It's often hard to summon the constant motivation needed to single-handedly build a web app or bootstrap a startup. When I've run out of my personal reserves, what are some movies and TV shows that will recharge them? I'm not talking about media that's just about tech. I'm thinking of movies like The Social Network and (the first) Iron Man, and TV shows like Silicon Valley and Halt & Catch Fire - media that captures the spirit of coding, building or engineering something. Alternatively, sales films that aren't technical but capture the "soft skills" needed to build something to profitability, like persistence and hard work, eg. The Pursuit of Happyness.
Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
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Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#2You might like "Bogowie". On the documentary side: "Something Ventured"
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#3Primer, both for the discovery within the film and the fact they were able to make an aware winning, cult movie for like $70,000.
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#4Hackers (1995)
Not joking, it's a silly and campy movie but it captures the enthusiasm I had as a kid for making computers do things.
Not about coding, but about achieving something through persistence and hard work: Fitzcarraldo (1982)
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#5Interstellar. Halt and Catch Fire.
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#6I know what you mean about The Social Network and Silicon Valley. Not tech specifically, but definitely motivating and inspiring for me are:
Moneyball Margin Call Limitless The Big Short Wolf of Wall Street That Fyre documentary and at Christmas - Trading Places
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#7Pirates of Silicon Valley. One of my favorite movies of all time.
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#8Pretty much any space-related documentaries. Rosetta probe's trajectory alone is one heck of a motivation.
However it's also beneficial to have a dollop of reality on top of Iron Man fantasies. I think that docs like Indie Game and Startup.com must be on the first year CS cirriculum and a required viewing after Social Network. For many, it would help setting expectations a bit more straight.
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#9Certainly Primer and Halt and Catch Fire. At times, Interstellar.
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#10Primer, both for the discovery within the film and the fact they were able to make an aware winning, cult movie for like $70,000.
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