Quick Tip: Cars Move

You're lining up a shot where a car is going to drive down a street and into frame, stop, and the rest of the scene will play out there. The actors rehearse and the crew is given the set. It is likely, and smart, for you to ask that the car be left in its final position so you can set your camera position and start to look for issues. 

First off, the car will never land exactly where it is. Just accept that. Either it will miss its mark or, at the very least, the angle will be different, so be overly cautious when looking for reflections. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, look through the lens, but also get out in front of the camera and look with your eyes, moving slightly from side to side. The angles on the car will reveal things you might not see in the camera and will help you try and flag everything before it becomes an issue. Glass is obvious but chrome will get you every time.

But, before you do any of that - before you spend almost all of the setup time making sure that you’ve conquered every possible reflection that could pop up - walk around to the other side of the car, the side you don't see, and take a look to see what the car is hiding. 

See, you’ve been looking at the car in its final position, which is where 99% of the shot takes place and where 99% of the problems exist. All of which makes sense. But what you don't want to do – which will happen to everyone if they are not careful – is have everyone be set, have the car be taken back to one, and then realize there are cones and carts in that opening frame that the car has been blocking. 

So, before you start looking for all the reflections and problems in front of you, take a look beyond the car, at the empty space it will reveal and give everyone a heads-up on what needs to move. Take care of the easy stuff first, and then take care of the tough stuff.