Who knew Gillette Stadium would be the modern day equivalent of Schwab's Pharmacy?
For a few months they've been advertising relentlessly about the Whitney Houston movie being
filmed in Boston and they're looking for period correct cars.
The 'car wrangler' and someone from production was at the Gillette event tonight, and had over
2500 cars to choose from. And these guys lost their minds over The Ark. Taking/texting pictures,
talking to their 'people' on the phone, taking/texting more pictures, asking a lot of questions about
the car, mechanical, etc. I know what they were advertising on their flyers/facebook ads for pay,
and they offered me WAY MORE. They would transport the car since there was no way I was driving
from the Cape to Boston back home to the Cape back to Boston on the hours movies work on. They'd secure it indoors overnight, etc. Luckily for me, my friend, club member/car crank and
LAWYER was with me. "Have your peeps call my peeps" etc. So this in process. I'd be given a "pass" on filming days if I wanted to watch, etc.
Have any of you let your cars be used in a movie.. what was your experience...
Since I lived in LA for 30 years, I've had plenty of opportunities to do this. I've had friends who have done it. NO WAY would I.
You are correct!!!
Scott, Bob - WHY
What was your experience....
100 % do it
you love the attention will look great on show board
Yes, I rented the "Blue Mistress" (55 FW) out for a movie production. Paint work came back scratched, chipped, and oddly oxidized. But the car needed a paint job before I rented it to them, so I didn't mind that. It also came back with a broken shifter knob, which they paid for afterwards ($175).
I guess it would depend on the car, I would do it with either of my 3 cars or SUV. I have been on multiple sets and a extra in movies and they do have to sometimes alter the scene to get the look that they want.
Thus said, I would have plenty of before and after pictures and have my attorney read their contract to make sure my car is covered for any possible damage.
I did this several times with several cars a few years ago for a TV series being shot here in SLC, depending on the time of the shoot I would either hang around or leave the car and pick it up later, this certainly wasn't as big of a production as this movie, but even almost ten years ago they would pay me 250.00 in cash per day whether they used the car for 1/2 hour or all day. I made enough money to put sheetrock and electrical in my garage. They had an insurance Policy which I received a copy. I got to meet Christopher Lloyd and Cary Elwes , basically a good experience, the "transportation captain" was pretty diligent about watching the crew around the cars, he didn't want to deal with the hassle if there was damage done to one of the cars.
I've heard many horror stories which may explain the obviously poor quality of vintage vehicles I've come across in period films. Owners of high grade vehicles simply won't participate.
Only recently I heard of a case where a roof was literally crushed as a result of being overloaded with filming equipment. I think the car was a '62 Cadillac Sedan IIRC.
Steven is correct, especially his comment "movie people WILL NOT care for your car like you would".
I know of a few horror stories, ALL involving classic Cadillacs such as; car returned with sheet metal damage, (dent). Yes, they did repair it but only after the owner pointed it out. Also, surprisingly no walk around done upon initial car drop off or pick up (as in a usual car rental situation). Ownership not checked and payment made to a 3rd party who had NO authority to lease the car in the first place, (a crooked classic car shop actually did this)! Movie people compounded the problem by not checking who the actual owner of the car was before taking possession of it for filming. Have heard this one twice. In one case the vehicle was returned with a broken no draft window. In another instance, a vehicle was taken out for a lengthy joy-ride without knowledge or permission from the owner. Damage to brakes occurred & repaired at owner's expense. Vehicles returned in filthy condition. Things removed without consent. In one case the electric fuel pump was disconnected without the knowledge of the owner. Why? Not sure, but they did not even let the owner know who subsequently experienced problems starting his car, (still had mechanical pump so car ran). Wire cut in haste to disconnect and unit removed from fuel line! Owner repaired at his own expense.
In another case the film crew wanted a 50s Caddy Limo for an extended period of time, 4 months as I recall, and with no guarantee that it would be used. In that event a ridiculously low flat rate would be provided if the car just sat idle for 4 months. Imagine going to Home Depot and asking to rent a piece of equipment (or their delivery van), and advise that although you may not use it though you will have it for 4 months and will only provide a pittance of consideration, (because you don't want to pay for it if not used). WTF! Plus you are without your car for months and still paying insurance on it-while being deprived of being able to drive it! That deal was offered to me which I found insane.
