anyone ever have their car (charger or other) used in a movie/tv commercial?

[resq302]

Has anyone ever had any of their vehicles used in a movie, tv commercial, music video, etc?  If so, please contact me as I have an opportunity of a lifetime but have questions that I need answered.  Please PM me as I need to have an answer by tomorrow when they might pick up the car.

Thanks,

Brian

[Charger-Bodie]

PM sent.

[Tilar]

I can't imagine me letting anyone just "pick up the car"... I might take it to the filming site or go along for the ride, but not pick it up and just go with it. 

[Finn]

I had a small production company offer me 75 bucks for using the charger. They gave me a days notice. I told them hell no, that wouldn't even cover the gas one way!

[RJS]

See my reply on Moparts for this question , don't do it!!

[xpbprox]

Yeah I don't trust anyone around my charger, don't let them just pick it up

[resq302]

Well, I will say that I do know the guy who owns the company, Movie Time Cars, Inc.  I went to high school with him and actually went on a date or two with his sister at one time in my life.  To be sure that if I did go through with it and something happened, I called Haggerty (my ins. company) and asked them if it would violate any of my coverage or not.  They said that my charger would not be covered, however, they did have some kind of addendum for business or rental vehicle purposes where the vehicle would be making money.  For what it cost me to add the coverage (min of 3 days) and what I would be making one day for the vehicle to be used, it was a no brainer for me to get the coverage.  For the extra money, I would be making almost 4 times what it would cost for the extra coverage.

I got the paper work on it tonight. The company is insured for $1,000,000 and if anything happens to the car, it will be covered. There is a sign off sheet that the driver and owner (myself) does when the car is picked up and dropped back off. Any little ding, scratch, dent, etc is notated and anything that deviates from that when it is returned will be covered by the company.

Here is more of what transpired when I called Haggerty Ins.  On a hunch, I called my insurance company Haggerty, and like I thought, my classic car insurance did not cover something like this for liability. It DID cover the transportation to and from the location. I was able to put an addendum onto my policy for extra cost that would cover any liability should something happen when someone else other than me was driving it, such as over revving the engine, over heating, accident, etc. I will say that Haggerty was fantastic at answering any of my questions and I am glad to have them as my company that insures my car!

Tomorrow the charger is going NY to have the "show and tell" part of it where they actually look at the car in person and see if they like it or not and if it would be good for the production. One thing I did find out is that the production will have a well known star. I feel a lot better now knowing that for a couple extra dollars, my car is covered either way should something happen

[bill440rt]

I can't imagine me letting anyone just "pick up the car"... I might take it to the filming site or go along for the ride, but not pick it up and just go with it. 

x2
No way would I let anyone take my car & bring it back. I wouldn't let it out of my sight. Not worth it for 15 minutes of fame. There is risk of damage as well??   

[model maker]

What happens when you get it back, you don't notice something that is damaged mechanicly that shows up down the road ? something you know YOU didn't do ? Have you asked WHAT they are going to do with YOUR Charger ? If it is going to be in a movie with major stars, don't forget to have them sign your car, say inside the hood or trunk lids.

[resq302]

Well, after being there today, and seeing how the movie car company would not let anyone near my car and being there myself, I have confidence that they will take care of my car and with the paperwork that was signed, should anything happen, I would be told about it.  As for what they said about my car, it will be in a couple of scenes.  Certainly not the star of the show like the General Lee or the black charger in Blade but it will get some air time.  Between my added coverage with my company and the insurance policy that the movie car company has, and the production company, I feel safe.  As for what can happen..... who knows?  Just like driving your car on the road, anything can happen.  A rock can fly up and ding or put a huge chip in your paint (been there done that already) or a deer can run out and total out your front end.  If it wasn't for the fact that I had a good gut feeling about this, I would not be doing it.

I appreciate everyones input as it was a big help with my decission.  Again, I talked to a bunch of people and you just outright have to go with your gut feeling as it is usually right.  If something should happen, well then, everyone can say I told you so and I'll eat crow.

