Is their anything I can do about this plot hole?

No key code for a safe or even an ATM makes dial tone noises to broadcast what key is being entered.

For exactly the reason you stated, someone can just listen and learn the code. All you would have to do is stand behind someone at an ATM and you would have their PIN.

Also the safe code doesn't need to be his phone # in order for it to call his phone #.
It could just simply send him a text or something every time the safe is opened, regardless of combination.

Okay thanks. I did research on safes to buy could not find any safe makers that send out texts or calls. So I thought the villain would have to make his own custom one to call him. The safe is in a private place though so normally he wouldn't have to worry about someone else hearing it.

If you can buy safes that already send out text and calls though, is their any ways for the MC to break into the safe then since he is not a safecracker? How could he figure it out the combination?

harmonica44 said:

Okay thanks. I did research on safes to buy could not find any safe makers that send out texts or calls. So I thought the villain would have to make his own custom one to call him. The safe is in a private place though so normally he wouldn't have to worry about someone else hearing it.

If you can buy safes that already send out text and calls though, is their any ways for the MC to break into the safe then since he is not a safecracker? How could he figure it out the combination?

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It doesn't take much work to modify a safe. You can use a piezoelectric sensor to detect when it's swung open, then hook that up to a computer/cell phone that will send him a text.

You don't have to make an entirely new safe to add a small modification.
Hell there is probably just a regular cell phone app that will detect changes in motion to the camera and then send a text, and you could just place that thing inside of a safe.

One way to figure out a combination is to spy on him from a distance, or to use a hidden camera. If it's a number pad you can dust for fingerprints afterward and find out what keys are used most frequently. Just spit balling ideas there I am no safe cracker either.

Maybe the guy is a bit of a goof and he says the numbers out loud as he enters them

Okay thanks. I can use the sensor swing open thing to call the bad guys phone.

As for dusting for prints goes, I don't think that would work since he doesn't no what order the buttons would be pressed in, unless he just keeps going at it for trial and error?

Here's another way you could have the character figure out the combination of the safe: In the first Splinter Cell video game you can see which buttons someone has pressed on a keypad by using Sam's thermal vision to see the heat signature on the buttons. The more pronounced the signature, the warmer the key, and the warmer the key is the more recently it's been pressed.

Hmm... I could do that but would an average joe everyman citizen have a thermal vision scanner on hand and with him at the time?

Maybe he has an army buddy who he can this gear for him to use.

Okay thanks. But what I mean is, is it natural for him to think so far ahead that he would have that gear on him soon enough so that he can use it before the fingerprint heat goes away? How long would he have?

PhantomScreenwriter said:

Here's another way you could have the character figure out the combination of the safe: In the first Splinter Cell video game you can see which buttons someone has pressed on a keypad by using Sam's thermal vision to see the heat signature on the buttons. The more pronounced the signature, the warmer the key, and the warmer the key is the more recently it's been pressed.

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Seems a little bit far fetched to me, but it's a movie so maybe you can get away with it if you do it immediately after it's been entered.

You don't need fancy thermal vision though, a simple laser thermometer would do the trick. Just point it at each key and get the temperature.

Okay thanks. So you don't think the audience would find it too convenient if the MC had one is his car then?

harmonica44 said:

So you don't think the audience would find it too convenient if the MC had one is his car then?

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Yes, you're right, that would be a bit too convenient. I'd stick with your original idea because everyone has a magic parabolic mic in their car!

G

He has a reason for having a parabolic mic with him because he was spying on the villain's conversations prior to this. There was already motivation for that.

harmonica44 said:

He has a reason for having a parabolic mic with him because he was spying on the villain's conversations prior to this.

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What, a magic parabolic mic which can pick up DTMF tones through walls/windows which safes don't even make?

G

Okay thanks. But movies use fake technology to tell stories all the time. That is, is they over-embellish or exaggerate.

Especially in serious thrillers, Hollywood makes things up. Why is it so hard to believe this when you have other thrillers out that that make things up with technology?

