How Hard Can Automotive Filmmaking Be?

"Blake Noble" (no-bull) 03/30/2014 at 10:00 • Filed to: None

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Before the BBC began broadcasting casually racist automotive pornography to millions of television sets and laptop screens across the world, automotive videojournalism was about as sterile as an old plow mule. The host was vividly tepid and the film work displayed the same level of creativity as an act of Congress.

Thanks to Top Gear , those days are virtually over and a new standard has been set to a profound effect. If you plan on presenting, a booming baritone voice and keeping what's left of your hair well-kept isn't going to cut it with viewers if you aren't going to make a single witty off-color remark about someone's sainted mother. Equally as important, if you plan on working the camera, you had better have a knack for making even something as abhorring as a Lada Riva with plastic wheel covers melt viewers' eyeballs within the confines of their sockets.

Well-funded names in automotive videojournalism such as Fifth Gear , XCar, The Smoking Tire, and Drive all take some degree of influence from Top Gear, either in the way they present their films or how they approach making a film itself, if not both. However, it isn't just the big players who owe a portion of their soul to the Beeb's highly acclaimed motoring program. Smaller fish who are confined to swimming in the seas of white noise on YouTube also try to ape Top Gear's particular flavor, occasionally and impressively managing to come within very loud shouting distance on an atom-sized budget.

But never mind whatever cutesy prose they manage to vomit on screen all over the front of their white v-neck t-shirts, I've always found it very intriguing that these proletariat YouTubers can shoot good looking films without the use of a camera that costs more than a small hatchback. So I did a little research and discovered that most low-rent car-centric videos use budget to mid-range DSLR cameras, such as the Canon T3i, a few different lenses and a tripod, and a computer with basic movie editing software.

I personally own a T3i, a few lenses and a cheap tripod, and a Mac with iMovie. And for me, that was incentive enough to take a crack at it. After all, if some teenaged kid in a Smurf costume can do it, how hard can it actually be?

Now, I'll openly admit to you that I'm not a filmmaker by any stretch of the imagination. I know just as much about making a film as I do cooking or speaking Latin. Again, I just own a camera with a few lenses and a cheap tripod. Still, at least I had the gear needed to conduct my little experiment, so it wasn't like I was going in completely naked.

Or so I thought. When I began researching how to pan shots, I discovered my tripod wasn't exactly a Swiss army knife. While it was certainly capable of doing traditional 180 degree panning and therefore most of the work, linear panning — which is where the camera sort of stays in a static position as it moves along a track that goes from left to right — was out of the question. To do that, I needed a sliding dolly.

So I decided I would buy one... until I discovered the cheapest one you can order from the internet cost about $175 dollars. That sort of price tag for what is, essentially, a sliding door's track with a quarter-inch bolt through one end of it gave me a bad case of what I like to call cheap-ass-itis, so I decided I would save some dosh and build one instead. After a few hours of deliberate research, I chose to go with a different sort of design I could make for the cost of two Big Macs out of some pipe and Velcro, and three electrical conduit boxes.

With my new dolly built and added to my arsenal of gear, I didn't waste much time and set out to do a little film work. I decided that the urban decay of Detroit would make for an excellent backdrop and the car I wanted to film would be a black Dodge Charger SRT8. Unfortunately, I live hours away from Detroit and Dodge wouldn't return my phone calls for a press car. So an abandoned warehouse in Central Kentucky and my own base model Dodge Charger would have to suffice.

I arrived at the old warehouse at 5 pm, strategically parking my car in a small lot just in front of it. When I stepped out and started unloading my equipment, I was greeted by a brisk wind that wanted to flash freeze my nipples to my shirt. After I had sat everything up, that's when a steady outpouring of traffic started to roll through the area.

That meant that every shot I made had to be done tediously and monotonously over and over again to keep the many passers-by out. It was during this process I discovered my budget-friendly tripod wasn't exactly the most fluidly moving outfit my money could've bought. Much of my footage wound up being either shakier than the CIA's policy on public privacy or, at best, twitchier than Charlie Sheen. On the upside, the cobbled together dolly worked fairly well once I had managed to get the hang of it.

For an about an hour I persevered through the clammy wind, the irritating traffic and my lacking gear, making shot after shot, only pausing once to re-park my car. It was a lot of work, yes. But was it hard work? At the time, I didn't think it was really all that tough. Looking back on it, I'm not entirely sure.

See, here's the rub. Later that night, I sat through the various clips I had made, selecting the best ones to edit in iMovie (no headaches here; it's a straight shooting program). Of out an hour's work, do you want to make a guess how much usable footage I earned? If you guessed a little over a minute, you'd be right.

I suppose an experienced filmmaker would tell me that's just part of the game, though. Regardless, I think the finished product, which you can view below, turned out fairly well for a complete novice. And that makes me eager to see what my next attempt will turn out like.

