Today I’ll tell you how to shoot scenes where the actor “drives” a car.

The fact is that in most cases the actor himself does not drive the car, since it is not safe.

Instead of an actor, a stuntman drives the car. But where to put him depends on the director’s preferences. Sometimes a stuntman sits on the roof of a car (Baby Driver)... but it also happens the other way around (Mr. Bean)!

*Mr. Bean* (1990- present) - Rowan Atkinson, Richard Curtis

Children of Men (2006)

This is a special example because the director (Alfonso Cuaron) decided to film the three-minute car scene in one take. In addition to this, the camera had to “levitate” inside the car and rotate 360 degrees.

To implement this idea, it was necessary to build a special car with space above the cabin for the operator, his two assistants and the director. The driver was in front of the car. There were five actors in the car who had to move in time so that the camera could fly over them, and then quickly return to their place and appear in the frame again. Other actors also interacted with the car outside. The scene was rehearsed a huge number of times.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

Quentin Tarantino used several techniques in this movie.

The first photo shows that the car was on a low-slung truck to give the car a level view of other cars. The film crew was in front of the car at that time. Lights and cameras in such an assembly can be placed almost anywhere; it is one of the most commonly used methods for filming scenes in Hollywood.

The second shot shows a simpler setup. The actor himself drove the car (for such scenes, streets and sometimes entire neighborhoods were blocked). There was a light attached to the hood, but it was slightly raised so that the actor could see the road. There was a camera attached to the side; The focus in the scene is constant, so a focus puller was not necessary here.

If you are acting you are not driving!

Children of Men (2006)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

What is a Focus Puller?