Could be what comes before this scene or after this scene that doesn't sit right. Has the MC overheard in a prior conversation that the villain's going to open his safe? How would he know that it's a safe and not a phone given DTMF sounds? Since he's been tracking the bad guy, he must realize it's his phone number when he works it out. Or would he think somebody is dialing this guy? I'm not convinced that a clever crook would use his phone number as a combination. That bad password protection. If you have safe technology that calls, just opening the safe could trigger that. As it is, even when he opens his own safe a call would be generated. So what happens next after this scene? I mean, if the safe is that important, I'd have surveillance video and other safeguards. Ignoring the technical points others have raised, I'd have it hidden. How does the MC know where to find it? It would be kind of dumb to be able to see the safe through an open window. Knowing a combination is one thing. Being able to find and open it without immediate consequences is another. So maybe it's not the issue of the parabolic 'magic' mic X-special equipment but the non-tracking of the events that precede or follow the scene makes it off. When things feel off, it usually involves the dynamics of the characters/scenes and not the props.

FantasySciFi said:

Could be what comes before this scene or after this scene that doesn't sit right. Has the MC overheard in a prior conversation that the villain's going to open his safe? How would he know that it's a safe and not a phone given DTMF sounds? Since he's been tracking the bad guy, he must realize it's his phone number when he works it out. Or would he think somebody is dialing this guy? I'm not convinced that a clever crook would use his phone number as a combination. That bad password protection. If you have safe technology that calls, just opening the safe could trigger that. As it is, even when he opens his own safe a call would be generated. So what happens next after this scene? I mean, if the safe is that important, I'd have surveillance video and other safeguards. Ignoring the technical points others have raised, I'd have it hidden. How does the MC know where to find it? It would be kind of dumb to be able to see the safe through an open window. Knowing a combination is one thing. Being able to find and open it without immediate consequences is another. So maybe it's not the issue of the parabolic 'magic' mic X-special equipment but the non-tracking of the events that precede or follow the scene makes it off. When things feel off, it usually involves the dynamics of the characters/scenes and not the props.

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Okay thanks. Basically when the MC records the touchtone sounds, he thinks that the villain has dialed a phone. Later he deciphers the button sounds, to figure out which tone is which button and writes out the number. Later on, he goes back to the location and breaks in to see what the villain was doing there. He sees the safe with the keypad, and realizes that he recorded the villain opening the safe. So he pulls out the piece of paper with the combination on it, and realizes he has it. This is how he figures out it was safe, that was being dialed, but the touch tone keypad, is an old phone one, that has been built in, by the villain.

I don't know if the villain should have video surveillance in that place because he wouldn't want to have himself recorded on video, thus giving away that he has safe there, in case the police were to get the hands on the video. But the safe is not visible through an open window or anything. The MC has to break into the place to find it first and then figure out it was safe, that was being dialed and he has the combo now.

Does this make sense? I want him to then open the safe, but the villain is called and alerted that his safe is open. I can write it so that it's a realistic safe, that would call him regardless of the combo being his number. But then the MC would have to figure out another way of opening the safe, which would be much more complicated and he is no expert safe cracker. I could have him break in, find the safe, but then wait a few days as he finds a safecracker to hire, but that's just extra unnecessary scenes, that complicates the plot in my opinion.

Do I have to write it that way, or another way for him to figure it out? Or can I just make this part up, abut the villain hooking up an old phone keypad and the audience may still suspend disbelief maybe?

Being a screenwriter can be tough. You are not only writing the story but you have to step back imagine watching the story. This villain has taken such great pains so why leave a safe in plain view and unmonitored? If the info was incriminating, you'd keep it really close to you. If the MC only can hear what's going on inside, there is nothing to make him think the room is more than it seems. The guy could have been texting a gang member saying everything was clear. But as I said before what precedes and follows this? Both the MC and villain are on the police radar. I'm not saying this will or won't work. I am simply suggesting that the comments by your readers of it feeling 'off' are likely due to the dynamics of what comes before or after this scene. I don't think getting the DTMF tones or using a phone call are necessarily beyond the suspension of belief. A clever criminal suddenly doing something incredibly dumb or a MC getting a spur of the moment brilliant insight, however, often raise an eyebrow and suggest "... then a miracle occurred". You only get to use one well placed miracle in a secular script.