(Photo credit: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , learn how to make your own slider dolly !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .)

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Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 10:10

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I like your charger and your video was pretty good but keep in mind most top gear episodes are about three days to film and complete challenges but it is an hour show so keep in mind there will be a lot of unusable footage

Jonathan Harper > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 10:23

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YouTube hack checkin in...can confirm filming things will consume all of your time and most people won't appreciate it.

That said, it's fun as hell. Above is my latest for CCC.

Goodspeed23 > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 10:30

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Nice! Level 2 is doing all those really close up shots of light bulbs and door handles, adding rain drops to any and all surfaces of the car, and using either overly dramatic orchestral music or soft, depressing soundscapes.

Additionally, I like those wheels.

AJ bought another motorcycle > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 10:40

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Please learn how to pan a camera properly....

ja9ae > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 11:30

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I plan on having a bash at to see how hard it can be, but currently lack even the least interesting car :)

I used to make some short films and the like many years ago in college, and what you leave on the floor & the time taken in editing is ridiculous. The worst was a festival report, 240 hours > 30 minutes.

This is really where Top Gears budget goes, the famed Veyron feature was claimed to have been 16 weeks in editing/post!

twinturbobmw > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 11:37

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Automotive filmaking seems like something that improves a lot with practice. Also, trust me, a good slider makes all the difference, whether it's home made or not. So does good footage. One thing to remember is that even with a tripod and slider, the video footage can still be shaky. Must people who do this sort of stuff take multiple shots of the same thing just to make sure they have stable and usable footage. Another thing you might consider is an editing software. Doesn't have to be Final Cut Pro or anything fancy, just something that allows you to ajust and time the audio and video. They are much more frustrating to use, but offer way better results. I use Adobe Premiere Elements, which is a great program to use and one of the best for the money.

Here are some of my videos, first off with no slider, absolutely no experience, and iMovie (This is the first video of this style I made), then with a home made slider, Premiere Elements, and some experience.

As you can see, they are still shaky. If you do come out with shaky footage, the Youtube stabilization feature is surprising very good, given your footage isn't too bad. (Both videos currently do not use Youtube stabilization)

One more point is that music is very important. There are many routes you can go with this. The way I go with the "House" genre of music is the most popular on Youtube. Dramatic or the style of rock you chose is a good choice too. But it all depends on the mood and car in question. Shows like Top Gear use a lot of dramatic music since they do heavily edited videos with a bunch of drifting and driving fast. Just know music is much more important than you might think when making a video.

everyonejustcalmdown > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 11:40

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So you you could have made this video with a cell phone and cart or skateboard. And looked a hell of a lot better due to image stabilization. ITs all just slide in shots from different angles. And the music suggests action, but the car is just stitting still.

You could have even taken panoramas and then animated the camera angle across the panorama if all you were going to do were slide shots.

This was like watching a bad power point presentation where the presenter just learned the "animation" feature.

timgray > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 11:41

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Step 1 Ifyou are actually serious at doing something dont use the T3i or any DSLR, use a real video camera. you need to shoot longer than 10 minute clips. DSLR used for video = medicore. If you want Top Gear quality get a interchangeble lens Video camera like the Sony NEXVG30, a blackmagic, or one of the Canon units. Even a old used dirt cheap $1000 Sony VG20 will give you so much more than the DSLR can ever deliver when you get serious about video.

If you are shooting an indie movie where you can stop every 5-10 minutes or just playing around, DSLR is great. And if you are dabbling it's double great.

Lastly, your BEST lens for the buttery awesome shots is a 50mm 1.8 prime lens. really fast prime lenses utterly destroy zoom lenses in quality and cinema look.

TheSmokingTire > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 11:42

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Not bad. Just for reference, our films take about 1.5 hours per 1 minute of finished video to shoot, and 2-3 hours per 1 minute of finished video to edit. Here's a list of our most used gear:

Canon C100

3x Canon 5D Mark 2

About 10 lenses for Canon, including 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 24-105, 70-200, Macro, 17mm superwide, etc.

3x GoPro Hero3 Black

2x Sennheiser Wireless Lavalier

Sennheiser Studio Microphone with 10' XLR cable

10x 6" suction cups

4x 8" suction cups

10x 4" suction cups

14" Suction Cup "beast mount"

Rods, Knuckles, hard mounts, etc, from Filmtools "Cardellini" kits.

