HELP!!! Is this a good enough contract to let my car be in a movie?

They will treat your car like a prop. They filmed the movie I.Q. near where I live and I got my car it in. They had us park by a golf couse and some hacker nailed my roof with a direct shot. I got paid by their insurance, but it was a hassle. I wouldn't do it again and wouldn't recommend it to anyone else either. Even though I got to see Meg Ryan in real life, it wasn't worth it. The car got in the movie for about 1 second.

 

It says right on the document that you are waiving all rights to pursue them for damages. That is complete and total bullshit. They could blow the thing up for all they care and tell you to piss your shorts and suck a lolly.

I'd tell them to pound salt into their moist places. Any and all of them.

The new contract says that they have full rights to the use of the vehicle.

I can write you a contract just like it.

I will pay you $200 to take your car and ram it into a pole and light it on fire and not be responsible for it in any way shape or form.

Is a check OK?

Do you feel that I am nuts and out of my mind? You should because I am, I just had a lot of beer. And so are these folks too. Now stop thinking about this and tell the guy to shimmy up a pole and do not tell them where you keep this because they may just help themselves.

 

Hell no,don't do it. Worked as an extra for October Sky for a few weeks,and got to drive several 40s cars when they discovered I was one of the few who could drive three on the tree. Nobody on the crew gave a shit about any of the cars. if you ever watch that movie,and see the dark green 51 Merc that the family drove,it belonged to a friend of mine. Damn nice car in every way. Only problem is it was a really pretty stock yellow when he gave it to them. They painted it green,and nobody told him they were going to do it. After the fact,the hot shit Hollywood production company told him they decided the yellow was too bright for the movie. I was horrified with how they treated the car. I took pics during filming with a disposable camera ( as extras,we were told NO cameras..I brought one,anyway),including pics showing how they fucked up the car with the camera clamps,etc. I never did show the pics to the Merc owner. Didn't want to upset him anymore than he already was.
Oh yeah,they gave him some money after the fact. No nearly enough,and the car still has the shit green paint on it.
Don't do it!

 

Noway run I had a buddy do this they don't give a shit about what happens to your ride!!!!

 

Movie making is nothing but waiting around doing nothing. They have no respect for your car and deny all responsibility. It's not worth the heartache of having your car destroyed...

 

I have two cars working in a TV production right now. Before the cars are unloaded we require a certificate of insurance from the production company. No insurance - no deal. What if the car runs into someone by accident, you are liable all for $200? no way. Write your own contract that's what I do. It's not unusual for cars to be damaged, never rent them your best stuff.

 

I think you should ignore all this advice and sign the contract. Nothing could happen to your car that would cost more than $3,000. Right?

 

Look, there are so many ways to lose here I can't even begin to say. I'm a lawyer, and there is no way I sign that. You can do what you want, but no way do I subject my car to that. Not to mention if something really bad happens, the language of that contract will likely cause your actual insurance carrier to disclaim coverage. Then you're left with no money, and demolished car, and a measly $200 for the trouble. Forget it. My $.02.

 

my opion ,its not worth the 200 bucks ,worring abouty our car, if it causes any stress then its not worth it, stay clear

 

Are you still thinking about this?

 

Thanks guys! I sent them an email declining the offer. Just going to keep driving her and enjoying her. Don't need and more scratches or dents on her.

 

I spent 25 years in the limo business here in L.A. and I can tell you with authority: DO NOT LET YOUR CAR BE IN THE MOVIES! The only exception is if they agree that you are allowed on set and no one will turn a wheel or a key, except you. My first experience was in 1972: they took a brand new stretch Lincoln, pulled the windshield (incorrectly), set up a camera on the hood (dents and scratches), and drove it off a curb (ripped off the rear bumper.) The hood was repainted (with a broom) and had so many waves in it that I got seasick every time I drove the car after that. The windshield always leaked after that. This was with a major production company at a major studio. The other stories I have to tell you about cars in a movie are even worse. RUN!

 

200$ is gonna get you 3 tanks of gas and a molested car.

 

Wow, that's a damn shame! I am casting my vote in for "Hell no, run away" as well here.

Also, found a page for the merc on IMCDB and check out the bottom comment by Commander 57
http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_90504-Mercury-Sport-Sedan-1M-74-1951.html

 

After they finished with it, the jungle gym treatment was the least of its problems...
http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_104140-Chevrolet-Bel-Air-2434-1955.html

 

Nevermind that! (That's just WRONG, but it was a main car...) THIS car was just a "background car"! The owner probably signed on for his car to be used in about the same capacity as yours was intended. $200, huh? LOL, no fuckin' way.