[TUFCAT]

I wouldn't do it.  It's not worth any amount of money for me to worry about someone else "handling" my car like a movie prop....please reconsider.  They can find another car.,

[404NOTFOUND]

I once drove a car of mine to New York City to be in a TV commercial. Had a great time. I was well paid including the hotel room, fuel and all meals. A hot looking model drove my car BUT, I was always present. Letting them take the car without me was not a risk I was willing to tolerate.

[A383Wing]

we had our Pontiac in a music video up here in Seattle way back in the early 80's..and I can't remember the band...four young boys locally up here..anyway...they wanted to lay on the hood and video the guys singing...I said no to that...

after it was all over, they broke the inside rear view mirror off the windshield, plus ripped the seat in a spot...

I will never do it again with any of my cars.....I was a nervous wreck that whole day

Bryan

[Budnicks]

My 23 T Altered Orange w/white stripes & blue pinstriping, Blown BBC, small wing on top of cage, was in the background in More American Graffiti Fremont drag strip scene when John Milner {driver of the yellow deuce} & Toad, was at the track with a Swedish Blonde bombshell, & his SBC Shutepack rail job....

[Drache]

Now granted I haven't put near the amount of money into my car as others have here but to me it's a car. Anything can happen to my car just driving down the street, and I drive my car daily. It now has scratches (thanks to a raven) and a tiny dent (thanks to a guy and a lawnmower shooting gravel towards the road). Now granted I might feel different if I put $30,000 into my car.

But a local family who works at my cousin's shop offered to store my car for the winter when I had no where to put it. For that I offered my car up for her daughter. See every year the local grads have a parade to the prom. Generally it consists of vehicles of all makes and models and the grads in tuxes and gowns. She mentioned she wants to borrow a car from the car club (which her husband is president and she is secretary but don't have a car of their own) to drive her daughter in the parade. I told her she could use the Dart.

Now anything could happen during this parade. But it's no different than myself taking the car in the parade. I know they will treat it as good as I will.

Now this is a little different than offering my car up for a show. But the OP has an insurance policy with his own company it seems as well as through the company that wants to use the car. He has a contract stating that any damage he finds will be covered. Granted I'm sure he's asked exactly what use his car will be (sitting, driving, racing around corners, etc) so he knows how it should be treated. Anything different against the signed contract lands in his favor. 

[resq302]

yes, basically if anything should happen rendering the car different in astetic or mechanical condition from when it was accepted upon transfer of possession will be on the company whose responsibility it was under at that time.  So should it get damaged in transit, it is the movie car company.  If it should get damaged on production set, be it scratches, dents, total loss, etc, that would fall on the production company and the movie car company would assist in getting the vehicle restored to previous notated description when it was turned over to them.

[Fred]

I wouldn't do it.  It's not worth any amount of money for me to worry about someone else "handling" my car like a movie prop....please reconsider.  They can find another car.,

My thoughts exactly.  no way. 

[Cooter]

Ever seen the movie "Man in the chair"? One of the TWO remaining Real "Christines" was used for that movie and they destroyed the car. So much so, the owner (Martin) had to restore it.

[resq302]

for the "christine" car, was it in the contract that should any damage occur that they were responsible for paying for the repairs?  from what I heard, it will be used in two scenes.  one where the main actor will be getting out of the car in the parking space and the other will be where he turns a corner and parks the car, maybe driving it a total of 2/10ths of a mile.

[TUFCAT]

Can you say the name of the movie?

[model maker]

How did they choose your car ? heres a story, In American Graffitti, there was a scene at a stoplight where John Milner & the young girl get out and run around a car spraying shaving cream & letting the air out of all 4 tires because the girls in the car tossed a water ballon into milners car. milner jumped up onto the hood a couple of times to get across the car denting the hood with his boots. AFTER that was done, the director told him to stop and not do that as the car belonged to the girl in the car who let them use it in the movie. His response was "sorry I thought it was just a prop owned by the studio" too late now, damage done. Having worked on movie sets out on location your REAL concern should be with non movie spectators who will look at your car as a means of getting a free souvineer from that movie with the ignorant misconception that movie studios are rich and can afford to destroy cars, what harm would it be to "TAKE A SMALL SOUVINEER " FROM YOUR CAR This can happen fast and out of sight of the person(s) whos job it is to protect it. People can be very sneaky in order to "grab" ( steal) something that will be in a movie. If I were you, I would carefully videotape every inch of your car inside & out & take it to a garage that has a lift, put it up in the air & VIDEO TAPE THE UNDERCARRIAGE just in case some damage just happens. This way you could prove it was not damaged before they had possession of your car. They may have great coverage however, that doesn't mean they will not try to deny a claim,  SO VIDEO TAPE WITH NARRATION TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