3x Sachtler FSB4 Tripods

"Low Hat", Basically a hi-hat mounted on a piece of plywood for very low tripod shots

Homemade 12' Jib

Homemade pickup truck tow hitch mount w/ hi hat

Konova Slider

Arri 3x 800 W Light Kit

Reflectors, Films, memory cards, batteries, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

It never feels like a lot until you either type it all out or have to check it on a plane.

iFlyinHawaiian > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 12:15

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I tried the same thing a few years back. I'm waiting to pick up a t5i and try some more:

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twinturbobmw > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 12:25

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Oh how much I want that C100.

twinturbobmw > twinturbobmw 03/30/2014 at 12:28

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Another

JacksonHB > twinturbobmw 03/30/2014 at 12:28

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I completely agree with the music thing. The camera work is important yes, but the music can really set the tone for the entire video or the section of video that you've shot. Just don't add the same piece of music to everything and you should do just fine.

TheSmokingTire > twinturbobmw 03/30/2014 at 12:41

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We're still trying to figure out the best way to optimize it for our work flow. It replaced the "old reliable" Panasonic HPX170, which was just the greatest camera ever for our purposes. In fact I'd recommend anyone getting started to go out and pick one up used. The C100's images are incredible, but you have to do more with it in post, and working with the files and the audio can be a bit of a bitch. It's a pretty bitchin piece of kit though.

Richard Northwood > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 12:54

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I would highly suggest adding an Atomos Ninja Blade to your work flow with that C100. It'll just make everything easier, including grading later on.

Richard Northwood > timgray 03/30/2014 at 13:04

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This doesn't make any sense if you've ever actually watched Top Gear. At no point do they ever have long continuous shots in their shows, and just as unlikely on their editing floor. Long continuous shots are for interviews and documentaries or journalism. When you are taking the time to professionally storyboard and execute each shot in a sequence, its unlike they'll ever run that long. Especially in this application.

TheSmokingTire > Richard Northwood 03/30/2014 at 13:05

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That looks like a neat bit of hardware there. I'm gonna go check that out.

Richard Northwood > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 13:10

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It is a workflow god send and will work with all your DSLR's as well. Do you film your gopro's in PROres? What do you grade with?

TheSmokingTire > Richard Northwood 03/30/2014 at 13:15

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We've never had to do grading, ever. By shooting our mounted shots with proper filters and stuff (and using 5D's, not GoPros), we always get the saturation we like right in the camera. Our whole crew has a background in photography, so getting the look in the camera, rather than in post, is super important to us. The GoPros are really only to get the shots where a 5D won't fit, like in footwells and gauges, that kind of stuff. The C100 is the first camera we've ever used where grading is required, which annoys the shit out of me, so we're just starting to get into that.

Sky Captain Obvious > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 13:35

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Matt, how do you guys like working with that C100? I've got an FS700 and love it to pieces, but all the broadcast gigs that want a large sensor camera seem to want some type of Cinema EOS camera.

TheSmokingTire > Sky Captain Obvious 03/30/2014 at 14:21

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We've really just started and are still figuring it out. Ask me again in a few months. It lacks the wonderful simplicity of the HPX or 5D, but is much more capable.

Porthos > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 14:23

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Then you have these guys out of Australia that I love.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 15:01

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Now add some dramatic driving shots set up in interesting locations. Then we need an entertaining script with unique insights and some punchy lines presented by a host we enjoy watching and whose opinion is somehow important to us. And, of course, we want at least 20 minutes worth of free video!

What, that's too difficult for you? You suck!

Just kidding! But now all of you can see why I don't understand people when they bitch on Youtube about the content of the channels you mentioned.

Btw. nice effort so far, keep practicing. It's the only way...

Darwin Brandis > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 15:19

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The secret to the Top Gear look is high bitrate recording, a multitude of camera filters, fast lenses, and lots of color/contrast grading. Also, it doesn't hurt to have a $10,000 per day Russian Arm camera car at your disposal.

Also, shooting wide in 4K allows you to stablilize everything in post, so things get alot smoother.

I've got quite a bit of professional camera gear available for sale, if anyone's interested.

Joneez > twinturbobmw 03/30/2014 at 15:44

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Knowing when not to have music is important as well. I've seen way too many videos that were ruined for me by editors not letting the music that machinery makes play.

revarthurbelling > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 15:55

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Small suggestion: I would not park my grey Charger against a background of asphalt and a gray/light blue warehouse. Find some wooded area, or a field or something to bring out the contrast.

Cebu > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 16:15

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Dude, why no polarizer? They're godsends for car shooting- also, colored filters tend to help, even if they do look a bit Instagram.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 16:27

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Nice article :) I've dabbled a tiny bit in doing some video. Nothing more than strapping a GoPro and a Zoom H1 to my car and driving about (prompted by the exhaust falling off and making it sound like a race-car). This is what I ended up with:

In the end, I really want to make something in a similar vein to this:

Basically videos entitled 'C ar Name : One Minute of Pure Sound', using the cars from our fleet (when they're actually on the road).