I am a movie buff and note the ever growing list of end credits that have continued to grow, that roll at the end of a motion picture. Some of the credits note those who provide service such as the insurance underwriter, dog trainer and even the pizza delivery guy, are a scant few examples of what I would consider unimportant credits. In the classic comedy movie Airplane they even made fun of such crediting as when their credits rolled they inserted one that read "Generally in charge of a lot of things", LOL. Naked Gun 3 had similar non-sensical end credits. Others will even bash those that the film crew had issues with, (Wes Craven; Scream for example & the school board not assisting). But kudos to those representing the classic cars, which are often pivotal, are usually if not always curiously absent. Seems like the bloke who delivered pizza or perhaps worst of all the so-called "Honey Wagon" (the excrement carrying truck; portable toilets for set), are more important than the cars. Yep, "Honey Wagon" pops up quite often in the end credits. And no mention of the cars (sometimes hidden under prop master), Wow... In between the lines, that says a lot.
I can't recall having seen credit given to special interest car clubs or owners of the vehicles used, yet sometimes vintage cars can make or break a period movie. Imagine the Godfather with no classic car scenes? So why do I mention all of this? Because the above tells me that classic cars are low on their priority list, (even lower than the excrement truck), so anyone considering having their car used in a movie shoot must act accordingly and in the best interests of their car.
Although a great addition to your story board as wrefakis said, but there are risks involved. If it were me I would want to be with my car at all times, among other things, to avoid problems. That said it can be a positive experience, but as noted above-not always. Caveat Emptor. Clay/Lexi
Quote from: Cape Cod Fleetwood on October 22, 2021, 01:13:45 AM
Scott, Bob - WHY
What was your experience....
I've also had a couple of WLA and valley friends who had businesses where they rented vintage cars to the film industry, but they were all #3 and #4 cars so you couldn't damage them too much more, but damage them they did. It's just the wrong type of peeps to have anywhere near collector cars.
Thank you, these new posts were helpful.
Quote from: wrefakis on October 22, 2021, 09:07:28 AM
100 % do it
you love the attention will look great on show board
LMAO! I'm already a rock star. I've been on the cover of magazines, on TV in 2 countries (BBC and 20/20), been quoted in publications ranging from Newsweek, to Guns and Ammo to Penthouse. My name is in the credits of multiple hard rock albums/CDs', I've been in rock videos, I've worked on set of major movies and other rock video's, including Aerosmith.
This isn't about me.
Its all about The Ark.... ;)
This thread brought back a memory from when I was living in LA. We were walking near our house in West LA when we wandered into a movie production. It turns out that was from one of the early Bruce Willis movies, one where a car drives off an upper story of a parking structure. What they were doing when we saw them was they had 3, 1976 black Sevilles on set. One was seeming just about perfect and it was hanging vertically nose down from the end of a crane, about 30 feet in the air. Te other two were badly front end damaged. when I asked another bystander they said the other two were when the scene went wrong.
Any questions boys and girls?
Greg Surfas
It's a sure thing that your car will have some damage on it.
I'd never do it.
It won't increase the value of your car.
I did a scene for some low budget production in my 36 Packard. I was driving it.
Never got paid.
Don't waste your time time.
Reach out to Jim Jorden the club, he lives in Oklahoma City and has lot of Cadillac's and many have been used for TV & movie productions. Jim should be able provide the ins & outs of what to ask for and what to walk away from.
Further to my last post, (see above), which detail many of the potential dangers of using your car this way; suppose there was an incident and you had to make an insurance claim. Would your car be covered if your insurer discovered that your vehicle was being used in a movie shoot? Could they not conclude, rightly or wrongly, that your car was now being used as a business of sorts (making you money), and your present insurance contract is nullified as your statement of use excluded business ventures, for example?
