Screen Used Prop Laptops & Deleted Files

I have a question for the technophiles out there:

When movies and television productions get rid of the computers (laptops/desktops/etc) they use as props, such as via an auction or charity donation, it seems that they usually delete files associated with the show from said device.

However, how well do they delete those files?

For example, if I were to obtain a functioning prop computer, how easy or difficult would it be to retrieve any files that were made for the production but deleted afterwards?

I'd assume this would be a case by case basis, but I am curious what the consensus is on this...

Do you mean video Playback. Like if a computer shows a map thats part of the story telling. If that is the case, most of the playback would be off a computer off screen so it can be controlled or it added in post. If the file is on a computer, and was deleted you can get software that can get deleted files if it was a quick delete.

Thanks Joe, that's what I was thinking of too. In the event that the file was on a computer, I guess my main concern was whether studios generally cleaned it up by simply deleting it (or deleting the account), or entirely formatting the computer, or destroying the hard drive entirely.

The reason I ask is because I will soon be in possession of a screen used computer, and thought it would be cool to restore it to as close a state to it was during production as possible.

I think JoeRalat is correct. I believe that most of the time the computers you see are more than likely empty shells, and everything you see on screen was from another 'master' computer, or added in post production with green screens or something digitally. Kinda Like when Trek (mostly) used back lit painted/printed cells.

I scrubbed a 16 gig USB stick with the maximum security delete & reformat settings – it took hours.

My bet is that they just delete the stuff as quick as they can.

Probably ain't going to be cheap to recover the data, however. Even if anything is recovered, it may or may not be useful to you. Like buying an abandoned storage unit at auction.

Do you know it has a hard drive in it?

I do wish you good luck, though.

Nah, recovering the data is easy, there's lots of tools that do it... But every time I gotten something like this that was actually used on screen, they didn't even bother to delete the files... I've received iPhones with photos from the set on them, even the call logs intact (never tried to call the numbers tho... )
Camcorders with multiple takes of scenes on them (even some with nudity), audio recorders with the actors voice on it, and computer devices with video files on them that are just mock-ups of the interface used on screen...

If they actually used the computer on screen, it'll likely just have whatever was used still on it.

I have another laptop that was used as a burned up laptop on screen. They bought a brand new computer and just set it on fire... I was actually able to boot it up with an external monitor and it displayed the Dell 'welcome to your new computer' screen... I don't think they ever turned that one on...

But if they did delete stuff, you'd be able to undelete it most likely... If it's something you really care about, remove the hard drive and clone before you even turn on the computer... Everytime you turn it on you risk over-writing any deleted files...

9 times out of ten anything off the shelf technology wise is part of product placement. Ive seen smartphones and tablets go from production to production, same with computers and laptops. At the end of the day, maybe, maybe not items get deleted. I have seen instances where hard drives are pulled or smart phones destroyed. It varies from project to project.

Yeah, I'm sure a lot of them go through that... But I think he's talking about one that are actually sold off immediately after the fact. I bought several 'cameras' from a production that were iPod touches stuck in cases to look like larger cameras. They weren't 'iPods' in the movie, just cameras. They still had all the photos the actors took during the scenes on them.

The Dell computer wasn't a 'Dell' in the movie, just a laptop...

The futuristic devices on Stargate made from tablets had videos on them still that simulate the futuristic look they had in the show...

It just depends on how it's used, and what the production does with them afterward. If they just box them up from the set and then they get sold, they are probably untouched...

Rik1138 said:

Nah, recovering the data is easy, there's lots of tools that do it... But every time I gotten something like this that was actually used on screen, they didn't even bother to delete the files... I've received iPhones with photos from the set on them, even the call logs intact (never tried to call the numbers tho... )
Camcorders with multiple takes of scenes on them (even some with nudity), audio recorders with the actors voice on it, and computer devices with video files on them that are just mock-ups of the interface used on screen...

If they actually used the computer on screen, it'll likely just have whatever was used still on it.

I have another laptop that was used as a burned up laptop on screen. They bought a brand new computer and just set it on fire... I was actually able to boot it up with an external monitor and it displayed the Dell 'welcome to your new computer' screen... I don't think they ever turned that one on...

But if they did delete stuff, you'd be able to undelete it most likely... If it's something you really care about, remove the hard drive and clone before you even turn on the computer... Everytime you turn it on you risk over-writing any deleted files...

Click to expand...

You should share some of this stuff, be interesting to see! (obviously not the private info and such...)

Thank you all for the replies! I made the mistake of installing a recovery program on the laptop before reading some of the responses, but have since boxed the laptop until I get a spare hard drive to make a backup with. Looking through the recovery files though, it looks like the laptop was at least used during the time of filming, though I haven't had a chance to recover anything yet. It could be anything from just being powered on for a shot though, to being used by the crew to check emails...

For some background, the laptop was obtained directly after the production wrapped. It is a screen-used stunt laptop (which most likely minimizes chances that I'll find anything worth finding), and isn't anything fancy or futuristic, as the production is set in modern day. If it did have anything displayed on screen though, it would most likely just be a word document or web page, so I'd imagine it would be nothing that would need a master computer for.

Ah well, I'll try to update if I find anything on it...

These days, the feeling is that the most efficient way to shoot monitors/laptop screens is by inserting a green card into the screen and doing it as a burn-in in post.

In the 90's, I worked for VIFX, who did a considerable amount of on set playback. Those sonar monitors in HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER and CRIMSON TIDE? That was our work. Most of that stuff was run off of tape decks and switchers on set from video village.

For one show - I think it was the Travolta/Cage film FACE-OFF - we created a special laptop with a FBI logo splash screen that came on when you opened it up. There was also a mugshot program, scanning through various crew people and VIFX employees. Well, one night, we had a theft. The guy backed his truck up to the loading dock, conned our idiot of a rented security guard (who may have been in on it for all I know), and stole a couple of laptops, including the FBI special. Imagine what went through his mind when he got it back to his place and opened it up. (There was no sign on our building, and the office looked like .....well, an office.) Two days later, we get a call from the cops. The laptop wound up at a pawnshop and when they powered it up - well, you get the picture. We all got a good chuckle out of that.......

Gene

Oh man, you just became my RPF hero!

Face/Off is my all-time favorite action movie, and one I measure all others by...