertised in a movie/show/etc. Sometimes I am sure you have noticed that it is an apple product, but the logo is covered up. (I see this often)

I think most of the time if no particular brand has chosen to sponsor a show or whatnot then they just use what is available, and in many cases, or so it seems, apple products are what is on hand and in use by the production company. Therefore they get used in a scene.

[PlaceofDis]

Relative to Apple's market share, it is unbelievable how often the characters in movies and TV shows use Macs, as opposed to PCs. Does Apple pay lots of money to the studios as part of its advertising budget, or do producers just like Macs?

i don't know if its Apple paying for the placement, or if its just what is on hand, or if its a style choice since they are often seen as 'cleaner' setups. /shrug

yes I've always wondered if companies payed money to have their products in movies/tv shows.

they do, its called product placement. don't know how often apple uses this though.

While companies generally pay to have their product advertised in a movie/show/etc. Sometimes I am sure you have noticed that it is an apple product, but the logo is covered up. (I see this often)

I think most of the time if no particular brand has chosen to sponsor a show or whatnot then they just use what is available, and in many cases, or so it seems, apple products are what is on hand and in use by the production company. Therefore they get used in a scene.

yes some shows do this because they want the marketing dollars. some don't care.

[iMpathetic]

Also, many, if not most, people in video use Macs, so they may lend their own personal machines to the shoot.

Macs are also more "stylish" to the general public. On some TV shows, they paint over the Apple logo and use them.

[jemeinc]

if you can see the logo, they pay.. Apple's been way ahead of the competition with this type of advertising for years now- but every company is starting to see the value of this now.. No-one watches commercials anymore (other than the Super Bowl and select events), so it makes a ton of sense to devote a portion of your advertising budget to product placement..

[MisterMe]

... so they may lend their own personal machines to the shoot.

...Fox News uses Macs on its working news set. Clearly some entertainment shows have Macs as product placements. In the case of free placement, Macs are used because the people doing the show like them.

However, the notion that the writers would lend their computers to the set designer to be used as props is absurd. The computer is a tool of the writer's trade. He or she can't stop working while the cinematographer is filming a show. In fact, they have to do rewrites while the show is being filmed.

[macfan881]

also alot of people in the film industry use macs to i know quite a few top shows use Final Cut pro etc like 24 and i belive one if not all 3 of the xmen movies use it as well.

[iMpathetic]

Fox News uses Macs on its working news set. Clearly some entertainment shows have Macs as product placements. In the case of free placement, Macs are used because the people doing the show like them.

However, the notion that the writers would lend their computers to the set designer to be used as props is absurd. The computer is a tool of the writer's trade. He or she can't stop working while the cinematographer is filming a show. In fact, they have to do rewrites while the show is being filmed.

Pardon my possible stupidity, but couldn't they use it for like a minute and a half?

[sweetice2007]

same for likes of nokia and sony with their mobile phones and other gadgets in the bigger movies

[MisterMe]

Pardon my possible stupidity, but couldn't they use it for like a minute and a half?Are you serious? Your "minute and a half" may require multiple takes done over several hours, days, months, or even years. There is the issue of continuity, which means that every prop in a scene should look exactly the same today as it does in a retake two months from today.

[kabunaru]

Relative to Apple's market share, it is unbelievable how often the characters in movies and TV shows use Macs, as opposed to PCs. Does Apple pay lots of money to the studios as part of its advertising budget, or do producers just like Macs?

I guess Apple does pay the studies and in my opinion, in a movie/tv show, using a Mac looks better than a PC. Mac is more elegant than a PC in my opinion. So they use Macs to make show/movie "look better". That's just my opinion... :)

[mattrobs]

It's also used to convey class. The rich guys have the Macs; the guy working in the basement has the Dell.

[ichii]

Have you played MGS4? :D