Does anyone happen to know how the effect on the latest car commercials is done? This is an effect where the camera seems to be attached to the car maybe 4-6 feet away, as if on a pole, and looking back at the car as it does 180s and 360s but showing absolutely NO vibration. At first it appeared to be blue screen but the wheels are spinning and reflections of the environment are present on the paint. Any ideas?

Yes, I saw it done.

They put a camera, on a pole, about four to six feet away.


To be fair, it was on a special shock mount, and they cleaned up the pole in post so it didn't show, but you pretty much figured it out.

There might be other ways , but I couldn't tell you about those.

Bill

I have seen pictures of these rigs attached to the frame and cantilevered out from the car body to impressive distances. They are apparently beefy enough to prevent vibration.

James may be referring to Pontiac's "Fuel for the Soul" campaign (the ads with the James Brown music). Those exterior action shots may be camera rigs, but they may also be CG with environment mapping. I Googled around to try to find the company that produced the spots, but no luck.

Well I think it's been copied a few times but where I saw it first was the new Mitsubishi spots with cute girlies inside. I could understand a camera rig on a pole looking back at the car, but how is the shot kept so rock solid with all of that movement. That's why I thought is was a hemisphere blue screen maybe with a turn table but the wheels spin and turn. They did a damn good job that's for sure.