A guy wants to use my car in a movie. Anyone got any info on this sort of thing?

[tractionloss]

So about a month ago a dude at the gas station said he likes my car and would like to use it in a movie. He said he was really looking for a 50 Merc, for a James Dean Style movie, but that he really like the Pumpkin. I gave him some name of a car club around here that had a few Mercs in it. So anyways I sort thought the guy was full of bs and gave him my number anyway. Well, so today I get a voice mail from him and he still wants to use my car in his movie. My question is does anyone here have any sort of experience with this sort of thing? I'm questioning what they will do with my car? if anyone will need to drive it? will I get any money and if so how much? I remeber reading years ago in Hot Rod about so cars borrowed for a movie and then just got beat up. Just trying to find some background on this sorta thing before I call the guy back.

[Vegaman]

Yup, I've heard the same thing from DF about cars getting beat up. I think Rebel (Scott) may have had a similar experience to

[Huskinhano]

Ditto. From what I've heard, it's just a prop not a car. I remember many years ago one of the editors from Hot Rod had a really nice early 30's Dodge running a 340 with up graded suspension but still was using the original wire wheels. The movie people where looking for an early 30's car that looked stock but was fast. His car fit the bill. He got the car back after they rolled it

[JRoberts]

I have had friends whose cars were used in movies, but I never heard much negative about their experiences. A friend in Wilmington had someone ask here to bring her Avanti. She drove to the set on the day that the shoot was to take place. Somebody in charge of props or something apologized and told her that her car was too nice to be used. She was rather disappointed, but she got paid for bringing out her car just the same.

[KeithTurk]

I have a Movie Cycle.... it was used as a prop by Paramount pictures in the movie "officer and a gentleman" and later in a B movie called blue city.... Ultimately it's about the movie not the prop... so if they want it black on a whim... they painted it out back with a spray can... nothing more needed... Done deal....

Bike doesn't have any miles on it though...

K

[1931s/x]

i thought i twas wierd they had an add in the big paper here maybe last year for 60s-70s cars and there drivers that could pass as correct for the period. didnt have to be original, judst no funky new stuff. it was supposed to be for a new men in black. i say let them buy there own cars.

[jays67]

Our 26 chevy was in the movie "the Natural" the only thing they did bad ( was not really bad) was spray the car with water and mist it with really fine dust so it looked like it was driving on a country road. we got paid to show up with the car, it the car moved more then a foot we got I think it was $200 extra for the day. My pops drove it But Robert Redfford road in it with him lol and my mom and a friend were asked to be extras lol was kool all the way around but I could see it going the other way also were it is treated as a prop so?
this was just our take and it was a good one

[ethelkilledfred]

There are many picture car services to rent from so the guy talking to you may be from a budget movie or a middleman and making money off you, be careful. You want to have full coverage insurance on your car and have pics of it before and after the shoot. If you have a despite, you can have your insurance lawyers get involve to settle it. You want to have a written contract that covers how and when you get paid (do you get paid when you show up or do you get paid once it is in front of the camera, and do you get paid even if they do not use you but showed up) and the destruction value of the car and if you get it back if they do damage it. They may want to keep it if they pay you off or offer you less if you want to keep it, but if it's in your written contract, there is no negotiating it after the fact. You want to include the value of the car and loss rental (usually three times the value of the car) By having this cause it makes them think twice if they get a director who thinks your car would look good going up in flames as it goes over a cliff into the ocean. And just because they rent it for filming does not mean it will be used, and even if it is used there is no guarantee it will be in the final cut of the movie, that is up to the director, and nobody tells him how to film a movie and why you get a pay check for your troubles. There are plenty of horror stories from studio car rentals from small as well as large film companies. The lights they use are very hot and can bubble, blister or burn the paint if it is too close. There can be explosions near by and it can put little burn marks in the finish and they will tell you it will buff out. Interiors can get burn from an actor or stuntman who smokes. You may think just cause you are with your car it will be safe. They get a water truck to wet the cars down to have a post rain scene, but they fail to tell the owners of the car and your window is down and your interior gets fully soaked and nothing works afterwards, radio, ignition, door locks. They tell you it will be fine when it drys and they don't use your car cause of the mishap. Hope this helps, good luck.

Hollywood saying "If you love it don't rent it" at 3.25 of video

Here some picture cars I got a chance to take pics of, you may recognize them-

[Scott Liggett]

There are some questions you need to ask this guy before saying yes.

1. Is the car just set dressing, or does he intend to have it drive around during the shooting? (I've done both several times.)

2. Will it be in scenes where there is stunt driving? (Very scary cause things go wrong.)

3. Do they intend to have actors drive your car?

4. What guarantees do you have against damage?

5. Is there security on set to watch over your vehicle while it's not being used. ( My Caprice was broken into in the parking lot on Running With Scissors because they pulled the security to watch over the make up/hair trailers. I was under SAG protection and sent them after Sony Pictures because the Production Manager told me to piss off. It took six months to collect, but I collected.)

6. Make sure all their promises are in writing, or leave.


You can see my cars in the TV show Jericho, the movie Trigger Effect, Running With Scissors, and a few others.


Freiburger's Super Bee was wrecked shooting an after school special with Scott Baio back in the '80's. His dad was one of the producers. The stunt driver crashed into it.

[tractionloss]

Thanks for all the input guys. I called the guy back today, and set up for him to take some pics and video of it tomarrow evening. He said he has to show the director and see if it fits what he wants to use. He will also tell me more about it's use in the movie and answer all the questions I have about it. This sort of thing is way out of my element here, so thanks for all the help. I post up what happens after tomarrows meeting.

[tractionloss]

Well Im still waiting to hear back from the guy after the pics and video. As it might play out the movie would be filmed at different spots along the way from Texas to Las Angels. So instead of them using a trailer and unloading it for each spot and having someone there to fix it if it stops running. I may just end up driving it to LA and have it filmed olong the way. Which probably won't happen because that would mean a month off work. If it did happen I would get paid to drive my car and the car would get paid for being used in the movie. The guy had to do research on how to insure it and all that stuff. I haven't heard back so far, so it may not happen. I'll just have to wait and find out.