Once I've actually sorted some of our projects, I should have a Triumph Spitfire 6, an Alfa 156 V6, a Peugeot 106 GTi on ITBs, a Maserati 228 and a Porsche 914/6. By the time I get round to doing it I'll probably have a few more :)

Mildmanneredman > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 16:30

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Wouldn't you just use the EOS STD profile? It looks like the punchy contratst-y look found on the 5D Mk. III and such.

newton > Sky Captain Obvious 03/30/2014 at 16:36

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Oh jeez I'm a Canon fanboy but I'd give a nut for a FS700, mainly because there's no other affordable high speed HD camera around yet. I believe the 700 is also what Neil Carey uses for Chris Harris' videos (not positive though).

TheSmokingTire > Mildmanneredman 03/30/2014 at 16:53

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It really doesn't look the same, it's much flatter. I haven't personally played with it much, you can ask my cameramen about the details of it more.

WRX + WR250 DD > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 17:01

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Good write up... Keep working on the video.

Peter314 > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 17:26

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I've had been doing it the DIY way for years and over the last few months have invested in a pro tripod, slider and camera crane and have found that my quality of my finished footage went up dramatically. Being new to the gear I'm still polishing my technique but its much better than before. When it comes to making professional looking work its all in the details.

Currently the things that I need to improve on are image quality which means buying new cameras (T1i and a Gopro HD1 are what I am using) and editing software. Having the ability to grade footage is huge in post processing if you can't do it beforehand like I was reading Matt was. Also the work flow of editing makes a big difference. I'm on a older PC and using Video Stuido pro X4 and really need to upgrade. I'm currently saving up for a new iMac considering how things are looking for future work and how nice it is to edit on those

When it comes to being able to adjust the functions in the camera like aperture, ISO and shutter speed is very important for getting that particular look we are after. What I've found is that the Rebel series of cameras cannot do this, so I have relied on using older film lenses so that I at least have the ability to adjust the DOF.

Having the time to set up a shot and get it right is huge. Doing the "Run and gun" type of shooting that is the norm of trying to cover car shows and meets since nothing is planned and is very sporadic.

This is the last video I made two weeks ago of a local car club get together ride and drive. Personally I think it can be better and what's holding it back is small details in the moments of the camera that I could have smoothed out and the overall image quality of the footage but that is an expensive thing to correct.

Yuppie Racing - Yummies Cruise 2014

Dunnik > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 17:36

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For a first effort, not bad, not bad at all. I like that lingering low angle shot near the end.

Richard Northwood > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 18:21

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Interesting. I've never thought of grading as something you 'have' to do rather something you'd want to do to get the most from your images. Which is why the absolutely horrifically crippling compression Canon puts on their video files pains me so. My GoPro Hero 3+ Black turns out better and flatter (gradable) footage than my 5D's (unless of course I use my Atomos OR run magic lantern). Its a shame the way Canon cripples their dynamic range, which is of course the most important thing for an image sensor to be good at for video (and photography).

TheSmokingTire > Richard Northwood 03/30/2014 at 18:32

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Yeah, I mean I"m sure the grading would make our shots look better, but with proper time of day, shooting technique, and filters, etc, we really haven't had to do anything. Granted, we make videos for YouTube, so YouTube itself is nearly always the limiting factor, but when we're on such a tight budget and such a tight timeline, it's really not something we do. No one ever complains that our grading is off, so it's never felt like something we should spend the time doing.

Blake Noble > everyonejustcalmdown 03/30/2014 at 18:40

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Sorry, Mr. Spielberg. I guess I didn't speak clearly when I said:

I'm not a filmmaker by any stretch of the imagination.

Blake Noble > AJ bought another motorcycle 03/30/2014 at 18:40

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Yes, Mr. Apatow.

Blake Noble > WRX + WR250 DD 03/30/2014 at 18:42

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Thanks and thanks for the encouragement! The next video I make will be an improvement. :)

Hifrequency > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 18:44

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They need to lose a couple doors.

Richard Northwood > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 18:50

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Sorry if you feel I was criticizing, I wasn't. It adds an awful lot of time to the workflow process, time which is arguably not worth it in your usage model. You don't pump out 6 episode seasons, you pump out online videos. Ones which I happen to enjoy very much, so thank you for that. I remember when I got my suction cup mount I attached it to my hood and went for a spin with the gopro recording PROres and I was enormously pleased with the latitude it gave me and the result after grading. I should post that one day.

To be clear, I only discovered TheSmokingTire about a month ago and I've been a huge fan since. So thank you.

Blake Noble > twinturbobmw 03/30/2014 at 19:02

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Awesome videos!

On improving the fluidity of the shots, I can't help but wonder if adding something like graphite lubricant to the moving parts of my tripod and to the tracks of the slider would help that? When I was trying to pan those shots, it felt like both of them would work very smoothly for a few moments then bind up for a second before freeing up again. I can live with footage being a tad twitchy, but when it's bouncing all over the place, then that's when it gets annoying.

