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Filming people in a car

This task is closed
Created atMay 20, 2010
Created by(null)
ClosedDecember 26, 2010
Shots given8
WreckupationsDirector, Lighting, Cinemato- and photographer, VFX / SFX Artist

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Martin Keller II Car mount
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Martin Lejeune Poor Man's Process
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Fabienne Gschwind simple construction
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Sami Laulajainen DIY car mount
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Thierry Gschwind Several ways
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Angela R. Drive circles in a parking place at n...
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Michael Wilson DSLR + Suction Cap
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Closing Note

Thanks very much for all the suggestions and proposals, I think I know how we'll do this now.

Description

There's a brief scene where we see characters in a car on both the front seats and back seats. Ideally we'd like to film them while the car is moving.

Is there any cheap and reliable method for doing this?

(I was chatting to someone who had actually filmed inside a car like this a long time ago. They had a cameraman lying on the bonnet of the car while it was moving! We don't really dare do that! ;) )

This isn't absolutely essential to the plot, and it's only a brief scene, but it would be nice to know whether it's possible as the scene might be quite funny.


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No-user-picture-set
Michael Wilson August 05, 2010 01:35 1 Thumb-up
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DSLR + Suction Cap

If you get a wide angle lens on your DLSR and one of these: http://www.photowarehouse.co.nz/cullmann-50013-suction-pod/

You could shoot while you drive.

I would recommend doing ADR of course.

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(null) August 10, 2010 22:48 Flag

Thanks for that Michael. We will definitely use a wide angle, but at the moment we will probably film inside the vehicle to avoid legal complications.

And no, we probably won't be recording sound inside the car, there's no dialogue in the scene anyway.

Angela R. August 07, 2010 23:16 Flag

*nods and notes down* 8)

Sami Laulajainen August 05, 2010 14:22 2 Thumb-ups
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DIY car mount

Take three of those:

two of those

A manfrotto tripod,

and a wide angle lens

Ive been able to mount my camera to many locations. Ofcourse DIY means pretty much disconnecting your insurance, so be carefull out there.

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(null) August 10, 2010 22:44 Flag

Thanks Sami!

I'm still a bit nervous about the legal aspects of attaching things to cars, it would be on someone else's vehicle and we wouldn't want them to get into trouble.

I think we will try to film inside the car if at all possible.

Angela R. August 07, 2010 23:13 Flag

Thanks for the tips!

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Fabienne Gschwind May 24, 2010 14:17 2 Thumb-ups
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simple construction

I'm not sure if this will work with a big camera or a camera without wideangle, but I would do it like this:

-Fixing the camera directly on the cockpit as close as possible to the windshield (for example with modeling clay) turning the display this way that you can see it...

-asking all people to drive back with their seat to have a max distance as possible to the camera

-driving in a "luxus-quarter" or so where there are no too other cars

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Kalle Max Hofmann June 10, 2010 22:54 Flag

Also I think the choice of car could work for you. There are some "mini-vans" today that really have A LOT of space between steering wheel and windshield... I don't really know which one has the "deepest" dashboard, but something along the lines of the current Renault Espace shoud give you enough space to comfortably place one or even several little camcorders inside the car...

(null) May 25, 2010 03:39 Flag

Actually, thinking a bit more, I think it might be possible we could split the scene up so everyone is shown in separate shots. That would be a lot easier to film than everyone at once.

We can try to do the wide shot, and if it doesn't work then we'll try splitting it up.

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Angela R. May 21, 2010 13:54 Production Leader 1 Thumb-up
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Drive circles in a parking place at night...

Or a slalom, or a randomly agreed-upon sequence of turns for it not to look like driving in circles.

And then use one of those sport camera's which come with stabilizers and support and appropriate fastening devices able to hold up to a speed of 200kph.

I know someone who owns one... and depending when we need it, and for how long, I could ask to borrow...

Only thing I have to wonder about is, whether the supports would allow the camera to be fastened in a way that it would point towards the car. Since they are usually meant to film the road, instead.

Will check!

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(null) May 21, 2010 13:57 Flag

I'm tending towards having the camera inside the car, from what Thierry says it sounds like a much better option.

If that was the case, we could just film while they're driving on a normal road.

