Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

AustinAnnie · Joined: 11 Dec 2008 Posts: 41

Hi all,

I'm interested in finding out whether any members have registered their old cars for film/tv work.

It's something I've thought about for a little while, but I've just had a little google-around and couldn't find any proffesional-looking agencies.

Do you get paid for your time or is it just on an expenses basis? Do you have to be available at short notice? Are they likely to try to do nasty things to my car (like take it out in rainstorms?)

Dirty Habit · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 398 Location: West Midlands, UK

I used to do a bit of film and TV work with my cars. There are companies that will put you on their list but but I never had any work from them. If a car like yours is wanted by a TV or film company they may start with car clubs for members who want to have their car used. What they will pay depends on how bad they want your car, but most times you will be told "It's a tight budget" Rolling Eyes

I have earned as much as £450 per day.........but be careful, some people treat your car as just another prop. I always insisted on supervising my cars at all times. I know of a £20,000 classic convertible that came back with stiletto heel holes in the seat because they had the model standing on the seat !!!!
There is a bonus...if you insist on supervising any use of your car, they may use you as an extra and you get to be in a movie Laughing

Even better because they should pay you extra's rate on top. Used to be around £50 a day.
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1964 International Harvester

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

didn't 47P2's Rover appear in something last year?? not sure if it was via an Agency, a Club, or whatever though...?

R
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Brian M · Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:10 pm Post subject:

For my Events business I have a database of over 3000 classic car owners. I have a good friend who is involved in the film industry and occasionally asks me to locate cars for TV and film work for a small commission.

My observations:

You don't get much notice before the day - 2 weeks at maximum, often only a few days.

The producers are sometimes very specific about the vehicle, body and interior colour. Other times they just want a 1960's Estate and will accept anything. They are quite happy to fake things. They didn't like the standard hub caps on a Morris Minor and so for a close up of removing a wheel, a Beetle wheel and hub cap was balanced in the wheel arch!

You have to be prepared to put in long days. They want the car there at 7am and may not finish with it until 8pm, then you have to get home and clean it ready for the next day. There is a lot of hanging about - sometimes your car is only used for about an hour over two days activity.

Check the contract very carefully.

Are you happy to let others drive your pride and joy? As we have seen with Richard Wilson on tv lately, not everyone has the ability and the mechanical sympathy to drive a classic.

Make sure their insurance is sufficient to cover a perfect repair. A camera fell on the bonnet of one of "my" cars - the orginal had some rust on the underside, but was replaced by one of the last brand new bonnets available and was resprayed four times until the owner felt the colour match was acceptable. The repair cost more that the cars value!

For payment - if your car is just there for a background prop you probably won't get more than £100 per day. If you have a period costume you can get the same for just standing next to your car. If it is used for a more central role £300 or more per day is paid. A pre-war convertible was used in one film for 31 days! At the time the owner was trying to sell it for £7000!

Can be fun mixing with the stars for the filming. Even if they don't get in your car for any filming, ask them to sit in your car while you take some pictures. Can add value when you come to sell it!

Our most unusual request was to provide a car in which maltesers would roll across the dash board. We got through six packets of maltesers in ten different cars found that it worked best in a Rover P6, and Guilia TI. But our Guilia was a dark blue and they wanted light coloured car so another agency got the deal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcraY0ZkyTI
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1970 Volvo Amazon and 1978 Safari 15-4 Caravan
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Keith D · Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:36 am Post subject:

Brian,

Your explanation of the use of classic/vintage cars in movies was fascinating, especially to one who has had no dealings with the movie industry in any way. Thank's for that.

I am involved with a VW Kombi forum based in Western Australia and we have just had a member who supplied her split window Kombi for the star role in a new movie called "Bran Nue Dae". The film is about aboriginal life and was made in the North West of this state. The Kombi, which she had only just bought, was repainted in wild "flower power" colour scheme which she absolutely loves. The car was used by the film makers for a couple of months. I obviously have no idea how much she got paid, but she goes around smiling!

The film is still to be released, but being an aboriginal culture film, it will get very wide coverage in Oz. The vehicle is extremely recognisable and as soon as the film is released, it will be a rather famous car!!