Good suggestion on editing software. Eventually I'll invest in Premiere, but apparently iMovie offers quite a bit to someone trying to learn the ropes. It does, apparently, offer clip stabilization and I think it could've allowed me to take a little more liberty with the timing of each shot and how it synced up with the music I chose.

And speaking of music, I could've certainly put a little more thought into my selection. Excellent advice.

Thanks a bunch for commenting and offering up some usable advice. I really appreciate it. :)

twinturbobmw > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 19:09

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No problem! As far as making the shots smoother I'm not sure what's the best way to do it. All I can say is practice. It doesn't help that DSLRs are heavy too. Also, iMovie is a great software, especially for learning. The stabilization feature also works great.

Blake Noble > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic 03/30/2014 at 19:22

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Thanks! Believe me, I quickly learned that there isn't a massive yield in what you earn for the time that you invest. Still, it's fun as hell to do, so I'm not going to really complain much.

Blake Noble > revarthurbelling 03/30/2014 at 19:56

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Now that's some usable advice. Thank you, sir!

TheSmokingTire > Richard Northwood 03/30/2014 at 19:58

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No worries, I didn't think you were criticizing. For YouTube, we're pro's. For people who are into serious TV/Film production, we do things that they think are crazy (like not grading). But for our budgets and our schedules, it's just not worth the time. We crank out 500-800 minutes of content per year with a total crew of 4, so there's just not time for it.

Blake Noble > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 20:13

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Thanks! More importantly, thanks for taking the time to reply and share a rundown of your gear, good sir!

I'll admit that, when I first read through that list, I didn't notice the quantity counts you'd listed for some reason. I read through it again, and I had to pick my jaw up from the floor. I wouldn't know where to begin with most of it, let alone properly use it.

I hate to ask because I'm positive you get gear questions constantly, but is there anything you absolutely hate about the GoPro Hero? Because that's likely the next piece of camera gear I'll invest in.

Blake Noble > Dunnik 03/30/2014 at 20:15

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Thanks! Are you talking about the shot I made where I used the sliding dolly? That's the shot that I think turned out the best out of all of them. I think it took about four or five takes to get it.

Mildmanneredman > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 20:19

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I'd love to talk with your camera guy. As I am one myself.

TheSmokingTire > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 20:20

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There are a lot of things I don't like about GoPro's. We try to use them as little as possible, mainly only when we need to get a camera somewhere very small that a 5D won't fit. I think they are annoying to use, the standard mounts suck so you need to get ball-head mounts for them, the housings crack all the time, they eat batteries if you don't take the batteries out when they sit, they break on us all the time, the files are a bitch to deal with in Final Cut, and on and on and on.

On the other hand, for a cheap, mountable camera it's probably your best option, it's very versatile and does time lapse stuff, and theres lots of support for it. Pretty much every film crew at any level has at least one.

Dunnik > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 20:25

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Yep, that's the one. I guess your homebrew contraption worked out pretty well.

Blake Noble > Jonathan Harper 03/30/2014 at 20:40

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If I could turn out a film half as good as that, I'd be content. And, at the end of the day, I'm concerned with whatever films I do produce being universally heralded. They're for me. :P

Blake Noble > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 03/30/2014 at 20:41

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Thanks! You should go for it. If there's a point to my post, it's this: you don't have to have access to a world-class film crew to give it a shot and make something interesting.

Robert Angelo > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 21:24

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Blake,
It's great that you are interested in automotive filmmaking. I'll start my comments by saying that it is definitely a lot harder than you'd think. There are a few things that make it easier.

Firstly you have to have a passion for all things cars! In addition have a story or objective with your film. What are you trying to say? Opinions and car tests are like a$$holes. Everyone has them but most of them stink. So figure out how to make something with a different slant than all the dribble out there.

Secondly you have to figure out a way to fund your passion for shooting cars. Either work for one of the bigger car youtube channels, make your own channel or have a rich dad that funds your channel... Nowadays it is a lot easier to start off by making content for the web.

Third you need good gear. Don't buy crappy gear. Save up and get a nice set of sticks (tripod) and lenses. The other stuff will always evolve so don't worry about a camera body so much as a Rebel will work just fine for YouTube.

Lastly learn post processing. Everything from organizing your footage, backing up your footage to creating string outs and rough cuts. Color correction is super important as you want to adjust your footage to match. Color grading is not as important but if you want to have your own look and feel then I would say learn how to grade and have fun with different looks. Once you have a rough cut let someone close to you have a watch and get their opinions.

If you are seriously interested you can always hit me up if you have any questions. I will try to do my best to help you out with anything you might need.

Good luck out there!