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Martin Lejeune May 21, 2010 13:29 2 Thumb-ups
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Poor Man's Process

Well someone has to mention this so it might as well be me. Please note: It is neither as budget friendly or as sexist as the name suggests.

What the studios would do is wheel a car into the studio and film it against a black curtain with some production assistant rocking the car and swinging some lights over the windscreen.

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(null) May 21, 2010 13:31 Flag

Erm... wouldn't it be cheaper to just film the car actually driving? :/

Seems a bit pointless, makes me wonder if a lot of studio techniques are there to just get employment for studio workers.

Maybe it dates from the time when cameras weren't portable enough to use in/on cars?

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Martin Keller II May 20, 2010 08:29 2 Thumb-ups
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Car mount

I used to mount camera on the front hood with some glass suction cup. You must place there a pipe to mount the camera hoder (i had one from my old tripod).

You can almost remove the windshield reflection by using a polarizing filter and add some LED (it's the best solution, case LED lights are thin) ligts on dashbord and make it targeting to the actor's face.

Sorry for my english, hope you understand what I wanted to say.

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(null) May 21, 2010 10:35 Flag

Yes Martin, I think the audience doesn't want to see dried up insects and bird poo in front of their film. :)

Martin Keller II May 21, 2010 08:11 Flag

And it's important to clean the windshield properly. :-D

(null) May 20, 2010 11:18 Flag

Yeah, would definitely use paper with lighting, that's something a lot of people do on indie films.

Martin Keller II May 20, 2010 11:15 Flag

At night you will not have reflaction problem. That is caused by sun or light relecting on the windshield. But yes in the night it can help to take a good footage.

But I forgot to mention a difuser. If you pointing light on some shot, you must cover it with frosty paper. Elsevere you get a nasty lights in the footage.

(null) May 20, 2010 10:46 Flag

Don't worry about the english, I understand you fine! :)

If the scene was filmed at night, with lighting inside the car, would that remove the reflection problem too?

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Thierry Gschwind May 20, 2010 07:25 1 Thumb-up
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Several ways

1. The car is put on a trailer and tow around, while the camera is on the tow vehicle.

2. The car is in front of green screen, the passing landscape is done later. Earlier it was done with a rear projection.

3. The camera is mounted on the car itself, and operated remotely.

4. A car drives in parallel, needs an enpty place.

In any case the reflection on the wind shield, might create problem. That's why it 's often removed. Also you could use a cabrio so you don't have windows in the way, might it might difficult to get the sound right. Might need redubbing later.

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(null) May 21, 2010 00:07 Flag

Thanks for that, Thierry.

Hmm... sounds like the in-car option might be best, if we can get a camera and lens that gets a wide enough angle.

Thierry Gschwind May 20, 2010 12:24 Flag

A friend of mine has such a device which you can mount on the hood.

We did a test last year with it, while driving some roads in Norway. The problem in the configuration we used it it vibrate a lot, creating a really shaky picture. The film could only be used because we speeded it up to get a time lapse.
The vibrartion could be removed by using a gyro head.

I would say that green screen is the easiest. Or one of the person in car holds the camera, with a wide angle, everybody could be seen.

(null) May 20, 2010 10:45 Flag

There wouldn't be any dialogue in the scene so sound could definitely be added later.

Would it be possible to film this at night, with the inside of the car slightly lit up?

Mounting it on the car itself sounds like the simplest and cheapest option, would it be difficult?

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(null) May 20, 2010 12:01 Production Leader 0 Thumb-ups
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Instructables car mount

Perhaps this might work on the outside too, if it was taped to the bonnet or something?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Car-Dash-Camera-Mount/

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(null) May 20, 2010 16:45 Flag

I would definitely like to use a good SLR if possible, they seem to produce fantastic picture quality. But good SLR + good lens = lots of money... will have to see if we can borrow or hire one.

Thierry Gschwind May 20, 2010 16:36 Flag

That depends on the camera...maybe you can sue an SLR which can film and real wide angle lens.

(null) May 20, 2010 12:37 Flag

If this was mounted inside, right next to the window, would it be able to get a wide enough angle to see the characters in front and at the back?

I don't have a car myself, so I can't try it out.

Thierry Gschwind May 20, 2010 12:26 Flag

I would not try it, it will fall of after a few meter. Also there are rules how such system with sunction cups has to be designed when used on a car, so it doesn't become a danger for the other traffic.