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_104110-Packard-Custom-Eight-2252-1948.html

This one too!
http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_104119-Nash-Ambassador-1949.html

 

Yeah I sent the email I'm out. They got back to me saying no worries. I'm glad I didn't decide to do it, if my car got fucked up I would kill myself.

 

Good move. I can honestly understand why you wanted to do it in the first place, it would be cool to see a person's car in a movie and be able to talk about the experience for years. None of us can fault you for that. But as you have seen from the comments by people who have first hand knowledge of what has happened to themselves and friends, the reality is that the movie making business takes some real liberties with other folk's property and the crew is not exactly gentle with them.

Your Ford is a great looking car, and you should be proud of her. You probably wouldn't have liked it as much in green, either.


Don

 

Bend over....grab ankles....

 

Good call declining the offer. I'm a Motion Picture Studio Grip and I can tell you that there could have been guys with toolbelts clamoring all over the car, scratching it, if any cameras needed to be mounted for driving shots, the priority would be to cinch the mounts down HARD to prevent vibration and loss of equipment. You'd get dents, or at least scratches from the ratchet straps, not to mention scratches from the cables for lighting and audio being taped to the finish. Then there could be guys crawling around INSIDE rigging the car, potentially ripping the upholstery, the rear view mirror is always in the way for shots, so often it's removed. And truthfully, most of the crew guys and girls dont give a shit about anything but getting the shot and getting home. "It's a rental." I've worked in the industry for 27 years and I'D never let a film company near my classic car or my home. Production companies are just too good at screwing people.

 

Anything verbal means nothing.
In court it is he said she said and very hard to prove.

You can try taping every conversation and let them know you are doing so, but even that is iffy!

 

Talk to a lawyer.

 

Tell them if they want it bad enuf to give ya, let's say $50,000 for the car,
use it as they want, and you'll buy it back after done using, less damage and depreciaton.
That tell ya where they stand.

 

These guys?
http://basentana.com/home.html
One finished, 2 in production, 2 in the works.
The Press page has nothing.
I wouldn't allow them use of anything unless I could afford a total loss.
Something like a pen, maybe...

As said, even the big boys place no value on the props they use. A fresh small-time Co. like this would probably fold if the value of your car was held against their assets.

 

Something important to remember here is YOUR insurance in all of this. Even if the production company would pay, say, $10K in damages incurred by them during the shoot. YOUR insurance company might just drop you because you allowed your car to be used in an "unauthorized use" event, same as drag racing. Now, you have zero insurance! The specialty insurance WILL insure your car for movie use on a per-shoot basis; so let's say you rent your car out to the production company for a week. YOU are with the car at all times. If you have that rider, you are in good shape, whether the production company pays for the damages or not. You have to remember the way to look at this is that your car means something to YOU only. No one else cares about it. It is like a rental car. The production company looks at your vehicle the same way.

When my two cars were used in a local film shoot two years ago, me and/or my wife were present al ALL times with the cars. The actors drove them, but the scenes were literally driving a few hundred feet, and that was it. We had a very good experience with that production company. We got paid well for both cars, food and overnight lodging were provided, and both cars had full tanks of fuel in them at the end of their use. I would definitely work with the same people again, as well as another friend who is part of a second company.

 

That right there makes me super happy I didn't do this.

 

HELL NO!!! And I'm an insurance broker.

 

These folks (not you Monolith) are from the same walk of general public that have no clue/respect for old cars. They'll show up to a cruise night/car show and sit their fat ass on a fender, open the door and sit in the vehicle, open the hood to see the engine and let their kids stand on the running boards to see the interior. Worst I ever saw was a "Mom" having her two small kids slide down the front fenders of a '34 onto the running boards!

 

There's a reason that films that feature cars as a "character" use multiples. Pretty much every one of them save the "beauty" or "hero" car gets mangled.

We have a term on set: "cinematic immunity" which means, "well, we fucked it up, so what."

Lack of respect for other peoples property is one of the things that really bugs me about my industry.

 

I agree, if they cant even spell words right then this is a pretty low budget operation. You'd have a better time taking your car out for a cruise in the time that they want it.