Moses Pan > TheSmokingTire 03/30/2014 at 21:30

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Well uh...let me know if you ever want to shoot a video with my Red Scarlet.. Always looking for work. lol

TheSmokingTire > Moses Pan 03/30/2014 at 21:48

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People who have Red cameras usually want to get paid for their work, which unfortunately disqualifies them from working with us. We can barely scrape enough cash together to pay our full time guys.

Jeff Glucker > Jonathan Harper 03/30/2014 at 22:06

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"can confirm filming things will consume all of your time and most people won't appreciate it."

Truth...

Jeff Glucker > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 22:13

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Keep on playing and shooting, it's fun

Matt covered it all already, so take in his advice - I work on a much smaller scale (hence why his videos are much better, haha - his crew kicks ass).

I shoot with a Canon 5D MkII, usually use two different lenses (24-105 and a 70-200) but I have three others I can pull out for certain shots. Almost always have a Polarizer on the lenses as well.

One wireless Sennheiser mic

A Matthews Master Mount for 5D mounted exterior shots, and a GoPro with the dual-cup Fat Gecko mount for all the quick exterior shots and a few interior grabs.

I edit with Premiere CC, and I'm teaching myself how to use it. I learn something with each video.

I'm pretty happy with the way this one turned out:

Just know... there will always be folks out there who hate what you do, it sucks but it's part of putting your stuff out there.

revarthurbelling > Blake Noble 03/30/2014 at 22:20

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Thanks. I'm glad you took it in the spirit it was intended. I was worried I'd come off as a douchenozzle. :)

Blake Noble > Dunnik 03/30/2014 at 23:39

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I'll admit, I wasn't expecting much out of it. I linked the video that tells you how to make it. It doesn't look like much. In fact, it looks like someone ripped it out of the walls of a Russian labor camp. But it works and it was simple and cheap to make.

Blake Noble > Goodspeed23 03/30/2014 at 23:47

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Thanks! That comes ... soon. Not next, but soon. ;)

Thanks, but I'm afraid I have a date with a guy on Wednesday to fix some curb rash two of them picked up at a local Taco Bell drive-thru. That isn't my fault. I squarely blame that on the fact Taco Bell builds their drive-thru lanes just wide enough to accommodate rusty Geo Metro hatchbacks with head-shop bumper stickers plastered to the rear windows.

Blake Noble > revarthurbelling 03/30/2014 at 23:48

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Hey, no sweat. I can tell when someone is being an ass or being helpful and that was seriously good advice.

Blake Noble > TheSmokingTire 03/31/2014 at 00:20

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That's exactly what I needed to know. A big thanks for dishing that up.

I forgot to mention earlier that I didn't expect that it took you and your film crew about the same amount of time it took me to get the same amount of usable footage. I just basically sat aside an hour and expected to get nothing useable.

Of course, what I came home with and what you guys come home with are from two different planets entirely.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Blake Noble 03/31/2014 at 00:33

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Good video and great article. A tip on smooth panning with a homemade slider: use a small bungee, tie it to the camera, and pull with that. It will take all the jerkiness out of the sliding action and make it much more smooth. I'm looking into doing cinematography relatively soon and I'll definitely need this as a primer. Thanks!

TheSmokingTire > Blake Noble 03/31/2014 at 01:45

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Yeah, sometimes it can be much more. Our recent Audi a8 film was 24 hours of filming for 11 hours of finished video. The recent Aston video was over 15 hours of filming at night in 34 degrees for 8 minutes finished video.

Joshua Spong > TheSmokingTire 03/31/2014 at 02:20

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We used go pro to film a lot of stuff to film the last season and for the upcoming season of Whale Wars. I'm a fan of the cost effectiveness and small size, also that the cameras are the leaders in their field by a long shot.

They're still a pain in the ass to use, maintain, etc.

timgray > Richard Northwood 03/31/2014 at 06:25

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What the show looks like and how it is filmed is very different. I strongly suggest you look up how they do TV and Movie production.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Blake Noble 03/31/2014 at 06:54

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I definitely will. I just need something worthy of being filmed. All of our nicest cars are either in pieces or just off the road :S

druckpress > Blake Noble 03/31/2014 at 08:28

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Well i thought that video contained everything that SUCKS about current filming, first and foremost your personal taste in what to my ears is shitty fk'n "music". Then there's the perpetual fading in and out of focus, i would like to knock around the head a good couple of times with a baseball bat the person with the camera to see how they like looking at life that way. Next up, the constant drifting away from the subject to something completely boring in the surroundings, like the camera man just lost interest or drifted off to sleep. Finally that there was nothing creative here just someone who has seen too many recent YouTube video's and decided to copy the latest fads verbatim. This is all about as artful as the shaky cam syndrome and super fast panning/cut shots of recent film making that might seem the opposite but in fact are just more techniques that are replacing the true art of cinema photography which is in serious danger of being lost from what i have seen lately.

xcheck44 > Sky Captain Obvious 03/31/2014 at 09:30

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I shoot with a Sony NEX-VG30, but i'd kill to have an FS700, especially since the Odyssey is out and working well.