Keith

clan chieftain · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2041 Location: Motherwell

Last month my marina was on Crimewatch UK and I even got to drive it though only an outline could be seen. The car was on TV for about 20 seconds and I got £150 for it but I was away all day. It can be seen on the Crimewatch website about a murder in Edinburgh.
I had an Ital estate that was on Monarch of the Glen and The Key.
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Giggles · Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:46 pm Post subject:

Not quite the same, but our Snipe has featured in Classic Car weekly a couple of years ago as part of one of their buyers guides. The writer of the article is a member of a chatroom we use & got in contact with us via there.

We had an enquirey late last year about using the Snipe in a pop video, they wanted us to take the car to Epping Forest at silly o'clock in the morning. We'd never heard of the band or the production. Needles say we didn't go, sounded a bit strange to us. Confused

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1960 & 1963 Humber Super Snipe's

Brian M · Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:40 pm Post subject:

Giggles

Thanks for jogging my memory about a couple of warnings.

The are lots of film and video makers and photographers who will try to get classic vehicles for their shoots. Approaches are usually like the one you had. It is very easy to get excited about being asked and less wise owners than you have driven miles, hung around for the day and not even received payment for their expenses, let alone an appearance fee. They can't sue, as there is no real contract in existence.

Proper production companies will email or fax a full contract to the owner before the day and expect you to confirm it back to them.

Watch out for a clause that holds you responsible for costs if you don't turn up. If it is in there do not accept the contract. Their costs can be thousands per day and a simple breakdown on the way to the shoot could render you liable.

You have been warned!!
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Brian
1970 Volvo Amazon and 1978 Safari 15-4 Caravan
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47p2 · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 2009 Location: Glasgow

Yes my car was used in The Stone of Destiny a couple of years ago (I still to see the movie)(should be out on DVD at the end of this month)

Payment was offered at £200 per day and I refused so they upped it to £250 then £300 before I accepted. They provide all insurance for the days on set and meals are included. I never let them drive my car, and having seen Richard Wilsons efforts you will realise why.

I've had offers from 'film companies' offering £100 per day and I say no. I would rather do a run for charity than hire my car to these penny pinching sods.
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One of Britain's Fine Cars

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

Some interesting responses there, thanks all - especially Brian M's nugget about sometimes being liable for costs if you can't attend on the day Shocked

RJ
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AustinAnnie · Joined: 11 Dec 2008 Posts: 41

even £100 a day sounds better than the "expenses and a sandwich" that I got off the BBC for driving to Surrey/Hants border last year to take part in a program about butterflies (my other hobby). Still, got to be on telly which made up for it!

Rick's right - this has given me some food for thought... with even the best will in the world it's impossible to foresee a breakdown on the way to filming... and no guarantee that you'll ever actually see your beloved pride and joy immortalised on celluloid, or whatever digital equivalent is used these days.

rapide · Joined: 11 May 2009 Posts: 2

Scotty · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 883

I worked through a registered agent - I'd leave all the details up to him, he deducted his portion and I'd get the rest, which was always most satisfactory.

One of the issues with TV & film companies is they know the less they pay the greater the profit in their pocket and in my opinion that's why they trawl web sites, etc to look for those owners who don't know what their pride & joy is really worth.
I was approached by an independent TV company here in Glasgow who wanted to pay me £20 Shocked

for a days filming with the Chevy - after I pointed out to them they couldn't even hire a black hack from end of the city to the other for that I told them where to go.

Bottom line for me is I'm not going to give away the hours and hours of hard work and the small fortune spent for a cheapskate producer who's out to line their pockets.

29FordModelA · Joined: 22 May 2009 Posts: 1

hi all,
like austinannie im interested in puting my car in tv or film. its a vintage 1929 ford model A.
some great info above, very useful ,shows how careful you need to be!.
could any of you who have had vehicles in TV through good agents post up some info on who they are or their websites etc..?

ive found one online and i think it was about £100 a year to be on their books, then they had 10% of whatever you earnt .......£100!!!!!!!!

many thanks.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

Hi 29Ford, not sure I'd like the idea of paying to be on someone's books - if enough people signed up they'd be coining it in and might never get anyone a lead!

(PS be interesting to read about your car sometime!)

Rick
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