As a parallel this has come up here with Uber drivers and insurance not covering loss when it was determined the vehicle was being used in a business manner., contrary to riders in your policy. Further, (again up here), if your car is damaged say at a repair shop, most insurance contracts would have YOU make the claim to repair through your insurance and not through the shop. May seem unfair but with so-called "No-Fault" insurance (a disingenuous term to say the least), it basically means everyone runs to their insurer for repairs. Yes, "fault" may still be assigned (to jack up your're rates if your're found to be at fault), but what happens when your insurer finds out what you have been doing with your car? State laws and insurance policy riders vary. Read with my above comments. If a claim has to be made and it is found that the shoot company was skimming on classic car rentals, hence the absence of paperwork in some instances, where would that leave you? SOL perhaps. Clay/Lexi
the love attention thing was not a knock
make the ark a movie star 2 if they scratch it was not the plan to restore it to code 93? let them pay for it
me i prefer to fly under the radar
do share you 70 fleetwood admiration
Depends. Just wear some Depends when you see the car again - kidding!
I say do it. From my short time with you peoples I can sort of discern that you like new adventure. What could be cooler than seeing your car in a movie? They may scratch a bit and mess up the interior but it's all fixable. I would do it and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This has come up nearby multiple times as there is a movie production company in the next town over.
So I looked up the social media of the rep who coordinates the activity.
From that, I would guess that they would be first in line to eliminate the ownership of internal combustion engines.
I declined the offer.
On other occasions, the terms were slightly worse than the galley slave scene in Ben Hur. 'Your eyes are full of hate, 41.'
I have declined multiple offers.
LOL. Love the Ben Hur reference. Clay/Lexi
Quote from: StevenTuck on October 22, 2021, 06:28:08 AM
The movie people WILL NOT care for your car like you would. It is basically a means to an end. Plus most insurance companies require a separate rider. For instance, if the chrome/stainless trim is too shiny for a shot they will apply vaseline to cut the glare. NO THANK YOU. Plus the money they give you is considered income that you have to declare on your taxes.
My '49 was used in a well known film made in the late '80s. Most everything Steve mentioned happened to my car, including it being covered in vaseline. In addition, an agreed upon detailing before returning the car to me was never done. Also, when I got the car back the spare tire was missing. I had to search around the house where most of the filming was done and finally found it.
Some years later another film was going to be done in my area. The "Transportation Captain" called me and asked if I'd let my car be used in the film. The first thing I said to him was "How much are you paying"? He replied "I can't answer that", so I ended the conversation.
I would never do it again.
Quote from: wrefakis on October 22, 2021, 03:44:21 PM
if they scratch it was not the plan to restore it to code 93? let them pay for it
NOW you're thinking like a girl. ;)
What I've learned so far is to have the car bonded, using a copy of its insurance stating value, in this case 25K. (Yes my lawyer - and car crank - is involved.) Bonding is better than relying on the production company's insurance. Once the movie is over, so is the insurance. Mhm. Produce a slow moving video on CD of the car's condition, inside and out, including wheel covers and engine bay. Issue CD to hauler, note such on the bill of laden, keep a copy for myself. Also to note NO changes to the car, OR ENGINE, are permitted. If they decide to drive the car, which is what I'm hearing now, they're paying Michael Amster to be there, ALL DAY and he becomes The Ark's manager. If there's an issue with the car, he can fix it. If they bring in a professional driver, Michael can brief him/her on the limits of the car, exceed that and you own it. Very fluid right now, I'll be talking to 'them' next week according to a text tonight.
I got this car to 23 events this year, fun, but a lot of work. Not to mention the constant on going
work on the car this year... Last year with the engine etc., the very cool story in the Self-Starter, the articles in Riverside Green, Hagerty, Klockau's Klassics. The 19 shows the year before and a TON of work being done on the car, restoring the roof. Relentless "management", now this movie thing. Argh!
And I wouldn't have it any other way. #ArkNRoll
I need to reach out to good friend Paul Geary, he manages Steel Panther, Miley Cyrus and Green Day. AND he's a car collector, he might have some insight, texting him now, I just thought of this, LOL! Its 11pm on the left coast, he's awake. Last time I texted him he was in a boat off of Cabo with Sammy Hagar...
Definitely talk to Jim Jordan. Many of his cars have been used in movies with no problems.