Focus it so that three things happen. One, the villain's not stupid. Two, the MC is in peril which raises the suspense level but he also gains knowledge. And three, you should write it so the audience is learning about it at the same time as the MC. If they see the villain accessing the safe with his code, they are already in on the secret. Keep what goes on in the room a complete secret until the MC goes to investigate and has to piece it together.

FantasySciFi said:

Being a screenwriter can be tough. You are not only writing the story but you have to step back imagine watching the story. This villain has taken such great pains so why leave a safe in plain view and unmonitored? If the info was incriminating, you'd keep it really close to you. If the MC only can hear what's going on inside, there is nothing to make him think the room is more than it seems. The guy could have been texting a gang member saying everything was clear. But as I said before what precedes and follows this? Both the MC and villain are on the police radar. I'm not saying this will or won't work. I am simply suggesting that the comments by your readers of it feeling 'off' are likely due to the dynamics of what comes before or after this scene. I don't think getting the DTMF tones or using a phone call are necessarily beyond the suspension of belief. A clever criminal suddenly doing something incredibly dumb or a MC getting a spur of the moment brilliant insight, however, often raise an eyebrow and suggest "... then a miracle occurred". You only get to use one well placed miracle in a secular script.

Focus it so that three things happen. One, the villain's not stupid. Two, the MC is in peril which raises the suspense level but he also gains knowledge. And three, you should write it so the audience is learning about it at the same time as the MC. If they see the villain accessing the safe with his code, they are already in on the secret. Keep what goes on in the room a complete secret until the MC goes to investigate and has to piece it together.

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Okay thanks. But the safe is not in plain view. The MC actually had to break into a residence and look for it. Before, when he was following the villain, he aims the parabolic mic at the residence and can hear him through a window. But he cannot see the safe at all, and it's not in plain view.

The reason why the MC breaks in to the place originally, after the villain leaves, is because he wants to find evidence on the crook and since the crook rents the place for storage, he feels there may be something here, he can use as a lead or a clue. He is grasping at straws at this point though, so he breaks in hoping to find something, anything that will give him a lead on the criminal activities.

Then he finds the safe, and sees the keypad and thinks back to recording the villain dialing a number, since he saw the villain go in the safe's direction through the window. He then thinks to himself "Hey, maybe the villain didn't dial a phone number before, maybe he dialed the safe's keypad and that was his reason for coming there". He then decides to try out his hunch by punching in the number he deciphered from the recording, and the safe opens and it works.

I don't really see it as a "miracle". It's more like he got an idea of what the villain was doing, tried it out to see if he was correct, and it turns out he was. It's not a miracle but just a person using his brain and thinking of all the what ifs. Or maybe I wrong and it is a miracle? But all he did was see a keypad and think back to the recording he heard, really

I asked other people on their thoughts of the crook leaving the safe monitored. They said that that part makes sense because the crook would not want video evidence the police could use of him pulling incriminating evidence out of his own safe. So readers said they bought that part. And yes the reader does not know the secret the villain was going to safe earlier, because the whole thing is told from the MC's point of view, and they find out the same time as the MC.

But in this case, something still feels off with the readers. The scenes that come before is that he MC is tailing the villain and monitoring him because he wants to get proof of the villain's criminal activities. So he follows the villain there, then decides to break in later to see what he can find, after the villain leaves. The scene that comes after, is that the villain gets the call from his safe, that the correct number has been dialed in so he goes to intercept and attempt to stop the MC from taking any evidence out. Do the before or after scenes sound like they are the problem?