How cool would it be for your car to be shown in cinemas around the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s an old 1995 Toyota Corolla that’s seen better days, or a pimped up 2010 Dodge pickup. It could be just what the casting people are looking for. It could happen.
If you’ve got an older car, the better your chances of getting it featured in a movie as the numbers of cars on the road from each passing decade decrease at a rapid rate – especially from last century. Period dramas, horror films, retro comedies or film biographies from times past all use cars.
We all know the famous DeLorean from ‘Back to the Future’ or the Plymouth Fury used in the horror film ‘Christine’. There was even a film called ‘Drowning Mona’ starring Neve Campbell, Casey Affleck, Bette Midler, and Danny DeVito that only used the ‘Yugo’ car manufactured in Yugoslavia.
So how can I get a piece of the action? Well, there are few different ways.
1. The first is to list your car (for free) with casting agencies such as Hollywood Picture Cars https://www.hollywoodpicturecars.com/register.php or Movie Time Cars https://www.movietimecars.com/ . If you’re interested in selling your car to a movie set, then Hollywood Picture Cars also offer this service.
2. Get to know a reputable Car Broker. Even though they will charge fee, they will know which production companies are legit and will handle your car with care, and they also have a variety of contacts within the industry. They will most likely get you more work than trying to do it yourself.
3. Get your car known on Social Media and/or Influencer Profiles as you never know when a budding film director may be looking for a car for his or her breakthrough movie debut.
It doesn’t have to be movies either. Your car could feature in a music video, an advertisement, or as a prop for marketing.
4. If you have a classic car or belong to a ‘car club’, then attending car shows and car group outings may just get you noticed. Producers do actually contact classic car clubs – for instance many cars were supplied from a classic car club and featured in the film ‘Public Enemies’ which starred Johnny Depp.
Will I make a living off my car? Probably not, but if it gets featured in a long-running television show, you may get between $75 and $100 per day while on the set. Or they may ask if they can buy it off you if the show is a hit and has been approved for another season. However, certain colors can hold you back from fame and fortune. These colors are black, white, and red because they either don’t show up well on camera or because they stand out too much. Central Casting https://www.centralcasting.com/tips-get-cast-with-your-car/ offer you a complete rundown of what they are looking for. Just click on the Central Casting link. If you do sign up however, make sure you read the contract first to know what’s required of both the company and yourself. Hopefully, I will see you (well actually your car unless you get a part as well) on the big screen real soon.