Getting Shots in a Moving Car on an Indie Budget
Finding Ways to Shoot Your Driving Scenes Cheaply and Easily
Jun 9, 2009
Shooting scenes inside a moving vehicle are a staple of 'big budget' movies. Often such scenes are accomplished by simply strapping the car on the back of a specially rigged flatbed truck so that the crew can place cameras in and around the car, and so that the actor in the driver's seat doesn't actually have to concentrate on driving while also delivering dialog. While renting a truck may be outside the budget of most indie filmmakers, it is possible to get such shots and scenes using off-the-shelf equipment and low-budget movie-making techniques.
What isn't available in high-end equipment and flatbed trucks can often be made up for with proper planning and storyboarding. Here are three methods of getting the shot, and adding production value to your shoot at the same time.
Inside the Car
The most obvious solution is to actually put the camera inside the car. This method is best when you are able to drive down a section of road repeatedly, or where the view outside the car is uniform enough that it will match in post-production. The reason for this is that it might take several passes in order to catch all the different angles you are looking for.
The key is to match the perspective of the different passengers in the vehicle. This can mean swapping the passenger for the camera operator when the driver is talking to the passenger, or placing the camera in the back seat to get a simulated over-the-shoulder shot for characters in the front seat. In the cramped space of a car, you will find that a smaller camera will actually be a benefit; however it may still be necessary for the camera operator, or an actor to be a bit of a contortionist in order to get the shots you are looking for!
On The Hood
Although it may require 'nerves of steel' to do, it is actually relatively straightforward to strap a camera to the hood of a car. The shot will require the use of a small sandbag and tie-down straps such as these, which can be found at any home and garden store. Simply place the sandbag on the hood, the camera on the sandbag, pointed through the windshield at the car's occupants, and strap it down by hooking the tie-downs across the hood from wheel-well to wheel-well. Using small pieces of cardboard under the straps where they come in contact with the car's hood will prevent the strap from rubbing on the car and can prevent damage to the car's paint job.
A few words of caution:
- This method is best used at slower speeds, less because the wind may rip the camera off the hood of the car (although it can if you're driving at high-speed), but more because the wind can cause a smaller camera to shake, ruining a shot.
- A shot of a car turning from this position can be disorienting to an audience, so it is best employed when driving straight, unless disorienting the audience is your goal!
- Turns add centrifugal force to the mix, so be sure your camera is strapped down well enough to not shift, or fly off(!) if you plan on turning during your shot.
- Remove anything (such as lens hoods) that may fly off during your shot.
- You will need to plan on overdubbing dialog later, or use wireless microphones inside the car if you want to capture audio as the actors drive.
Outside the Car
It is easy and inexpensive to build a rig, such as those that can be found in Killer Camera Rigs that You Can Build to allow you to put your camera out the window of a second chase vehicle. The advantage of being able to hang your camera out the window is that you can bring your camera lower to the ground, crane it up to shoot above the car, or alter the speed of the chase vehicle to pan over the car being filmed. Obviously with such shots, the cautions outlined above apply as well.
It goes without saying that safety must come first with these specialized shots. Never attempt to film and drive at the same time, keep your speeds reasonable, and do not shoot on busy roads where you don't have complete control over every vehicle! Plan extra time for such shots, and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. While you've got your expensive video camera hanging out the window of your chase car driving 30 miles-per-hour is not the time you want to discover that you've got a problem with your rig.
