How would you shoot this?

[redshft]

My company recently purchased an automotive turntable to use with video shoots on the different cars we showcase. They had just purchased it before I came in and we used it for our first project just a few weeks ago. The method for set-up is draping a few black cloths behind the car, on the floor, and on the turntable for the car to park on. Then, in post, I would take down the blacks a little bit and do some cropping to make it completely black with just the car rotating....not the best way, I know. Not to mention setting up the cloths is a PITA. Here is a pic of the set-up.

My question is what solutions do you have?

Green screen is ideal, but I figure we would have to spend a good deal of money to get the screen built and set up lighting for an even spread of light. Also, the shop techs need that corner space for storing tires and wheels.

Should we continue with the method we've got now, but get some boards painted black as well as paint the turntable and floor to get consistent color and easy set up?

Or, should we not set up at all and use the rotoscoping tool in AE CS5 to key out what we want?

Thanks.

 

[Knoxworth]

Green screen might be a nightmare. Consider that many of the cars would reflect the green on their hoods and windows.

 

[slondon]

Make it easier to hang the drapes.

The really big deal is to get the hugest soft overhead source you can so the reflections are sexy and large instead of just hot spots from a light or two. Figure out how to hang a big white translucent panel of bleached muslin or polysilk above the car with some 1K nooks or space lights shining down on it so you have like a great big softbox or chicken coop like you'd do above dining room table.

To get this:

Check this out for ideas.

 

[Patryk_Rebisz]

A simple custom built 8x12 with light grid hanged above (like in the pics shown). Then a bunch of 2ks shining through that light grid - $2000 later you have your custom studio.

 

[slondon]

A simple custom built 8x12 with light grid hanged above (like in the pics shown). Then a bunch of 2ks shining through that light grid - $2000 later you have your custom studio.

It can still be done cheaply.

 

[filmat11]

Depending on the size of the car, you can also suspend 2-12x12 griffion or ultra bounce fabrics in frames, in an "A FRAME" (inverted v shape) type configuration over the car, and use strip lights or several 1k's fresnels or open faced lights into the bounce. Use 4x8 sheets of foam core for bounce on the sides of the car and perhaps large boards of shinny show card or shinny boards them selves to bounce light back into the grill of the car.
You might also want to use a couple of ellipsoidal lights to fire into the tires. Don't detail the treads of the tires, let them get a little dust on them, so they read better.