Thipps > Blake Noble 03/31/2014 at 09:48

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I would recommend sony's new NEX cameras. they are mirror less DSLR's but ment for video. they are way smaller and for $600 bucks the nex 5 shoots a 60 frames a second! Also I would spend the money on sliders for the dolly shots. they need to be silky smooth and slow to look professional. Nice work.

Thipps > TheSmokingTire 03/31/2014 at 09:54

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have you seen the Sony NEX cameras? I would check them out honestly. I thought that the full body SLR's was they way to go until a friend who does drone footage told me about them. WAY smaller and cheaper and they shoot at 60 fps for $500-$600 bucks. Nice work on the smoking tire

TheSmokingTire > Thipps 03/31/2014 at 11:45

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Maybe there's one that I missed but I just checked them out... no interchangeable lenses so that's a no go.

radleysparkaerial > TheSmokingTire 03/31/2014 at 12:19

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the nex7 definitely does have interchangeable lenses, we fly a variety of them !

Richard Northwood > timgray 03/31/2014 at 13:48

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The show uses Sony PDW-F800's for any long shots they need to do, which is fewer and fewer. The last season of the show utilized both these (attached to crane's in blacked out chase cars/trucks) as well as RED's for Helicopter Cameras, GoPro's shooting in ProRES and from time to time Canon 1DC's. It is likely that this past season will be the last year they use those particular Sony Camera's as they've grown quite dated. The look of the show, as I think you've suggested... is largely created in post. I worked on the new season of Hemlock Grove for Netflix (Red's) and it seems highly unlikely that Top Gear's work flow in anyway mirror's it.

aussiesteve > TheSmokingTire 03/31/2014 at 13:49

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Hey Matt, cheers for your informative post about the gear you use, I always find it interesting to see what people use. In regards to most of the gripes you have with the GoPro I thought you might find this product interesting if you weren't already familiar it. It not only protects the camera, gives extra mounting options as well as filter attachments, it also adds a massive dose of power via a canon battery. Also have you tried Premier, it's pretty good at working with pretty much any footage and also links brilliantly with Speed Grade for when you do have to grade some footage.

http://tehkron.com/

TheSmokingTire > radleysparkaerial 03/31/2014 at 14:00

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Ah, I was looking at the 6. Good tip.

TheSmokingTire > aussiesteve 03/31/2014 at 14:02

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That's an interesting product, I may have to buy one of them to check it out. Seems pretty burly.

As for Premier, I haven't fucked with it yet, but Morningstar and Nino (editor of Big Muscle) both use it. I have a mac pro on order, (right now I'm on a 3-year old MBPro) and when I get the new computer I'm going to switch to premier. Just need a few weeks to train myself on it.

Jeff Glucker > Hifrequency 03/31/2014 at 14:24

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dream.car.

Blake Noble > druckpress 03/31/2014 at 15:51

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Someone needs to fire the intern that didn't get Mr. Tarantino his coffee this morning.

Blake Noble > Jeff Glucker 03/31/2014 at 16:13

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I'll admit, if I can manage to pull off better videos, it'll certainly open up new ways of presenting pieces. I'm working on something right now where I could see a quick five or six minute video really spicing the article up a bit. That might be where I take my second crack at this. We'll see. What scares the absolute shit out me is that, if I chose to get in front the camera for it, I'd probably be the worst host imaginable.

I'm really glad Matt took the time to share his knowledge and gear with us. If there's anyone who aspires to do automotive videojournalism, they should be up looking to The Smoking Tire and I'm not just saying that because Matt posted here. It's because TST really shows what's possible and where you can go if you're passionate about something and keep working at it.

And I love what you accomplished with that WRX review. Excellent work there. And thanks for sharing what gear you're using, too!

If there's a group of people I couldn't care less about, it's the armchair Spielbergs and Tarantinos out there. At the end of the day, I'm having fun, and that's what really counts.

Blake Noble > Robert Angelo 03/31/2014 at 16:15

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Thanks! And thanks for the encouragement and offering up some real advice I can sink my teeth into. I'll most certainly keep your website handy. ;)

Blake Noble > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez 03/31/2014 at 16:16

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Thanks! As always, feel free to host this article on your site and don't hesitate to contact me. :)

Jeff Glucker > Blake Noble 03/31/2014 at 16:22

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Thanks man, much appreciated! If you're ever in CA, feel free to reach out and tag along on a shoot... (just hit me up via email or twitter or whatever)

timgray > Richard Northwood 03/31/2014 at 16:50

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Exactly, the 1DC is not a DSLR, it is a cinema specific 4K camera, and everything else they use is a video-camera or devices that do not have the overheating and shutdown problems that DSLR's have and is why they are limited to being in video record mode for 10-14 minutes at a time. I know the DP's I have worked with only ever used a DSLR like a 5DMKII only when there was no other choice or if Canon was a sponsor and paid for them to be used (The TV show House for example), and now the 1DC, Red, and blackmagic cameras exist, they would never ever think of using a DSLR again. The limitations of a DSLR are also maddening to a DP trying to get the shot. the cameras need to be on and ready, DSLR's can not do this.

