Overall technique

[Hans Moleman]

Ok, let's see what kind of techniques and styles people use when shooting, given this hypothetical sitiation:

You're setting up to shoot car for a client. This is the first time you've seen it and you haven't 'boarded anything out yet. How would you approach the object to determine what angles, shot, etc. that would definetly come across as 'cinematic' to the client? In other words, how do you approach any real scene?

 

[mastermind]

I'd assume you would know what you are shooting prior to arriving at the shoot. In that case you would or should have already done prep work, so this circumstance is highly unlikely. If you haven't seen the car this shouldn't change much because at the end of the day a car is a car, you may get some new ideas or have to change little details but that's about it.

 

[profnoxin]

However, not knowing the vehicles color could change things a bit, especially if they decide to give you a black car or a white car.

First off, with black cars, always remember, you want to light surfaces to reflect in the car, not shine lights at the car. When you shine lights at a black car ~> You just see the image of the lights reflected in the car, and you get a big ass flare.

As far as photographically, it depends on the budget. If you've got the money, take the sucker out on a shotmaker truck, drive it around in an isolated area (the desert, the mountains, the woods, etc.) hooked on to the back of the shotmaker, and get some cool footage. Detach the car, take another pass where you are leading the car by a good distance. Do it again where you are following, etc. etc.

If you have no money, you can just get the car in a studio, or a car showroom, and put the thing up on one of their lazy susans (the platforms that spin around in circles) and then do some dolly moves against the direction of the lazy susan's turning. These are all pretty standard ideas, but if you know nothing about your gig, they are also widely applicable.