[Bob T]

I had my old Charger used in an ad here a couple of years ago, the Film Co was pretty good and had a damage/insurance contract and I got paid $400 for about 5 hours there and stayed on set the whole time.

Had to step in once though and tell them NO when the talent jumped in and slammed the seat back hard. And some of  the "creative types" operate on a different planet 

Here is the ad, turned out all right I thought

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG9llAa-1xk

[Cooter]

for the "christine" car, was it in the contract that should any damage occur that they were responsible for paying for the repairs?  from what I heard, it will be used in two scenes.  one where the main actor will be getting out of the car in the parking space and the other will be where he turns a corner and parks the car, maybe driving it a total of 2/10ths of a mile.

Don't know, but Martin was pretty damn mad about the movie crew SAYING they'd take good care of her and didn't when shooting began. The younger, lead actor, was the guy from the documentary film about the "Lords Of DogTown". Skater flick about skateboarding in the 1970's. He was the guy that got brain cancer. I think his Characters name was something like "Sid"...

Anyway, he kinda steals "Christine", as he's a kind of old skool movie buff who wants to make a movie documenting the old skool movie makers. He instantly recognizes Christine and the cops chase him.

[resq302]

Can you say the name of the movie?

No, I can't say the name of the movie or who the actors are at this time.

[resq302]

How did they choose your car ? heres a story, In American Graffitti, there was a scene at a stoplight where John Milner & the young girl get out and run around a car spraying shaving cream & letting the air out of all 4 tires because the girls in the car tossed a water ballon into milners car. milner jumped up onto the hood a couple of times to get across the car denting the hood with his boots. AFTER that was done, the director told him to stop and not do that as the car belonged to the girl in the car who let them use it in the movie. His response was "sorry I thought it was just a prop owned by the studio" too late now, damage done. Having worked on movie sets out on location your REAL concern should be with non movie spectators who will look at your car as a means of getting a free souvineer from that movie with the ignorant misconception that movie studios are rich and can afford to destroy cars, what harm would it be to "TAKE A SMALL SOUVINEER " FROM YOUR CAR This can happen fast and out of sight of the person(s) whos job it is to protect it. People can be very sneaky in order to "grab" ( steal) something that will be in a movie. If I were you, I would carefully videotape every inch of your car inside & out & take it to a garage that has a lift, put it up in the air & VIDEO TAPE THE UNDERCARRIAGE just in case some damage just happens. This way you could prove it was not damaged before they had possession of your car. They may have great coverage however, that doesn't mean they will not try to deny a claim,  SO VIDEO TAPE WITH NARRATION TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

Way ahead of you.  I have already done that prior to them coming yesterday.  This way, everything is documented before and after.  I guess working for a police dept gives you some insight as to what you need to do to cover yourself with documentation and such.  I also took my cell phone off during the video and captured the date and time that the video was being done so there was no question as to when the video was taken.

They chose my car as they were initially looking for a blue 1969 Dodge Charger.  When a blue one could not be found, they went with their second choice which I guess was red.  The company that a guy I went to high school with owns has all kinds of movie vehicles and such and also has a registry of cars that they can "rent" and supply production companies with.  He is very good about taking care of peoples cars and all day yesterday, the driver of the flat bed never left the charger out of the site.  When I asked him about if something should happen, he said that they would cover the claim and then if it actually happened on the set, then they would get reimbursed by production.  The whole reason why you get called to the "show and tell" is for them to physically see the car as how many times have we seen a picture of something only to see it in person it looks totally different condition than what the picture showed.

As it turns out, our very own mod, Chris Giardina has his 69 on the movie time cars site also.