Plus trying to do real things like pulling focus with consumer DSLR lenses is plain old insane for a real TV production.

Richard Northwood > timgray 03/31/2014 at 17:01

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Well now we are more on the same page. Except that the 1DC is absolutely a DSLR. It is literally the same camera as the 1DX with different firmware and a slightly different cooling setup if I recall correctly. It has exactly the same sensor, and has come under heavy fire for basically being a 1DX with advanced firmware for twice the price. As far as the pulling focus issue, that has mostly been solved with some pretty remarkable hardware solutions (the micro focus remote setup from Redrock Micro is the best I've used) but as you say, its not IDEAL. However focus pulling has been a part of cinema forever, and pulling manual focus on anything is an art worth exploring. There isn't an imaging device in the world at this point that is without its limitations. Even a 5D MKIII at this point can produce astonishingly dynamic images (legitimately RED levels at this point) of its sensor with the Magic Lantern software installed, however that is a new advancement, a hack, and the workflow is a nightmare and impractical for studios. The Black Magic cameras are fantastic but poor in low light. All Canons cripple their images through compression, yet are the kings of low light. If I was shooting a movie tomorrow, I would have four cameras in my kit. A RED, a C100, a 5DMKIII and a GoPro. But that is just me.

Sky Captain Obvious > xcheck44 03/31/2014 at 20:10

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Yes, I have my eyballs fixated on that 7Q. Sony played it smart after their recorder got terrible market reception and gave Convergant the ability to do 4k 12 bit RAW. I'm shooting in Colorado Springs and stopping in to Convergent for some "research" this week.

Sky Captain Obvious > TheSmokingTire 03/31/2014 at 20:32

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Interesting, I've been working with similar things in the camera. I used to shoot all the time with a flat, neutral cinema image and then graded in post. But now half the time I'm cooking my image settings in camera to be more like the HPX for clients that have minimal time in post.

If you guys haven't already, try crushing the blacks / raising the pedestal a bit. It reduces the dynamic range, but accentuates the gamma curve. Essentially the same as increasing contrast in grading. This is basically why those Panasonics looked so good. It's a slippery slope reducing the dynamic range, so I tweak it a bit for each setup. 10-30 seconds to dial it in, so it doesn't eat up to much time on set, but saves a shit ton of time in color correction.

By the way, didn't you have a blue SV650 for sale a while back?

Sky Captain Obvious > newton 03/31/2014 at 20:33

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TheSmokingTire > Sky Captain Obvious 03/31/2014 at 20:34

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Yeah, I sold it like 3 years ago?

Sky Captain Obvious > TheSmokingTire 03/31/2014 at 20:56

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Yeah, I almost came down to check it out as I was in the market. My yellow '05 got stollen just a bit before you put it up for sale. It ended up being found at a large scale meth operation in Barstow being a used as a ranch vehicle to haul chemicals. (Because a cafe racer is the perfect replacement for a truck in Meth head land I suppose.) I can't remember if I saw it on CL, or here on Jalop. Either way, cool to know you were a fellow SV rider. Loved slicing LA traffic on that bike.

TheSmokingTire > Sky Captain Obvious 03/31/2014 at 21:07

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What a wonderful bike that was, made me sad to sell it, but at the time, we needed a new camera and it had to go. I turned it into a 5D Mark 2. One day I'd like to buy another, unless in between now and then, Ducati figures out how to build a Monster that fits tall people.

Thipps > TheSmokingTire 04/01/2014 at 09:19

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I would say they do not have as many choices as the Nikon and cannons but I really think they are perfect for the kinds shots Smoking tire often uses.

TheSmokingTire > Thipps 04/01/2014 at 10:56

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I mean, they could be perfect, but considering we already have an arsenal of Canon equipment and are basically a 100% Canon house, are they perfect enough that we should ditch all that gear and start over? A camera would have to be a straight up game changer for us to change our entire lineup for cheaper gear.

TheSmokingTire > Cebu 04/01/2014 at 10:57

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I just forgot to put the filters on the list. We have a ton of CP's and ND's.

Thipps > TheSmokingTire 04/02/2014 at 09:26

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Fare enough. Just pointing it out for when you need some new equipment.