From what I have been told, you can insist that only you drive the car. If you stay with the car at all times it will be fine.
Obviously there is a big difference on how the car will be used. So get clarification up front. Whether its a featured car that is to be used by the characters, vs. a car parked in a driveway or curbside. Sometimes they just want period correct cars to drive past a scene being filmed. Which you would be doing over and over in rehearsals .
I have witnessed the "driving past" scenes in movies, and some have a very small number of cars on the hiring list, as sometimes one sees the same cars going by time after time.
Plus, in a lot of cases, they cars are s perfect in every way, when in real life, they would never have been in such pristine condition, or so obviously fully optioned with scarce body styles.
Call me critical, but seeing perfect cars in scenes that were portrayed to be up to ten years old, and even showing some cars that weren't even built in the pictured scenes makes my wife call me picky.
But, then again, I see the same "howlers" when watching Military films as well.
Bruce. >:D
Quote from: D.Smith on October 23, 2021, 07:19:19 AM
Definitely talk to Jim Jordan. Many of his cars have been used in movies with no problems.
From what I have been told, you can insist that only you drive the car. If you stay with the car at all times it will be fine.
Obviously there is a big difference on how the car will be used. So get clarification up front. Whether its a featured car that is to be used by the characters, vs. a car parked in a driveway or curbside. Sometimes they just want period correct cars to drive past a scene being filmed. Which you would be doing over and over in rehearsals .
Dave, I've worked multiple movies, I've worked multiple rock videos.
I would rather have every tooth in my mouth get a root canal without novocaine than do that again.
If its just a static display, I have no interest in going up there to watch.
If they'll be driving it, I'd be mildly interested, but probably wouldn't go. At that point Michael
would be there and he can worry about the car. I think everyone should work/take part in a movie,
commercial, music video at least once in their lives. You have never experienced mind numbing, physically and mentally exhausting boredom until you do, for up to 18 hours a day, for multiple days, in all weather... pass.
I know very little about this, but from reading this thread, unless I really needed the money, I would not expose my car to someone who does not care about it except as a prop. I know of one person with a '46 Cadillac limo who rents it out for weddings and graduations, etc. The rental, however, includes him as chauffer complete with uniform. If your car runs as good as it looks in the pictures I have seen I would not do it. My opinion.
Only way a film company gets its paws on one of my cars is if they write a generous check for it. Then all worry is eliminated. Different story if I had junks but I don't.
I did it twice. Both times was with my '59 SDV. NEVER again, unless like Eric said, they buy it for really stupid money. I don't care about their insurance or who they say will be in it or even if it's just parked. I don't need to see my name in print, I'm not that vain and I don't need their paltry offerings.
I get a lot more enjoyment driving my cars than looking at them in a body shop.
This is not about my experiences with my car in a movie, but a "movie" car changed my life forever.
There was a very attractive young lady in nurses school that part of her training involved moving to a separate hospital in Madison, IN for her Physc training for several months. At the same time, MGM was filming "Some Came Running" in town, so she and her classmates wandered downtown to watch the movie being made.
Switch to your's truly taking a student nurse out for a Coke who was visiting a former Pastor and when "hit on," was told that she already had a BF, but she knew another classmate that did not, and would get her to call me if she was interested.
Fast forward to our second or third date. She wanted to see the movie that she'd watched being made. Back in 1958, first run movies were shown "downtown" in large theatres and usually were crowded on weekends. We had to sit in the balcony as I remember it.
About forty five minutes into the show, I sat up, and blurted (Probably too loudly) "Oh my God, look at that 1941 Cadillac convertible!" (Smacking her on the knee in the process.) It was Dean Martin's "car" and was featured quite a bit in the movie.
She should have gotten up and (like the guy in the first episode of The Big Bang Theory advised,) "Run far! Run Fast!!" She didn't, and sixty two years later, she has put up with over fifty Cadillacs in varying conditions, including my "Ark" which had the doghouse painted in red primer. Real nice interior, though.
She told me that Dean would drive the car down the street for a take, then let someone else back it up for the next shot. Good luck, Laurie, whatever you do.
Great story Barry! Never get tired of hearing those. Clay/Lexi
GREAT story Barry! And thank you.